SimSig for other systems

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SimSig for other systems 16/11/2012 at 16:38 #37561
mcgiwer
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5 posts 		Please create the SimSig software for other (non-Windows) systems (like Linux, etc.).

Limiting the software to Windows only users and excluding other ones isn't in my modest opinion fair...
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SimSig for other systems 16/11/2012 at 16:44 #37562
Stephen Fulcher
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2025 posts 		I am sure I have read posts on the forum about the possibilities of running SimSig in its present form on other Operating Systems.

Please do not take this the wrong way but I do not think it would be a particularly effective use of the Developers time to write a version of SimSig to run on other systems as 99% use Windows, although I appreciate this number is declining.
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SimSig for other systems 16/11/2012 at 17:12 #37565
GeoffM
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6282 posts 		" said:
Please create the SimSig software for other (non-Windows) systems (like Linux, etc.).
Linux: http://www.SimSig.co.uk/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=usertrack:ssinstall:installationlinux
Mac: http://www.SimSig.co.uk/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=usertrack:ssinstall:installationmac


" said:
Limiting the software to Windows only users and excluding other ones isn't in my modest opinion fair...
"Fair" is an interesting word for something that's free.
SimSig Boss
Last edited: 16/11/2012 at 17:12 by GeoffM
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SimSig for other systems 16/11/2012 at 17:49 #37567
alvinhochun
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249 posts 		The real cross-platform solution is Java.
.NET/CLI can run quite well on Linux and Mac with mono too, ant it is "almost native" on Windows.

SimSig was initially written by Delphi, but, it is still possible to rewrite it to other languages/runtime libraries because when things are object-oriented it's not too difficult to transfer between languages. To me, Delphi sounds old-fashioned so if I were the author of SimSig I would rewrite it, perhaps with C# or Java (but actually I don't know much Java).
_ _ _ _，_ _ _ _！ (censored by the Hong Kong national security law)
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SimSig for other systems 16/11/2012 at 18:00 #37568
mcgiwer
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5 posts 		I think I need to correct you here.... the mentioned 99% of users run SimSig on Windows because it's only designed for Windows systems... besides there are many Linux users (like me) who are forced to use it thru an buggy and not fully compatible) Wine or to search other imiliar software (with isn't easy)
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SimSig for other systems 16/11/2012 at 18:04 #37569
mcgiwer
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5 posts 		I'm very happy that it's sfor free, but if there was an sollution to make SimSig platform independent...
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SimSig for other systems 16/11/2012 at 18:12 #37570
GeoffM
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6282 posts 		" said:
The real cross-platform solution is Java.
.NET/CLI can run quite well on Linux and Mac with mono too, ant it is "almost native" on Windows.

SimSig was initially written by Delphi, but, it is still possible to rewrite it to other languages/runtime libraries because when things are object-oriented it's not too difficult to transfer between languages. To me, Delphi sounds old-fashioned so if I were the author of SimSig I would rewrite it, perhaps with C# or Java (but actually I don't know much Java).
The last release of Delphi was September 2012 so it's not as if it's out of date. However, I accept I do use an old version of Delphi (can't afford all these new versions!).

I have tried a few converters to .NET but believe it or not there is a huge amount to convert still - for example, Delphi has some very useful libraries I use which aren't available in .NET. That means either writing interface layers or writing the libraries themselves - or converting existing code accordingly. None of those are trivial.

I'd love to use some of the features of .NET (less enamored with Java, though I recognise it has wider cross-platform support). Give me 30 hours a day.

