Site Updates

Broken link? Feature request? Anything related to the Spectrum Computing website here.
hikoki
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Re: Site Updates

Post by hikoki »

Hi Einar
There you have a few lists. You can get more from by playing with dropdowns "Main Programming Language" and "Tags" (tags starting by Src to get the opensourced ones). To get prefiltered URLs for every view, click on the white semicircle in the top right.

Sinclair Basic games: https://awesome-table.com/-KTJLy2xX7_E1 ... d%20BASIC)

Sinclair Basic games with additional docs (diagrams,explanations..) : https://awesome-table.com/-KTJLy2xX7_E1 ... d%20BASIC)

ZX Basic Boriel games : https://awesome-table.com/-KTJLy2xX7_E1 ... ZX%20BASIC

ZX Basic Boriel games with source code : https://awesome-table.com/-KTJLy2xX7_E1 ... ZX%20BASIC
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PeterJ
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Re: Site Updates

Post by PeterJ »

Thank you [mention]hikoki[/mention]. Can you remind me how far your site goes back?
hikoki
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Re: Site Updates

Post by hikoki »

PeterJ wrote: Wed May 09, 2018 2:51 pm Thank you @hikoki. Can you remind me how far your site goes back?
mid-2013 with some mods from earlier

By the way, Einar, you may have overlooked some ZX-81 games by Dancresp which are nicely documented on this sub-forum : http://www.retrowiki.es/viewforum.php?f=83
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PeterJ
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Re: Site Updates

Post by PeterJ »

I'm really pleased to announce more improvements to the advanced search:

Image

The additional features are as follows:
  • Mod - You can choose if you want to include them or not in your search. Default is 'Yes'
  • Crappiness - Do you want to include titles from the annual Crap Games competitions? Default is 'No'
  • Source Code - One for the budding developers out there. Choose if you only want titles which include source code
  • Results Layout - You can now choose one of four styles of output:
Full - This is the same as normal with both loading screen and in-game screen
Compact - Shows a nice compact one line per title list.
Run Screens - Just shows the game detail and the in-game screen
Load Screens - Just shows the game detail and the loading screen

Thanks to our developers for their work on this, and to Ricardo for working his CSS design magic on the layout!
hikoki
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Re: Site Updates

Post by hikoki »

Thanks! though there seem to be quite a few titles with source code NOT listed by ZXDB, at least from 2013 onwards : https://awesome-table.com/-KTJLy2xX7_E1 ... ilterO=src
apart from Sinclair Basic titles
Last edited by hikoki on Wed May 09, 2018 10:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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PeterJ
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Re: Site Updates

Post by PeterJ »

[mention]hikoki[/mention]
If you can provide a spreadsheet for Einar with the ZXDB ID it will be easier for him to import into ZXDB.

I assume these are titles where ZXDB does not have the source code listed, so I'm sure you can provide Einar with information and files you think are missing which would be most useful and help all users of ZXDB as we can only query what it contains.
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R-Tape
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Re: Site Updates

Post by R-Tape »

The additions to the main search are great (crappiness , chortle!). Great work guys.

A couple of thoughts:

Is enhanced date searching an option here (eg between 1993 - 2008, or >2000) or is that better kept for the "more advanced search"?

Would an ultra compact layout be an option too far? I'd quite like to be able to see loads of titles on one page with very little formatting and a small font. Ugly but useful.

Re the source code (ta hikoki), does this have to be checked/collated manually? If yes I could make a start next week.
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Einar Saukas
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Re: Site Updates

Post by Einar Saukas »

R-Tape wrote: Wed May 09, 2018 11:24 pmRe the source code (ta hikoki), does this have to be checked/collated manually? If yes I could make a start next week.
If a certain title appears in hikoki's list but not SC, it means there's a source code file somewhere that needs to be added to ZXDB.
hikoki
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Re: Site Updates

Post by hikoki »

Let me know if you want me to discuss anything.
For example, Solitario-1K, this game was originally published for ZX81 here
https://web.archive.org/web/20150317003 ... =15&t=5434
I think the author's documentation would deserve to be preserved (I should have taken a screenshot and include it on the download link). Later on, on the same thread, Mcleod/ideafix changed the zx81 code and documented his own mod (the type-in image has been lost but I know where else it is), later on the same thread Avillena shortened the zx81 code and also converted it to the Spectrum as well as publishing a zxmakebas which works both for zx81 and spectrum.
So this title has a forum history regarding source code: the source code is not on the archive because his authors published it on the very same forum thread, the game is on the archive as Spectrum game but not as ZX81, there are different versions which I don't recall if I put them all on the download zip..
Likewise, other sources by Dancresp are only on the forums where he released his games.
Some other authors provide pdf guides (Douglas Bagnall), Basin files (Arda), diagrams, etc
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Einar Saukas
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Re: Site Updates

Post by Einar Saukas »

R-Tape wrote: Wed May 09, 2018 11:24 pmIs enhanced date searching an option here (eg between 1993 - 2008, or >2000) or is that better kept for the "more advanced search"?
It should be trivial to have min_year and max_year, instead of a single year field. To search between 1993-2008, set both fields. To search >2000, set first field and leave the other blank. To search only 1989, set both fields to the same value.

