A Centralized Code Dump?
 

Hello all :)

I had some extra time on my hands and I was just wondering about this idea that I had. I was thinking that it would be great if there was one central place for teams who needed assistance or ideas for programming the FRC or "Robovation" bot to go and find code examples. For example if a team wanted to learn how to code a certain type of encoder they would go to the site, click on the link to the library and either search for code examples on the part or click on easy to navigate links that would take the person to code examples submitted by teams all over. Or if a team needed inspiration on where to go next with their control code, they could just hop onto the site and browse through some nice examples. Anyone who wanted to submit an example would just register with the site, log-in and start uploading examples to our web space.

First off, does something like this already exist? I searched the CD forums and it didn't look like it.

Second, If I did make this website would the idea be well received? would anyone use it?

Third, I thought of a few potential problems such as a team neglecting autonomous until the day before the competition, just going on the site and stealing someones code that was meant to help teams get a better understanding of how to do things, but this is no different then people going onto CD and doing that. What other problems would you guys see in this?

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

It's called the NRG Code Repository.

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

The system is down, man.....

The Code Repository isn't coming up. infact, the whole nrg.chaosnet.org site appears down. any news on that?

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

As far as I can tell from the threads on this forum, it was switched to a source forge project. Here is the link:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/frcoder/

It apears that it is no longer active as well. Maybe I just don't know how to use source forge correctly or nothing has been added since 5 months ago and their are only 4 listed developers. That's all I know. Maybe we could start this up again, or re-vamp and make a new system or something. I don't know.

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

Maybe, in the white pages section or so, we could ask Brandon to create a section so us programmers can "dump" in useful code? Or as you said, you can make a website, but no guarantees it will be used. In the past, both the code repositories have been a waste. I have a feeling that it will be more alive in ChiefDelphi just because there are more users and its also a place where rookies come first. Although, if it doesn't harm, you can create your own repository.
-Bharat

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

Who actually ran the nrg.chaosnet site? And can we get old data from him/her/them?

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

SilverStar from Team 948 ran it. There wasn't much on the site, but I am pretty sure he will have saved whatever was on it and give it to us if needed. He did a very good job overall on the website, unfortunately it didn't work out that well.

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

I can provide website space to bring back the idea of a code repository, if anyone is interested.

I need recommendations for software, to manage it. Or get a copy of the NRG software.

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

FIRSTwiki is very well-suited for this use. Submitting content and categorizing it is extremely simple. I think I can write a C context highlighter plugin for it without to much work if it looks like people actually want to use it for code repository.

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

I could right the software so its a complete custom job. I have a member system and a file system so I can just merge the 2 together. We should talk on how to coordinate this. If we all list our AIM sns here could start a chat on how to organize it.

FIRSTWiki also looks like a good idea, less work for me :]. The only problem with that is that I never 100% liked having anybody be able to edit things.

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

I would be more than happy to help develop the site, if we cannot get NRG's software.

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

Wikipedia has a pretty extensive and solid response to that issue many people have with wiki's. Basically, it comes down to the fact that people review every edit and that if things really get bad, there are moderators to step in (who can ban people and lock pages.) If still don't believe thats a good argument, just look at Wikipedia. I don't think anyone can doubt its existence or great success.

In the future, the software will have the ability to give different edit priveleges to different people and members of different groups. Its possible we will use this to allow, for example, only team members to edit team pages.

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

This is a very cool idea. So cool, in fact, that I suggest you hold off doing anything to implement it until at least January 8. There is such an obvious need for this type of shared code library that I am hoping FIRST will have already thought of it and will surprise us with a sanctioned, supported system to do this very thing. If they do (/me keeps fingers crosed really well!), then we are good to go. If not, then the community should see about getting something set up and running as fast as we can (I would advocate for a SourceForge site, as it is already set up to do what we want).

-dave

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

I'm skeptical of the usefulness of wiki for this, since you'd be reduced to cutting and pasting code from the articles. Not to mention it'd be more difficult to group a build of code together with all its include files, etc. Sourceforge or some other system designed with code in mind would still probably be more useful.

I'm with Dave, though. A FIRST sponsored and organized site would probably work better and have a higher profile.

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

It's pretty easy to group files together. You can organize pages by adding them to categories that generate automatic listings of all elements in the categories (and can have subcategories) and you can mimic a file structure by just making the name of the page the name of the file ("/Kevin's Code/sensor stuff/sensor.c").

I know its not ideal, but its up and running now, and stuff can always be moved to a more useful storage later.

My main concern with some custom software is that it will fall into disrepair if it is something that only the FIRST community is using and that it will be too difficult to migrate to a different software (witness the old NRG repository). If MediaWiki software isn't the best, at least try to use some established piece of software so we can be assured of its longevity.