" said:
I think I need to correct you here.... the mentioned 99% of users run SimSig on Windows because it's only designed for Windows systems... besides there are many Linux users (like me) who are forced to use it thru an buggy and not fully compatible) Wine or to search other imiliar software (with isn't easy)
I think the reference was to computer users, not to SimSig users. There are statistics out there that suggest Windows users make up 90% of online browsing, but that doesn't really say how many use a PC for gaming which could be completely different from browsing.
SimSig Boss
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SimSig for other systems 16/11/2012 at 23:34 #37575
clive
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2738 posts 		" said:

SimSig was initially written by Delphi, but, it is still possible to rewrite it to other languages/runtime libraries because when things are object-oriented it's not too difficult to transfer between languages.
There speaks someone who doesn't have much experience and has bought into the "object oriented" hype (I can remember when OOP was new - it was going to make all other programming obsolete and allow us to reuse all our code). Translating between languages is not trivial, no matter what the discipline behind the code. Converting Delphi to either Java or C# will not be at all trivial and I'm not convinced of the benefits.

(By the way, just to demonstrate that I do know a bit about this, I wrote significant portions of the C# international standard.)
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SimSig for other systems 18/11/2012 at 13:03 #37642
Forest Pines
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525 posts 		Even converting a program from one .NET language to another is non-trivial at best and potentially impossible.

As the writer of the first "how to run SimSig on Linux" docs, probably over 10 years ago now, I have to say that SimSig is one of the most WINE-compatible programs I've come across. Apart from a slight formatting issue in the "Show Timetable" dialog it's a long time since I've had any problems with it.
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SimSig for other systems 18/11/2012 at 13:19 #37645
Albert
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1313 posts 		I am also running SimSig on Linux. It works very well in recent Wine. Old Wine versions require a patch to use the fonts, but 1.4 works mostly out-of-the-box.
AJP in games
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SimSig for other systems 18/11/2012 at 16:16 #37658
alvinhochun
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249 posts 		Well, converting a programming language is definitely not trivial, but object-oriented programs are typically structured and well-organized, which is definitely better than non-OO where you put a lot of variables in the global scope, use a huge amount of array indices... (I doubt you could write a more-than-simple program properly without OO.)

C/C++/C#/Java actually have a similar syntax, so codes could possibly be converted among them quite easily.

C/C++/C#/Java have some syntax differences to Delphi, but apart from syntax, basic control structures are similar (if/while/for/functions/etc.). As long as you don't use some "language-specific" things like Linq in .NET, pointer operations in C/C++, On Error Resume Next in VB (I hate myself writing this in VB6, but then I was smaller), it's not too difficult to convert.

But yes, difference in available libraries is another issue that needs to be accounted for. I always think that the available libraries would be a reason to choose between languages, but I also think that available libraries are not too dependent on the language syntax. .NET is an example, which different languages actually share similar libraries.

So I understand although it may not be too difficult, there still need the manpower and time.

** I never said it is easy, just "not too difficult".

----

I've also tried SimSig under Wine, and it is running quite fine. But my primary OS is still Windows so I never actually play SimSig in Ubuntu.

BTW have anyone tried SimSig on ReactOS?
_ _ _ _，_ _ _ _！ (censored by the Hong Kong national security law)
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SimSig for other systems 18/11/2012 at 17:16 #37662
Danny252
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1461 posts 		I've yet to see why alvinhochun is spouting so much about recoding Simsig? It works, why change it? Should we go and recode everything that isn't done in .NET or Java, just because it's "old"?


Quote:
(I doubt you could write a more-than-simple program properly without OO.)
I believe a large number of people who programmed before the 90s would like to chat to you about how they "can't write a more-than-simple program properly". Perhaps OS developers would also like a few words, too - a bit hard to code one of those in OO.
Last edited: 18/11/2012 at 17:24 by Danny252
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SimSig for other systems 20/11/2012 at 22:40 #37840
taffy
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28 posts 		I program in pascal/Delphi and I agree, if it works why change it. Many industrial programs are still written in C, C++, and pascal. In fact most operating system are still written in C and C++' including windows.
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SimSig for other systems 21/11/2012 at 12:37 #37891
clive
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2738 posts 		" said:
but object-oriented programs are typically structured and well-organized,
Rolling around the floor laughing

Quote:
(I doubt you could write a more-than-simple program properly without OO.)
Do you have a Bluetooth headset? If so, there's a 95% chance it uses the code base that I've worked on for the last three years. That's about the same size of SimSig, is written in C, and is well-structured and well-organized. And works - when code is in ROM, you don't get a second chance to fix the bugs.