The only drawback is, if most users run searches for a single year, it can be annoying to set this value twice, in both fields.

What do people think?
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R-Tape
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Re: Site Updates

Post by R-Tape »

Einar Saukas wrote: Thu May 10, 2018 7:33 pm
R-Tape wrote: Wed May 09, 2018 11:24 pmIs enhanced date searching an option here (eg between 1993 - 2008, or >2000) or is that better kept for the "more advanced search"?
The only drawback is, if most users run searches for a single year, it can be annoying to set this value twice, in both fields.
Tricky, that could potentially be a pain. I think I would want multiple years as often as single ones.

How about pressing Ctrl and selecting whatever combination of years you wanted in the list? That could be even more useful that between or more than, as you could include/exclude any year you fancied. It would rule out mobile users, but as long as it didn't mess up the single year search for them I think it would be worth it.

Though if the Ultra More Advanced Search++ is likely to appear within 6 months maybe the main search is perfect as is.
Ralf
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Re: Site Updates

Post by Ralf »

Just noticed advanced search becoming more advanced ;) It's a great addition!

Some quick notes:

- Instead of "idiom" I guess simply "language" would be better

-at these moment I'm unable to search just for any mod or all crap games. I get "Please search for title with at least 3 chars long, or use advance search with one or more search fields". I don't get it if for example I choose any game with source code

-as others say a search for range of years or selected multiple years would be great!
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PeterJ
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Re: Site Updates

Post by PeterJ »

Hi [mention]Ralf[/mention]

Spooky! We have just been having the same discussion about Idiom. I have changed it to Country (although that may change).

Thanks for reporting the other issues. We will take a look.

I never knew so much software came from Sweden!
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Einar Saukas
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Re: Site Updates

Post by Einar Saukas »

PeterJ wrote: Thu May 10, 2018 9:40 pmI have changed it to Country.
It's wrong to name it as "Country", if it's searching for "Language".

Certain languages are shared by different countries, and certain countries have more than one official language.

PeterJ wrote: Thu May 10, 2018 9:40 pmI never knew so much software came from Sweden!
Searching for Swedish language may also return titles from Finland, since that's an official language there too.
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PeterJ
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Re: Site Updates

Post by PeterJ »

[mention]Einar Saukas[/mention], yes you are right. I have changed it.
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Einar Saukas
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Re: Site Updates

Post by Einar Saukas »

PeterJ wrote: Thu May 10, 2018 9:58 pm @Einar Saukas, yes you are right. I have changed it.
Thank you!!!
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R-Tape
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Re: Site Updates

Post by R-Tape »

On mobile, haven't checked on PC, but the author search bit of the advanced search is not responding. All other tabs work correctly.
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R-Tape
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Re: Site Updates

Post by R-Tape »

For people anxiously waiting to see their fix, game, screenshot or thing on the site I should say that the next SC update will not be until next Thursday or so (Peter is in Afghanistan inspecting his opium harvest).

If possible maybe the ZXDB update could wait till next week too? We could add a bit more.
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Einar Saukas
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Re: Site Updates

Post by Einar Saukas »

R-Tape wrote: Thu May 17, 2018 8:01 amIf possible maybe the ZXDB update could wait till next week too? We could add a bit more.
Okie dokie.
Ralf
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Re: Site Updates

Post by Ralf »

Should I send some more MIA stuff or aren't you ready with old ones yet?
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R-Tape
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Re: Site Updates

Post by R-Tape »

Ralf wrote: Thu May 17, 2018 9:54 am Should I send some more MIA stuff or aren't you ready with old ones yet?
Yes please, I already added Russian games 2 and 3.

That reminds me - I still need to add Supernudge2000.
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druellan
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Re: Site Updates

Post by druellan »

R-Tape wrote: Sat May 12, 2018 11:25 pm On mobile, haven't checked on PC, but the author search bit of the advanced search is not responding. All other tabs work correctly.
A friend pointed out something similar. He is using a low resolution laptop, and the search fields are not accessible on both Firefox or Chrome unless he changes the scale of the browser. I'm still unable to reproduce it.
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druellan
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Re: Site Updates

Post by druellan »

Quick question: why the author names are not clickeable?

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R-Tape
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Re: Site Updates

Post by R-Tape »

druellan wrote: Thu May 17, 2018 12:03 pm A friend pointed out something similar. He is using a low resolution laptop, and the search fields are not accessible on both Firefox or Chrome unless he changes the scale of the browser. I'm still unable to reproduce it.
It's still doing it, but publisher etc still work. I'll email Ricardo.
druellan wrote: Fri May 18, 2018 6:13 pm Quick question: why the author names are not clickeable?
They are clickable further down in 'author information' but it might be nice to have it accessible in general too.
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R-Tape
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Re: Site Updates

Post by R-Tape »

POLITE NOTICE

There will be a temporary hiatus in all site work for the duration of the royal wedding.

Thank-you.
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