RomTerraria End Of Support

Sorry that this is why I have to come back to the blog for a bit, but I don't have any choice in the matter.

Effective December 1, 2012, I will no longer be supporting RomTerraria in any way, shape or form, and I will have to take down the auto-update version.

The source code will still be available and is released under the BSD license.

There are a lot of things going on behind the scenes, not all of which I'm going to be able to talk about until around this time next year, but there is some exciting stuff coming which requires me to do something I don't want to do first.

Java Must Haves #1: LittleEndianDataInputStream

Since I started working for Amazon, I've still been able to work with C# and JavaScript from time to time, but most of my time has been spent neck deep in Java.

Mind you, Java isn't my favorite language. The more I mess around with it, the more it feels like an iceberg of compromise. So, I'm going to start posting links to things that have helped me make Java suck less.

The first involves DataInputStreams. In the "infinite wisdom" of Sun/Oracle, DataInputStreams must be big-endian. The vast majority of data files produced outside of Java on x86/x64 systems are little-endian, and the lack of a little-endian data stream makes file interop a total pain in the ass.

Fortunately, a little-endian stream was created and the code is public domain. Thanks to Peter Franza for creating the code and releasing it.

http://www.peterfranza.com/2008/09/26/little-endian-input-stream/

HOWTO: POST a file to an .ASHX generic handler

Problem:
You want to be able to POST a file from a generic HTML form to a generic ASP.NET handler (.ashx).

Solution:
First, make sure that your file input control on your HTML form has a name.  If it doesn't have a name, you won't be able to access the file on the server side and it will appear not to have uploaded.

<input name="uploadedFile" id="uploadedFile" type="file" />

Second, make sure that your form action has an enctype parameter set to "multipart/form-data."

<form action="Upload.ashx" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data" />

Now in your HTTP handler, you can either access that file by the name you provided it on the form:

context.Request.Files["uploadedFile"]

...or you can iterate through the files by key...

foreach (string f in context.Request.Files.AllKeys)
{
  context.Request.Files[f].SaveAs(
    HttpContext.Current.Server.MapPath("~/App_Data/" + ...));
}

Forgive the silence...

Sorry that I've been so silent this month.  Between my grandmother passing at the beginning of the month and me scrambling to catch up from work after getting back from the funeral, I'm not exactly on top of my game.

I'm hoping to return in force in April.

Minor RomTerraria Update

In this release:

- Fixes some minor incompatibilities with 1.1.2.

Back In Action

My machine is set up in a temporary location in the new condo now, and I've already found the root cause for several of the issues that have been affecting people in RomTerraria.

I'll have the patch up either tonight or tomorrow.  Keep those auto-updaters ready...

Also, does anyone know if the retail version of Terraria will require Steam or not?  I need to know so I can properly update my protection mechanism to work with retail.

Move (Almost) Complete

The movers will be at my condo sometime within the next hour to unload the truck containing all my belongings.  It will take a few additional days to get unpacked and settled, but I can't wait to get back into the swing of things.

Ad Hominem

I love ad hominem attacks against me. 

When I get attacked for who I am or what I do for a living rather than getting the substance of my argument attacked, I consider it a win.

Terraria 1.1.2 and RomTerraria

I have no idea if the 1.1.2 release of Terraria that was released today is compatible with RomTerraria or not.

If it isn't compatible, I can't fix it until February 1. I'm not going to even have a broadband connection at home until Thursday night, and my computer won't be in up here from Dallas until January 30.

Sorry about the inconvenience.  If there are bugs out there that I'm not aware of, please reply to this post with them.

Stealth Update

Minor update tonight to allow smaller maps.

See you guys in Seattle.

Last RomTerraria Update Before The Move

In this build:

- Higher quality minimap
- Minimap remains centered on all resolutions
- Minimap colors of solid bricks are now a closer representation of the actual color

As a reminder, after you install RomTerraria, it does appear in your Start menu inside the "Michael Russell" folder.

Also, the source code has been updated.  No new updates until after January 24.

January's Minimal Posting Schedule

Here's my tentative schedule for this month.

Wednesday night, I'm going to post my most recent source code for RomTerraria.  The reason being is that after Friday, I won't be able to make any further changes to RomTerraria or make any updates to the software until almost February.

Saturday, I fly up to Seattle to start my new job.  I'll still have net access, but only from the office and from my mobile phone for two to three weeks, plus my machine won't arrive until February 1 when the movers get up there.

I will not be as responsive as I'd like over the next month, but I'm looking forward to coming back re-energized in February.