I'll just add a ery old (in computing terms) quote:

"Besides, the determined Real Programmer can write Fortran programs in any language."
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SimSig for other systems 23/10/2015 at 22:49 #77185
mcgiwer
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5 posts 		How about trying to write it in Python, Perl or even on GO? this are the most OS (and possibly platform too) independant languages with weren't considered as spossibility yet
Last edited: 23/10/2015 at 22:50 by mcgiwer
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SimSig for other systems 24/10/2015 at 03:19 #77188
headshot119
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4869 posts 		This thread is almost three years old.

Why would Geoff and Clive want any of the Simsig core code? No one answered that satisfactorily when the thread first ran its course.

Personally if a rewrite ever did come onto the codes I'd have to push for it to be done in LOLCODE

HAI
CAN HAS STDIO?
I HAS A VAR
IM IN YR LOOP
UP VAR!!1
VISIBLE VAR
IZ VAR BIGGER THAN 10? KTHX
IM OUTTA YR LOOP
KTHXBYE
"Passengers for New Lane, should be seated in the rear coach of the train " - Opinions are my own and not those of my employer
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SimSig for other systems 24/10/2015 at 07:30 #77192
mcgiwer
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5 posts 		" said:
This thread is almost three years old.
unfortunatelly, I didn't had a technical possibilities to access internet thru this time.

I participate in a project with similiar topic (train traffic dispatcher), but it's wrotten in ptyhon, with proves that's possible... good will is only needed
Last edited: 24/10/2015 at 07:33 by mcgiwer
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SimSig for other systems 24/10/2015 at 07:30 #77193
Peter Bennet
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5360 posts 		" said:
This thread is almost three years old.
The worst thing about it is that I'll have the usual suspect hammering the "Report to Mod" key now.

Peter
I identify as half man half biscuit - crumbs!
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SimSig for other systems 24/10/2015 at 15:35 #77204
arabianights
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138 posts 		" said:
" said:
This thread is almost three years old.
The worst thing about it is that I'll have the usual suspect hammering the "Report to Mod" key now.

Peter
There's a usual suspect who enjoys reporting threads? Do tell us more...

That's almost as amusing as the idea that " when things are object-oriented it's not too difficult to transfer between languages" or picking perl (5? 6?) as a target for rewriting Simsig.

A classic article accessible to non programmers: Things You Should Never Do, Part I
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SimSig for other systems 25/10/2015 at 13:12 #77253
clive
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2738 posts 		" said:

or picking perl (5? 6?) as a target for rewriting Simsig.
perl will be used over somebody's dead body. Not mine.
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SimSig for other systems 25/10/2015 at 18:43 #77260
slatteryc
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248 posts 		as an ex-developer reminds me of the following saying "if you try hard enough anything's an object oriented language"
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SimSig for other systems 25/10/2015 at 23:42 #77275
clive
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2738 posts 		" said:
as an ex-developer reminds me of the following saying "if you try hard enough anything's an object oriented language"
Or, in my day: "A Real Programmer can write FORTRAN programs in any language."
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SimSig for other systems 31/12/2016 at 10:49 #91191
awilson1
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5 posts 		Simsig does now run ok under ReactOS. Some font issues, and the train list / timetable dialogues are a bit odd - similar to WINE.
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SimSig for other systems 26/05/2017 at 10:56 #95390
CTD Sig
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29 posts 		Definitely!
I can only use the forum but not play on the sims if on my Mac. The only reason I could play them at all was by borrowing it from my friend.
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SimSig for other systems 26/05/2017 at 15:21 #95399
Sacro
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1171 posts 		As far as I'm aware it works fine on OSX using PlayOnMac
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