Gui XML Editors

Im interested

Maybe it could have a list of items on one side, and then generate a list of Key->Value boxes for the other side, based on what's in the xml file. Sorta like the Registry Editor.

That way there would only be one program.

id be interested...

-0.

Well, since it seems like there is....moderate interest, and i also have a friend that wants it, i will make them. i am about half way through the techtree editor. it can sucessfully pull the information from the xml file, and put it in a txt file. i have designed the window used to edit the information, but i still have to do all the scripting that loads the txt file data into the fields, and saves it all back, adding in anything that wasnt there, and takeing out anything that is no longer needed. i have also started work on the portion that inserts te information back into the xml, but i realized that it would work much better with some information from the editor, so i stopped working on that.

i will keep posting updated information in this thread, for those interested.

I was actually considering making these programs as well. What development tool/language do you plan to use? I started to make a program to do this but realized, I have no idea what all the avaliable tags are. I know the ones in the current files, bat are there some we don't know about?

If you are using C++, there is a tiny xml library on sourceforge. It can get info out of xml files and right into your program.

well, a while ago i attempted to mess around with c++. i then realized, i was out of my league. i should start smaller. while searchin for something else, i found this:

http://www.autohotkey.com/

it fit what i needed, and i use it for lots of things now, but creating this will be my biggest undertaking yet. yes, i know, it will be alot slower that c++, but oh well, i know how to use it

I was going to do it in C#, using the .net framework. It's what I use at work and I have it at home so...

lol, go ahead. it would be nice to have some coppetition

like i said, c is to much for me...i could learn it now if i wanted to, but im holdin off...going to major in computer science in college, so i figure ill just learn it there.

Why not have a look on the internet for a program called CookTop, which is what I use to edit the raceconfig, etc in the Data, English folder of the game.. I don't think theres anything else you need to be able to edit, is there?

I think the idea is to make a custome program which allows for dropdowns to make the editing as easy as posible. Any text editor will allow those comfortable with XML to mod the game, but this would be a tool for the less tech inclined.

I have been working on a concept for a full featured mod tool written in C++, that allows you to modify techs, install custom ships and add custom weapons and stuff without having to manually go into the XML files. What I REALLY need is a good lightweight XML parser.

Tried using boost.property_tree, but it's a bit problematic and after a few days of messing around with it, I don't think it's gonna work unless someone knows his way around it.

I think the idea is to make a custome program which allows for dropdowns to make the editing as easy as posible. Any text editor will allow those comfortable with XML to mod the game, but this would be a tool for the less tech inclined.

bingo

it is also a time saver. instead of having to add in new tags if you need them, the tool does it for you. it also makes finding a certain item faster, via a list or drop down menu. could also prevent accidental file deletion (which i muself am known to do.....)

interested

I have a proof of concept working so far of a editor, so if anyone has a good idea of what features they would like to see in a GUI XML editor for techs and stuff, post em.

You can go all out, and if somethig can be feasibly implemented, ill do it and give you credit for the idea.

this is great. anything to make modding less about "debugging", and more about "creative expression" is better.

this is much appreciated.

-0.

gc2buiilder was planned to support all data modding and not just maps. I don't know the current status of the project.

I have no plans to support map modding or messing with scenarios. gc2builder has a had plan to support all data modding for a long time and I have yet to see something, so I am gonna make my own to support modding techs and even the installation of custom ships as new hulls.

I am just focusing on making the modding and creation of data easier. But I still have a long way to go.

There is just a huge amount of files to support, each with it's own datatypes, so my focus is from the ground up supporting an abstract way to read and write all of the different kinds of data, and letting higher up services handle more specific things like the parsing of all the objects and so forth.

It's by no means an easy task.

A gui xml editor would really help me punching in the values for my (concept is getting bigger every day) tech/buildings/ethic mod. Right now i use a xml-editor called "open xml editor" but i would really appreciate some database-style entry forms without getting headache caused by tons of < and / and - and > One nice feature for a tech editor would be a structured display like in the galactopedia or gc2 of the tech-tree with drag-n-drop ability to move techs in between categories and change order of research prerequisites on the fly. Should i hold my breath and wait for an editor ? Keep your work going ! (no idea how to insert paragraphs in this forum)

What I REALLY need is a good lightweight XML parser.

why dont you guys write your own lightweight XML parser? since XML very well structured writing a parser for it would be relatively easy. i have experince in this coz i just recently wrote an xml parser using java like 2 weeks ago   

i can probably write this but im a lil busy having fun right now BUT if anyone can think of a good compensation ill be more than happy to do it   

ill do it in java that way its platform independent

oh and if you guys wanna see proof ill be more than happy to email you the code  

me needs a nice front-end for editing those ugly structured xml files - and you get a nice big'n'evil mod for gc2

I already got my parser going, now I am focusing on building the internal representations of the data. I am using boost.property_tree to do the heavy lifting and parsing of the XML files now that I got it working. I will post an update once I have some GUI to show off the features, but atm it's just a rough black diamond.

Whats the progress with those editors ?

I would really like to test even an early build (need it badly for tech and improvements)

I'd like to use one, even if it's just to tweak things until I think of something extraordinary.