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<H1>[MUD-Dev] Re: let's call it a spellcraft</H1>
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<LI><em>To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI>
<LI><em>Subject</em>: [MUD-Dev] Re: let's call it a spellcraft</LI>
<LI><em>From</em>: "Jon A. Lambert" <<A HREF="mailto:jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com">jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com</A>></LI>
<LI><em>Date</em>: Thu, 24 Sep 1998 01:23:59 -5</LI>
<LI><em>Reply-To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI>
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<PRE>
On 23 Sep 98, Adam J. Thornton wrote:
> On Tue, Sep 22, 1998 at 10:13:04PM -0500, Vadim Tkachenko wrote:
> > Again, why limit yourself with numbers like 50? Why not 500? Why not
> > just X?
>
> There's a great maxim from somewhere that I can't remember: there
> are only three interesting numbers: zero, one, and
> infinity-defined-as-the-largest- number-your-machine-can-deal-with.
> I've found it's usually a good maxim to apply: either you can't have
> something, you can have one of it, or I'll try to allocate space for
> it for you and let you know if I can't.
I remember some time back Vadim throttled me for my arbitrary use of
numbers in several posts. ;)
This is an excellent design point, which you expand on. The current
state of publicly available mud codebases is very illustrative of
the "numeric limitations" mindset. I would venture that many of the
casual modifiers of these codebases spend a great deal of time in
extending and circumventing these often arbitrary design decisions.
I agree, we should always attempt an implementation in terms 0, 1
and many(unknown/infinity/X). There are exceptions and instances
where we must pay homage at some level to the failings of our
silicon, but these should be rare and abstracted if possible.
It begs the question, "Is the fixed dimensional array evil?"
--
--/*\ Jon A. Lambert - TychoMUD Internet:jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com /*\--
--/*\ Mud Server Developer's Page <<A HREF="http://www.netcom.com/~jlsysinc">http://www.netcom.com/~jlsysinc</A>> /*\--
--/*\ "Everything that deceives may be said to enchant" - Plato /*\--
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<ul compact><li><strong>Follow-Ups</strong>:
<ul>
<li><strong><A NAME="01198" HREF="msg01198.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: let's call it a spellcraft</A></strong>
<ul compact><li><em>From:</em> "Brandon J. Rickman" <ashes#pc4,zennet.com></li></ul>
<li><strong><A NAME="01194" HREF="msg01194.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: let's call it a spellcraft</A></strong>
<ul compact><li><em>From:</em> Adam Wiggins <adam#angel,com></li></ul>
<li><strong><A NAME="01192" HREF="msg01192.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: let's call it a spellcraft</A></strong>
<ul compact><li><em>From:</em> "T. Alexander Popiel" <popiel#snugharbor,com></li></ul>
<li><strong><A NAME="01186" HREF="msg01186.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: let's call it a spellcraft</A></strong>
<ul compact><li><em>From:</em> Marc Hernandez <marc#jb,com></li></ul>
<li><strong><A NAME="01185" HREF="msg01185.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: let's call it a spellcraft</A></strong>
<ul compact><li><em>From:</em> Caliban Tiresias Darklock <caliban#darklock,com></li></ul>
<li><strong><A NAME="01183" HREF="msg01183.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: let's call it a spellcraft</A></strong>
<ul compact><li><em>From:</em> Vadim Tkachenko <vt#freehold,crocodile.org></li></ul>
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<LI><STRONG><A NAME="01120" HREF="msg01120.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: let's call it a spellcraft</A></STRONG>
<UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> Vadim Tkachenko <vt#freehold,crocodile.org></LI></UL></LI>
<LI><STRONG><A NAME="01124" HREF="msg01124.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: let's call it a spellcraft</A></STRONG>
<UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> "Adam J. Thornton" <adam#phoenix,Princeton.EDU></LI></UL></LI>
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<ul><li>Thread context:
<BLOCKQUOTE><UL>
<LI><STRONG>No Subject</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM>
<ul compact>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01091" HREF="msg01091.html">No Subject</A></strong>,
Vladimir Prelovac <a href="mailto:tomcat#galeb,etf.bg.ac.yu">tomcat#galeb,etf.bg.ac.yu</a>, Tue 22 Sep 1998, 11:28 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01119" HREF="msg01119.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: spell design systems</A></strong>,
Travis Casey <a href="mailto:efindel#polaris,net">efindel#polaris,net</a>, Wed 23 Sep 1998, 03:06 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01120" HREF="msg01120.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: let's call it a spellcraft</A></strong>,
Vadim Tkachenko <a href="mailto:vt#freehold,crocodile.org">vt#freehold,crocodile.org</a>, Wed 23 Sep 1998, 03:13 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01124" HREF="msg01124.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: let's call it a spellcraft</A></strong>,
Adam J. Thornton <a href="mailto:adam#phoenix,Princeton.EDU">adam#phoenix,Princeton.EDU</a>, Wed 23 Sep 1998, 04:43 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01177" HREF="msg01177.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: let's call it a spellcraft</A></strong>,
Jon A. Lambert <a href="mailto:jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com">jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com</a>, Thu 24 Sep 1998, 05:23 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01183" HREF="msg01183.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: let's call it a spellcraft</A></strong>,
Vadim Tkachenko <a href="mailto:vt#freehold,crocodile.org">vt#freehold,crocodile.org</a>, Thu 24 Sep 1998, 05:55 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01195" HREF="msg01195.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: let's call it a spellcraft</A></strong>,
Adam Wiggins <a href="mailto:adam#angel,com">adam#angel,com</a>, Thu 24 Sep 1998, 18:22 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01185" HREF="msg01185.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: let's call it a spellcraft</A></strong>,
Caliban Tiresias Darklock <a href="mailto:caliban#darklock,com">caliban#darklock,com</a>, Thu 24 Sep 1998, 06:24 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01216" HREF="msg01216.html">[MUD-Dev] Let's talk about numbers.</A></strong>,
Jon A. Lambert <a href="mailto:jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com">jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com</a>, Fri 25 Sep 1998, 06:00 GMT
</LI>
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