Re: computer-go: Go Protocols

[David Fotland <fotland@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 04:10 PM 1/4/2001 +0100, you wrote:
> Hi!
>
> I'm relatively new to computer go (and go as well) and just started to
> write an engine. Now the question of what protocol to use. I know two,
> that both I'm not happy with:
>
> a) Go Modem Protocol
> I've translated the gmp.c to java and it works (more or less), I can
> connect to cgoban. But my implementation seems somewhat unstable. I
> inserted some debug-code. With debug-code it works, but I have an odd
> feeling (something with timing seems to be wrong). Also I'd prefer to
> setup my engine via the protocol, which isn't possible. With cgoban I
> can't even test the undo-feature. An other drawback is, that it isn't
> ascii based.
The protocol supports undo, so cgoban must not implement the full protocol.



> b) NNGS/IGS-Protocol
> I havn't internet connection at home, so I'd need my own server what I
> think isn't worth the work. I havn't found any description of the
> protocol, too.
The protocol is not documented :)  It's ascii, but you have to reverse engineer
it yourself.  I've written two clients, and it's not too hard to figure 
out.  NNGS source
code for a server is available.


> An other drawback of both of them is, that they aren't simple to use.
> So I thought of creating my own protocol, but that has the drawback
> that it will not used widely.
Only by you, I think :)


> This in mind, I wonder if there are better protocols out there.
> Properties I'd wish for a protocol are:
>
> Server based  (Server starts and controles the engine(s)).
> Ascii         (Easier to debug for humans, will give the chance of
>                simulating an engine via telnet or stdin/stout)
> Simple        (Why making complicated when not needed.)
> Extendable    (If possible I'd like to start special features of the
>                engine from the server rather than interact with the
>                engine directly)
>
> Do you know any, that suits this (or part of this)? I've seen, that
> gnuchess uses a protocol, that looks like something I'd use (but
> that's for chess ;-).
The modem protocol is very different from this since it had very
different objectives:

Peer to Peer:  Two people playing over a modem with no other communication.
Low bandwidth for 1200 baud connections or lower
Error tolerant, since modem connections were very unreliable
Simple:  it's about as simple as possible with the above constraints
Extendable: yes.

It was invented before the internet was available to people at home :)

The IGS protocol meets all of your criteria, I think.  I don't understand 
why you
want to invent a server based protocol, but you don''t want to write a 
server :)


David Fotland