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I'm working on a MMud oriented project, and I've been needed the data from the core mud databases.



NMR seems to be the best, and only thing out there that can export the data. Anyway, here's a couple issues I've noticed and wondering if you guys knew about it or whatnot. BTW, I have no affiliation to the 'Drakkhen' you see on other forums, I am not active in the Mud community.



Note: these issues all pertain to mud v1.11i and NMR v1.3.



Firstly, when exporting to the access format, the data tends to be extremely inconsistent. For example, I exported everything all at once, gave me a huge 60mb database. I hacked out everything I didn't need, and was left with the spells. Now, on the spell removals (the RemovesSpell ability) I was getting all kinds of weird crap, like RCOL was removing Eldritch Bolt. I made sure I was cross-referencing the ability with the proper spell. Ebol can't be removed... it's a combat spell, there's no lasting effect from it. Data inconsistency #1.



Anyway, seems this was some exporting error. I noticed I had two undefined fields (01 and 02). This was my first export. Next I went in and simply exported _JUST_ the spells. Again, more inconsistencies. Now, I have 5 undefined fields (as opposed to the previous 2), and some of the spell description fields are cut off. Okay, fine, deal with it. Turns out now, all of the LVLS Min/Max increase fields are... mysteriously... gone. Hmm, must be those new undefined fields. Okay, screw it I say, export to text.



New problem! To easily delete out the crap fields (like the message fields, which are completely useless for my intents), I need to IMPORT it into Access. Can't. Access gives me some crap error about there being more than 65,000 chars on one line. Open the text in notepad... uhh, okay, it's NOT one line. So now, I'm screwed. Code up a quick little app to parse the file myself, or try exporting to access again.



Finally, I give up on spells, a friend needed all the monster death messages for his script or some crap he was working on. Fine, I can easily gank that info. So I export the entire monsters data. Curiousity got the best of me and I was looking at attacks. ALL screwed up. The monster attacks, spells were totally whacked. Exporting problem again, because NMR shows the data correctly, but exports it... incorrect.



So, to make a long story short (too late) here are the issues. Exporting to Access MDB seems to generate random inconsistent information. Exporting to text works, data seems good, but I can't IMPORT it into access. I've tried with Access 97/2K/XP. Now, am I a total fewl, or are these in fact, issues with NMR?



Thoughts, suggestions, flames, whatever, anything! Let me know ;)

Originally posted by Lord_Drakkhen

Firstly, when exporting to the access format, the data tends to be extremely inconsistent. For example, I exported everything all at once, gave me a huge 60mb database. I hacked out everything I didn't need, and was left with the spells. Now, on the spell removals (the RemovesSpell ability) I was getting all kinds of weird crap, like RCOL was removing Eldritch Bolt. I made sure I was cross-referencing the ability with the proper spell. Ebol can't be removed... it's a combat spell, there's no lasting effect from it. Data inconsistency #1.

There aren't any inconsistencies this major unless everyones realms are screwed up from exporting/importing and everyone doesn't even know it. Open the spells table up manually, find a spell you want to check, and see what record #'s are listed where and manually check that they're right. AKA, do things manually to make sure they're working, then do what ever cross-referencing with the abilities that you're doing.



Anyway, seems this was some exporting error. I noticed I had two undefined fields (01 and 02). This was my first export. Next I went in and simply exported _JUST_ the spells. Again, more inconsistencies. Now, I have 5 undefined fields (as opposed to the previous 2), and some of the spell description fields are cut off. Okay, fine, deal with it. Turns out now, all of the LVLS Min/Max increase fields are... mysteriously... gone. Hmm, must be those new undefined fields. Okay, screw it I say, export to text.[/B]

The undefined fields are just fields that we know exist but don't know what the data is for. The tables and fields are created everytime you create a new export file. it's impossible for it to create some fields sometimes and not at other times because when it goes to actually export the data (after creating the fields) it would error out all over the place by not having all the fields there to dump to. and we all know fields don't mysteriously dissapear.



New problem! To easily delete out the crap fields (like the message fields, which are completely useless for my intents), I need to IMPORT it into Access. Can't. Access gives me some crap error about there being more than 65,000 chars on one line. Open the text in notepad... uhh, okay, it's NOT one line. So now, I'm screwed. Code up a quick little app to parse the file myself, or try exporting to access again.[/B]

it is one line, but because there is so much information on like rooms and users that even with word wrap turned off, it still wraps the line. I'm looking into what i can do to decrease the length of the line but still keep all the data.



Finally, I give up on spells, a friend needed all the monster death messages for his script or some crap he was working on. Fine, I can easily gank that info. So I export the entire monsters data. Curiousity got the best of me and I was looking at attacks. ALL screwed up. The monster attacks, spells were totally whacked. Exporting problem again, because NMR shows the data correctly, but exports it... incorrect.[/B]

you probably just dont understand how the attack information works when looking at the raw data. explain some of the things you don't understand and i/someone will explain it to you.



-syn

Okay, I don't want to point fingers and say you're wrong or I am, whatever.



Now... also, before we go any further, would a freshly installed (and possibly not properly initialized) mud create problems?



I had two different people export the data to the huge access file. One person (we'll say "A"), has a freshly installed mud and just exported everything. Person "B" has a realm thats been up for a few months and I had him rip the data out.



A's data is totally whacked, I haven't had time yet to check the stuff from B. And when I say totally whacked, I mean it. Mostly, it seems its _just_ the ability data that gets screwed up.



Anyway, before I even make any more ASSumptions, I'm going to check the data from B and see if his, too, is screwy.



Also, if you'd like, I can gladly send you the exported data from A, and you can see for yourself.



I'll reply once I've checked out B's data.



Thanks!

Okay, I've gone over the data.



The first export from the freshly installed mud, is, in fact, garbage. I don't know what happened with that, whether it was a user error or something freaky.



The second set of data I got, from the realm that's been up for months, is perfect. Nothing wrong with it.



So, scratch all that exporting crap and label me a fool.



Now my only gripe is that exporting to text thingie, but whatever, I'd rather you guys work on the more important aspects :)



Thanks again, and sorry to waste anybody's time or make any undue panic :D

Originally posted by Lord_Drakkhen

Okay, I don't want to point fingers and say you're wrong or I am, whatever.

i wasn't saying you were in definately wrong. i was just saying why i thought you may have been mistaken.



Now... also, before we go any further, would a freshly installed (and possibly not properly initialized) mud create problems?

no, it shouldn't. i use exports from running muds all the time.



Also, if you'd like, I can gladly send you the exported data from A, and you can see for yourself.



sure. aim me: syntx53