A Civ3 Mod Installer/Manager by KingJoshi

[CivAgamemnon]

Ok, thank you!

 

[CivAgamemnon]

It worked very nicely, once I figured out the mod backup directory location. Thanks!

 

[CivAgamemnon]

KingJoshi,

A feature you might want to consider adding is a way for Civ3 to check itself and see what files have been modified from the original files.

I uninstalled DyP (since it's not quite complete- I prefer complete Civilopedia info, there isn't much there- I want to know what does what before I build it), and went back to what I had just before I installed DyP. Worked like a charm.

I'm just curious if there was a way to indentify which files had been changed from the original?

 

[kingjoshi]

DJ54,

One possibility is to have a list of files in the Civ3 directory the first time it is run (but that doesn't ensure that they are the orginals).

Another would be to install a clean copy of Civ3 and then see what files are there and put that list in a file and attach that with the program (I could have different lists for v1.21f, v1.29f, or just the latest). Then, just compare that list with what's in the user's Civ3 directory.

I'm inclined to the first method (though it doesn't ensure originals) because I don't want to attach to other files with the program unless necessary. But I might setup the program to handle both.

What would you prefer if I only chose one method? Give me a little time on the program just because I'm working on another program for Civ3.

By the way, there is an excel file you can use that is the complete reference guide for the DYP mod. It has all the information you need, and if anything is different in the game from the excel file (which is rate), then that is mistake you can inform us about. If you don't have MS Excel, we can also give you the reference in HTML or text even.

 

[CivAgamemnon]

KJ, I think the first method would be terrific- sorta like an "index" of what is there the first time the program is run, with the caveat that if it isn't a clean install with no modifications, all you will get is what is there the first time you run the program. It would be a baseline to work against.

No big rush, just a thought that may help- it may even help modmakers who want to "mix and match" elements from different mods to create a new one with some additions of their own.

I do not have Excel, I would like an HTML or text copy of the data, then I can go from there. As I told Isak before, I'd be willing to help with the civilopedia if he wanted. I'm thinking of doing another install of Civ3 as a "clean install" and then installing the DyP to that instead of the one I have now- I'm rather attached to those graphic mods I have installed

 

[kingjoshi]

I take that back. here's the link to the DYP v0.77 html reference (it's a zip file). Go to the DYP forum and complain to Isak about the Excel file not being posted for v0.795 RobO might be able to post a better looking one.

 

[CivAgamemnon]

Thanks, KingJoshi!

 

[kingjoshi]

I have added the feature you asked for. It was a minor addition actually and didn't even take a half hour (writing the readme and editing posts, ugh, that I can't do well).

However, it only displays what files from the original have been changed and/or are missing and what files from the original are still valid (since I only have two listboxes). It does not display what files have been added.

I welcome any more suggestions.

 

[CivAgamemnon]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

 

[Rory_20_uk]

I've no idea how many times you util has been downloaded, but after reading the whole thread I have to say that I'm going to get it this evening! I as wondering how to have several mods without them causing severe damage to the origional game or each other, and this seems to fix it quite nicely.
The speed of the feedback support that you offer isalso a big incentive to try it, as if there is not a feature today, there might well be tomorrow

 

[kingjoshi]

well, good customer service is important and if you have ideas, let me know. I just shared my source code to someone else who might implement compression of the backup files, so we'll see about that.

The rest of the post is useless statistics based upon memory (so give or take a few):

The first version was downloaded 27 times before I updated it.

V0.1.2 was downloaded 83 times

v0.2 was never released to the public. (I made a improvements to the program, and as I was writing the readme, I thought of more stuff to add )

I can't recall how many times v0.3 and v0.3.1 was downloaded.

And the first post mentions how many times v0.3.2 and the current version has been downloaded.

I would post those numbers in the first post, but I can't be certain of them. It's probably in that vicinity though.

 

[disorganizer]

how do you check which files are original? by a crc-check?
if yes, it should be optional to rebuild the index with the files installed (kind of baselining) or to use a predefined index-file.
possible solution:
put the index in a file and have it re-generated with the files on a press of a button (or maybe put a generation utility in the package for it).
having a utility to generate the file-index for the original installation will enable non-english users to also use this feature, and maybe they even post their indexes somewhere so others can use them (by exchanging the file).

