Thread: creating a program to help with modding

  1. #1
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    creating a program to help with modding

    i make mods for a pc game using the publisher's downloadable tools that are available to everyone. the modding process is very tedious and long, since i have to look through long text files and change values, and hope that i don't make a mistake somewhere.

    i have also recently starting learning c++. i know just the basics. i want to make a program that can help me out and help other modders out there. i know i will need a GUI, be able to read from a text file line-by-line and recognize a bank of keywords and display selected settings, and i will also need to go to specific lines in a text file by finding keywords and changing the corresponding values to the user input.

    i'll do the learning i'm just asking for a nudge in where to start or if anyone has any basic source code examples that deals with reading, writing, deleting specific values in a text file.

  2. #2
    looks like all you need to be able to do is open and search text files for keywords and replace according to input. a GUI may not be neccesary for this at all as a simple command interface could do.

    All ya gotta do is find out what code you will need for:
    -Opening Text Files
    -Searching the text
    -Replacing text
    -Saving the text File
    However i am only learning aswell but this is my interpritation of what you are after.

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    i say that i need a GUI only because the pc game has an official fan website (planetavp.com). personally, i wouldn't need a friendly user interface because i know where everything is, but i'm thinking that if i pretty it up enough i can send it in for 'mod of the week' at that website for other modders to use.

    this weekend i have a 5 day weekend off from school (thursday - monday) and so i will look into those suggested topics. in the meantiime i would be grateful to anyone who has any more suggestions, or links to tutorials or examples.

  4. #4
    pwns nooblars
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    If you are working with just text, my suggestion is go with Perl, while not as fast in the parsing department as you can make a C++ application, Perl was made with Text documents in mind. As far as a GUI goes look into Perl/TK.

    If you are dedicated to making it with C++, look into strings, file streams, as far as a GUI goes, I have been programming for a while now, GUIs are still advanced for me. I can write them, but the consume a lot of time and energy to make. I would recommend that you not go into GUIs with C++ till you have spend a good ammount of time programming console applications.

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    sounds fair enough

  6. #6
    Devil's Advocate SlyMaelstrom's Avatar
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    Or you can use a visual compiler/IDE and make the GUI in a design view.
    Sent from my iPadŽ

  7. #7
    pwns nooblars
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    Never used one of those, do they work very well? And is the IDE very intuitive when it comes to making a GUI?

  8. #8
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    They probably work about as well for C++ as MS Frontpage does for HTML... in other words... they get the job done but a programmer with understanding of GUI could do a much better job. I personally have never used a visual C++ IDE, but I have used Visual Basic with design views and it's not too pretty.
    Sent from my iPadŽ

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    i've read a few tutorials on file i/o and it seems simple enough. i was wondering about what if i wanted to add a patch to my program later on? i will probably submit the program with the most commonly modded aspects of the game included: weapons, names, skins, etc. but later i would like to add new options to the menu when i make the code to edit other aspects of the game that are for more advanced users.

    i think a patch is the solution but i'm not sure. i just don't want to re-submit my moddified program. it would be easier for me to just have a download site where the user can download the patch, or have the program automatically check for updates upon start, then updating itself. but i have no idea how to go about doing that.

  10. #10
    pwns nooblars
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    You are better off just releasing different version that to attempt to patch. You program is not going to near the size at which it becomes more efficient to patch. Even iTunes, and Firefox don't patch, they just make you install over the old one.

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