"Make EXE" binary does not work in Bug Reports

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ID:199977
 
Jan 25 2012, 9:01 pm (Edited on Jan 25 2012, 9:29 pm)
BYOND Version:493
Operating System:Windows XP Pro
Web Browser:Chrome 16.0.912.75
Applies to:Dream Maker
Status: Deferred
This issue may be low priority or very difficult to fix, and has been put on the back burner for the time being.
Descriptive Problem Summary:
With a binary that was built with Make EXE functionality and the parameter file://foobar.dmb##guest, that EXE does not launch the dmb when a user with BYOND installed has the pager open. When the pager is not open, the executable does launch the dmb in Dream Seeker.

I have not tested with any other parameters in the Make EXE process.

Numbered Steps to Reproduce Problem:
0) On a system with BYOND installed, open the BYOND pager (sign in or not, irrelevant)
1) Open an environment in DreamMaker.
2) Go to Make EXE function in the Build Menu
3) In the "Hub ID / Command:" field, enter: "file://gamename.dmb##guest"
4) Hit OK
5) Put the portable BYOND directory in the same directory as the built exe and dmb file.
7) Attempt to run the exe.


Expected Results:
The game should launch as a guest.

Actual Results:
Nothing happens. Mouse shows the "hourglass" for just a moment, but DreamSeeker apparently does not launch. I expect this is because, when the pager is not running, it launches the local byond.exe which then loads DreamSeeker, but when the pager (i.e. BYOND.exe) is running, the game executable does not launch another instance of byond.exe (in the same way you cannot open the pager twice).

Does the problem occur:
Every time? Or how often?
Yes.



#1 May 7 2012, 2:26 pm
Looking at this again, I think one of the issues is that your URL is simply incorrect. A file:// URL has to point to an exact path to actually be valid. I believe this really needs to be byond://author.game##guest instead, possibly with ##local included if you want the game to launch in DS.
#2 May 7 2012, 3:04 pm
In response to Lummox JR (#1)
Lummox JR wrote:
Looking at this again, I think one of the issues is that your URL is simply incorrect. A file:// URL has to point to an exact path to actually be valid. I believe this really needs to be byond://author.game##guest instead, possibly with ##local included if you want the game to launch in DS.

file://game.dmb has worked for a long time (minus this bug). You could have dmb and rsc files in a folder and have an exe pointing to the dmb using file://game.dmb, and the exe would run the dmb. Maybe you guys never intended this behavior, but it does work. What he is saying here is it only works now if the pager is not open (didn't used to be this way, I don't think).

The reason such a method is useful is for single-player and/or offline play, mainly without BYOND installed. It lets you basically make your own install of your game. You can have players download a package that has the BYOND files, the game's dmb and rsc, and the exe, where they can simply jump right in, and even play while offline (since there isn't a hub path involved). If you make a custom installer, you can have it install shortcuts of the exe as well. All of this without having to install or run BYOND.

But if somebody does have BYOND installed and the pager running when they try to run mentioned exe, it wont work, which is the bug he is referring to.

Not sure it will matter much after you guys do custom installers, though. Unless somebody still wants to build their own.
#3 May 7 2012, 3:05 pm
Does it work without file:// though, or is it the same either way?
#4 May 7 2012, 3:09 pm
In response to Lummox JR (#3)
Lummox JR wrote:
Does it work without file:// though, or is it the same either way?

byond://author.game works fine, pager running or not, but you have to be online for it to work and the game has to have a hub. So you can't have an offline exe or one for a game without a hub, unless you use file://.
#5 May 10 2012, 9:46 am
Indeed, this is an issue that I've been aware of for a long time and I was actually about to report. Indeed, the only situation that I have run into where the Make EXE does not work is when you use file://game.dmb and the Pager is open. Otherwise, every other format seems to work in any situation.

This is an issue for creating executables for distribution outside of BYOND, simply for testing reasons, and because anyone who does use BYOND won't be able to use the executable.
#6 May 10 2012, 10:03 am
I've reported this I don't know how many times now, it never gets fixed.
#7 May 10 2012, 7:48 pm
We have a much better system coming up for this kind of thing. Right now it doesn't work for local games but I think we can build that in. It does require hub entries (and thus Membership at the moment, but down the line we may not require that).

Nevertheless, we'll see what we can do to fix this bug.
#8 May 10 2012, 8:23 pm
I would really just like to make a standalone executable; no BYOND, hub, anything. At the moment, the Make EXE, combined with either self-extracting archives or NSIS scripts, fulfills that purpose for me, except that people who actually use BYOND cannot use the executable. While I am glad that a "better system" is coming up, if it doesn't provide even what the current system does, then why would that be better?
#9 May 10 2012, 8:57 pm
That's pretty much what the upcoming stuff will do. You can check out NEStalgia's forum to see the beta for Silk's standalone.
#10 May 12 2012, 6:05 pm
In response to Nadrew (#9)
Nadrew wrote:
You can check out NEStalgia's forum to see the beta for Silk's standalone.

Now that is pretty. Mikau showed me some screens from that a little while ago, but I assumed it was a project he was doing on his own.

The login from the splash although fancy, does leave open the chances for in-app phishing. But I suppose it'll just have to be up to the user to check if the pager is running before inputting credentials into a foreign application. So I'm cool with this.

Very nice work indeed.
#11 May 20 2012, 3:51 pm
Has there been any progress here? I've just turned the latest update of the LetterBox into a standalone EXE, but it doesn't work when the pager is open. Now, this isn't too much of an issue, as it's meant for distribution outside of BYOND, but it's still very annoying, and anyone who does join BYOND after playing, will not be able to continue playing without downloading the non-standalone version.
#12 May 20 2012, 3:53 pm
We'll get it fixed for the next release.
#13 May 20 2012, 3:56 pm (Edited on May 20 2012, 4:20 pm)
Thank you, very much, really.
#14 May 22 2012, 11:25 am
Does this mean everyone will get the opportunity to do what NEStalgia is doing?
#15 May 22 2012, 3:05 pm
Everybody can already do what NEStalgia is doing.
#16 May 22 2012, 3:15 pm
The standalone installer that doesn't install byond?
#17 May 22 2012, 3:19 pm
NEStalgia is the beta test for that feature, but it'll be an option for everyone at some point. However I think Tom has some sort of 'premium feature' thing planned for that and the Flash client.
#18 May 22 2012, 4:59 pm
Awesome, I will be first to sign up.
#19 Jun 2 2012, 8:52 pm
In response to Tom (#12)
Tom wrote:
We'll get it fixed for the next release.

The lack of a fix for this in the newest release sort of makes me sad.
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