 

[kingjoshi]

The file that lists the "originals" only lists all the files in the Civ3 directory (and subdirectories) that are there when the Mod Manager is first run. Currently, the only way to restore back to the "original" is to uninstall all the mods in reverse order. Doing any more makes the program much more complicated than it needs to be.

If you do a basic installation in the default directory (which I do not), then run this Mod Manager, the list of "Originals" will contain the list of files installed by Civ3 with the exact location of the file and the time/date stamp. That file should be the same for everyone that uses that local version of Civ3 and you can distribute that list. But since the backup files are not distributed with it, other people will only be able to tell what files are changed from the original and not be able to restore them except to what they originally had through uninstallation of all their mods through the program.

If you have any more suggestions or questions, feel free to let me know.

 

[disorganizer]

bug report:
system: windows xp, 9gb free discspace, civ3 1.29f
before installation the mod-installer says "0bytes free". well, there is enough space (more than enough) and the installation of the mod works anyways. propably just an overflow of the variable holding the free space?

"bug" report:
when you enter a backup path beneath you mod-path, you get an endless recursive backup-directory resulting in a modded civ3 without any backed-up files.
example: mod directory is c:\xyz, backup dir is c:\xyz\backup
maybe you should check for the mod path being part of the backup path and issue a warning

feature request:
maybe you could also implement "versioning" by setting a standard on how version-numbers should be given to mods (like having a textfile with a standard name with the version in a standardized form in it) to show the version of the installed mod?

 

[kingjoshi]

Thanks for the bug info. I'll check those out.

I thought I had done something about the second bug you mentioned, but I guess not I know of some other problems I should probably also post, such as having the shortcut in one hard drive and the program in another. Then, every time you start the program, it asks for the location of the ModManager.ini file.

The version idea is interesting. Seems like a good way to update a mod installation instead of uninstalling and reinstalling.

Unfortunately, I'm getting busy and will be more soon as I move and start graduate school in a week. So I don't know when the updates will occur

 

[Chieftess]

Whoa, big bug.

My mod is in the directory: "c:\civ3\modfiles\Balancer\"
(the directory in quotes is what I used). I also used the defualt Civ3 directory (c:\progra~1\....).

Ok, I clicked the "Validate Mod", which said not valid (I had it zipped, and unzipped in the same directory). I clicked show compatible mods, and it listed that mod. So, I started installing it, and after a few "There's an error writing the uninstall.log file", I noticed it started going up to 126% (and higher!). Then it gave the same error, except this time, there was a backup directory, about 15 of them!!!.

 

[Chieftess]

Mod report; The mod won't work. I have 1.29f installed... oh well...


EDIT: Uninstall attempt resulted in a "Problem deleting mod folder" error.

 

[kingjoshi]

ahh! sorry for the bugs guys. I'll try to fix the bugs.

In VB, the largest number is a long (AFAIK), which is 4,294,967,295 bytes. Most hard drives have more space than that so I have to do something else I guess. I guess, as long as the mod you're installing isn't greater than 4 GB, then I can keep using the long.

Chieftess,

You said the Civ3 directory was the default and the source was "c:\civ3\modfiles\Balancer\", what was the mod backup location?

I think this is the same bug that disorganizer just reported about the recursive problem. I should check for that and not allow the backup location to be the a subdirectory of the source.

If that's the problem, it shouldn't be hard to fix. Though my carelessness as a programmer caused some other people some headaches. sorry

 

[Chieftess]

I had c:\civ3\modfiles\Balancer\backup

 

[kingjoshi]

Yeah, that makes sense. Since the program tries to copy the whole directory, as you put the backup files to it, it copies them to the Civ3 directory. And somehow a loop continues infinitely. Maybe I should make a list of the files to copy first, and then start the process and only copy those files. Instead, I use a dynamic process that loops, though I don't completely understand why yet.

So, as long as the backup location is not the source directory or subdirectory of the source lcoation, the program still seems to work fine.

By the way, thanks for the quick reply!