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

SoundForge is better suited for this purpose as it is designed for such things. Wiki is good for overall data storage. Maybe we could use it as backup. As Dave said, lets wait till Jan.8 and see what happens. Or we could form something like FIRST Scouting Network and work our way from there. But I know that we definitely need some kind of place to store useful code and such.

-Bharat

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

The way SilverStar set up the SourceForge repository, it definitley is not an ideal solution. All submitions had to be posted in a sort of comment and reviewed by him. There was no easy CVS access (well, CVS would probably be too difficult for this, too. The majority of teams are not familiar with it).

The best dedicated solution that I know of is GraalForge, but again, I think that it is kind over complicated considering that the majority of code pieces being submitted will be in the <50 line range.

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

Well, i was going to make a code dump for my teams website anyway. So if FIRST does release one I can use this for my teams site. I like making things from scratch (I just have urges to re-invent the wheel). I have pretty much everything already made, such as a user system and a file system, so with some merging its really not to much of a drudgery task to create one from scratch for me. So, we'll see what happens.

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

So i'm not the only one!

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

That sounds like a great idea (the original code dump idea)

It would make things easier for up and coming programmers such as myself to find things and learn them

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

Yippee! (adds it to FIRSTwiki)

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

Hey guys, this is a great idea, i would love to help in any way i can. Please let me know how i can help. This will provide both rookies and the veterans a great resource :cool: .

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

Well I have just completed the Community Code Repository Beta v.1. Here are the completed features:

-User registration
-User login
-User administration
-User create folders
-User upload files
-User download files


Still in progress:

-Allow guests to view and download files
-Preview files in web browser
-A web design? Its all text right now
-A lot of non-essential but nice to have features (Such as search, sort, comments)

Known Bugs:

-If more then 1 person uses the same login, if the first person starts to download and then the 2nd person changes pages, the download will crash.

URL:

Before I post the link, I would like to know if you guys would want me to post the link now or if you would like me to wait until Jan 8th to see if FIRST made an official code repository. I would not like to discourage the use of their code repository in anyway by making a second one. I just wanted to make this and have it ready in case come Jan 8th and there is no code repository from FIRST I know I wouldn't have the time I have now to write the program. What do you guys want me to do? :confused:

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

I think you really should have considered the alternatives...

GraalForge, as I pointed out before, does far far far more than what you have.
SilverStar's repository had your features plus versions, comments, and probably other stuff i don't remember.
FIRSTwiki has those features plus much easier editing of those pages.
You could have got the basic features you have with simply an FTP server...

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

This is a completely true statement and I agree with you, but as I stated before, I have the urge to make things even if they are already made. I don't know if it is because I like to challenge myself or I just like the idea of something being my own, or I'm just insane :ahh: . If nothing else, this is a project to keep myself occupied with and to be used as a learning experience, that might just server useful to other people. I could even put this (when completed) on those free PHP application sites :D. I don't know. The benefits of making this seemed to far outweigh the hardships of creating it.

...and this is also the project after only a few hours of work...

GraalForge, silverstar's repository and FIRSTWiki had to start somewhere, no?

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

I understand wanting to reinvent the wheel, hell, that's what most of us enjoy about FIRST (how many teams can really claim to be doing cutting edge stuff?). But, if this is something you are providing for the community, there are interests other than your own.

I'm not demeaning your work or anything, I'm just trying to save you and the community from going through the same thing that happened with SilverStar's old, custom repository.

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

I tend to agree to that. But if you think you can pull it off real well then go ahead, my best wishes. The last Code Repository was not so useful or successful. Another suggestion is use something already there and modify its code to fit our needs. As one of the spotlights, I think by Dave Lavery says "Steal from the best and re invent the rest"

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

Another idea that came to me while talking to Max was that you can create a hack for vBulletin forum itself, of course if Brandon agrees. See the problems I have noticed is that it is hard to get a group together on one site totally new. Many many sites just die out after a while of not much activity, although I hope whatever goes up actually works out.

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

I like reinventing the wheel too, and that's why I wrote the NRG code repository when SourceForge could have done it. This idea has been discussed so many times and there is great fervor when it starts, but then nobody adds any new code.

The frCoder SourceForge project that I started is an evolution of the NRG Code Repository because all the management code is ready AND we can write a PHP front end to manage it. SF has all the version control and packaging facilities we need. I have imported much of the code to the frCoder project already.

The reason the NRG site is down is because we were shutdown for using too much server-side script time ;). I have backups of all the PHP scripts and the code that were added to the repository.

http://frcoder.sourceforge.net/

It seems like the best repository would be a combination of a Wiki-like front-end with a downloadable archival features provided by CVS/SourceForge.

Re: A Centralized Code Dump?
 

See http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=32029 for a thread dedicated to frCoder, which is now up.