85 replies to this topic

[PsichiX]

Title: Ether - Network Library For Game Maker

Genre: Network Engine

Download: http://psichix.gmcla.../Ether_1100.zip
File size: 116 kb.

Authors:

Programming:

• PsichiX - XenoN Core
• Snake - GMapi

Description: Ether is a network library (based on XenoN Core Ether module and GMapi; also is a part of SixthSense ) for GameMaker, that contain features of most other libraries (like all-in-one dll). Supports sockets to network communication, buffers to store data, sessions for automated client-server communication (for multiplayer games primarily), HTTP requests to communicate with Web servers (asynchronous download/upload files and data from/to the server), and XML languages reader (HTML websites). Project file contain examples of each engine feature, and I'm working on other advanced examples.

TODO examples list:

• files uploader using communication with sendspace
• search engine using communication with google
• data streaming to clients (movies, audio, etc.)

Edited by PsichiX, 27 December 2010 - 04:13 AM.

[YellowAfterlife]

Looks great. Everything in examples works.
Question 1: {Requests} use POST\GET methods?
Question 2: What is the licence for using this?

[PsichiX]

1.
for GET method use: EtSessionDownload(); or EtSessionDownloadAsync() and EtSessionDownloadProgress() [asynchronous mode];
for POST method use: EtSessionSendForm(); or EtSessionSendFormAsync() and EtSessionSendFormProgress() [asynchronous mode];
for other methods use: EtSessionRequest(); or EtSessionRequestAsync() and EtSessionRequestProgress() [asynchronous mode];
EtSessionSendForm*() and EtSessionRequest*() works like download example (some arguments are different - more info in function scripts)

2. totally free for commercial use

Edited by PsichiX, 24 May 2010 - 10:35 AM.

[TheMagicNumber]

Looks great, but are there any more details available? Some descriptions of the words you used would be nice.

Can we expect better documentation?
Are sessions and requests mainly used for HTTP?
How are the packets structured?
Is GMAPI only used for callbacks (it seems)?

I noticed that 39DLL does have better buffer <-> file functions. You only have load and save. Also, there seems to be a problem with downloading the Google homepage.

Edited by TheMagicNumber, 24 May 2010 - 01:29 PM.

[PsichiX]

Can we expect better documentation?

yes, but i don't know when it will be done.

Are sessions and requests mainly used for HTTP?

Session types: Download, SendForm, Request use HTTP protocol, other functions are strictly userdefined protocols. Now i'm working on Mail (SMTP, POP3) protocol

How are the packets structured?

Socket send whole buffer at once, with size-header (if we don't know how much data trying to send and receive) or without size-header.
Game session send data like socket.
HTTP request session send data like socket but receive parts and flush them to buffer.
Now I'm working on sending splited parts of buffer, and receiving like in HTTP requests session, for sockets and game sessions.

Is GMAPI only used for callbacks (it seems)?

only for callbacks

I noticed that 39DLL does have better buffer <-> file functions. You only have load and save.

what functions I missed?

Also, there seems to be a problem with downloading the Google homepage.

i will check this, thanks for information

[TheMagicNumber]

39DLL can read from files somewhat like C can, it can read chunks of a file into the buffer. You can only read an entire file into the buffer with Ether.

I just saw EtBufferSetResize and EtBufferGetResize, what do these do?

By the way, if you want to keep your capitalizations, EtSocketGetUDPbuffSize and EtSocketSetUDPbuffSize should capitalize "buff".

[PsichiX]

39DLL can read from files somewhat like C can, it can read chunks of a file into the buffer. You can only read an entire file into the buffer with Ether.

Ether can read (and save) parts of files too. EtBufferLoad() (and EtBufferSave()) second argument is bytes offset and third argument is part size (0 mean read whole file)

I just saw EtBufferSetResize and EtBufferGetResize, what do these do?

default resizing buffer mode is adjust buffer space to needed size (if resize is 0), but if resize is more than 0 then buffer resize operation will reserve bonus memory space and when buffer space will be all filled then it will resize to bonus size again. example:
SetResize to 0:
step 1: [1][1][1][1]
step 2: [1][1][1][1][1][1][1][1]
step 3: [1][1][1][1][1][1][1][1][1][1][1][1]
SetResize to 8:
step 1: [1][1][1][1][0][0][0][0]
step 2: [1][1][1][1][1][1][1][1]
step 3: [1][1][1][1][1][1][1][1][1][1][1][1][0][0][0][0]
[1] - filled memory space
[0] - empty memory space
this feature allow to fast data writing. (memory block is reallocated not in each writing but only if whole memory space is filled)

By the way, if you want to keep your capitalizations, EtSocketGetUDPbuffSize and EtSocketSetUDPbuffSize should capitalize "buff". tongue.gif

good point ;P

Edited by PsichiX, 25 May 2010 - 11:25 AM.

[TheMagicNumber]

You didn't have those parameters in the scripts I have, did you update it or something?

Same thing I did for my buffer in CanNet.

[PsichiX]

You didn't have those parameters in the scripts I have, did you update it or something?

oups :0 i forgot add them, sorry, today i will do this

[PsichiX]

Update to version 1.0.2.0!
Added missed arguments in EtSessionSend(), EtSocketSend(), EtBufferSave() and EtBufferLoad() scripts. Now You can send part of buffer, not only whole buffer data.

[TheMagicNumber]

Do you think you can add HTML5 WebSocket support?

[PsichiX]

I was read something about this, and i think it is possible to add websocket support to new Ether version

[TheMagicNumber]

Awesome! Looking forward to it.

[TheMagicNumber]

I was just going to start making a websocket example, but I need to make the packets in a specific format. I need no formatting.

Question: How are packets formatted?

Found that, having problems detecting if a client lost connection, though.

Edited by TheMagicNumber, 22 June 2010 - 10:33 PM.

[LoopStan]

Wow. This DLL seems to be feature rich, and the people that have used it, really like it. I will have to use this in my current project. Once I get the hang of it, and start to use it, i'll let you know how I feel about it from a person who isn't so good in this area.

EDIT : I've looked over it and ran the example, and it works really well! I do have a request though, is there a possibility of being able to remove the GMApi portion, so we can use it in other languages as well? Or would you rather keep it to gm.

Edited by LoopStan, 22 June 2010 - 10:55 PM.

[PsichiX]

There is special version of this lib for C++, based on Ether module of my XenoN Core engine. I will compile it without GMapi (for non-GM apps) today and you will get it tomorrow

Edited by PsichiX, 23 June 2010 - 06:10 AM.

[LoopStan]

Thank you very much! This will help me a ton, since the current project I'm working on is split between Gm and C++. Can't wait!

[PsichiX]

Sorry, but yesterday I was too busy to make that, but today I will do this for sure

[LoopStan]

Hey, can you release this without gmapi so i can use it in a c++ server for my game? Thanks

[kalzme]

can the xml parser read CDATA properly?
if so, how?

for example this:

<item>
<title><![CDATA[bla bla bla]]></title>            
</item>

i have already tried to read it like this:

EtXmlTagGet(xml, 'item#id:0/title/');

but that doesn't work.