Tinkering with Winboard

[Vladimir Xern]

I love the idea of having nice, bright arrows to highlight moves, but I have noticed a small graphical glitch (perhaps) concerning them that has remained through the latest snapshot, though it is rather insignificant.

For example, for the first move play e4 then hit the take back arrow once, square and arrow highlights remain (like normal, I guess), then hit takeback again. The square highlights disappear, but the arrow only disappears where it was showing in the to (e4) and from (e2) squares, but the traversed square (e3) still shows the now disfigured arrow. Hitting takeback again makes it disappear for good (like normal?).

I realize that this is rather insignificant, but I felt like I should report it nonetheless.

[Alessandro Scotti]

I realize that this is rather insignificant, but I felt like I should report it nonetheless.

Hi Vladimir,
thanks for the bug report, nothing is insignificant! I would like every feature to work 100% so I'm going to check this problem soon. In the meanwhile I've also discovered and fixed a couple of similar glitches myself, but I can't release the code right now because I'm in the middle of other changes (the analysis window).

P.S. Have you tried the "snap" window feature?

[Alessandro Scotti]

Your improved winboard-x is more and more impressive ! I am really in love with it

Hi Marc,
thanks a lot, glad you like it!

Recording of the first evaluated value when leaving the book is a very interesting feature! Maybe it could be interesting to have a simple utility for exporting all these positions in a EPD file (with the evaluations as opcodes).

Yes this is a nice feature! The design was actually done by Guenther Simon, who also provided me with the necessary data for all existing engines!

The EPD export utility would also be very nice. I think it shouldn't be too difficult to implement using existing free code, probably the PGN stuff in Kiwi is already powerful enough to do that...

[Vladimir Xern]

Hi Alessandro, sorry for not commenting about the snap-to-window feature earlier.

I really like what you've done (the board snapping to the desktop was especially thoughtful), but could I request an additional modification? When the move list, evaluation graph, etc. windows are snapped to the board, I was just a little irked that they did not stay "attached" when the board was moved around (like WinAmp, IIRC). It's no big deal; I could just reattach them, just trying to brainstorm.

[Alessandro Scotti]

Hi folks,
I have put a "snapshot" of my current development version here:

http://www.ascotti.org/programming/ches ... _win32.zip
http://www.ascotti.org/programming/ches ... 28_src.zip

Please DO NOT use this version for "serious" applications, I have made quite a lot of changes and couldn't regress them all or test everything in depth (I should add: they seem ok so far!)

There are a few bug fixes (mostly graphics issues with the arrows) and requested features:
- draw adjudication for long games;
- engine output window (quite simple but hopefully useful);
- move history, eval and engine output windows synch with the main window when the latter moves (only if they are "attached" to it), game list not done yet.

A dialog for automatic adjudication options is available from Options | Engines...

[Guenther Simon]

Hi Alessandro,

I am back for testing I noticed that the copy function for
the game list doesn't copy the annotator tag info.
It seems you have worked a lot on WB in the last week.

I hope your X-mas days were fine so far.

Best wishes,
Guenther

[Daniel Shawul]

Hi Alessandro
Thanks for adding the Engine output window so fast.
This is indeed important for programmers, with the previous one
you have to look in to debug file to see engine analysis.

A little comment: Now that the engine out put window is there, i dont
think there is a need for the older analysis window. Only information
that is not displayed in the engine output window is the current root move
that is being analyzed whenever a "." command is sent. I think this easy to fix.
Thanks
daniel

[Alessandro Scotti]

A little comment: Now that the engine out put window is there, i dont think there is a need for the older analysis window.

Yes the analysis window is not necessary now, it's on my "todo" list!

[Alessandro Scotti]

Hi all,
latest release of Winboard "X" is at:

http://www.ascotti.org/programming/chess/winboard_x.htm

There are a few minor features and several bug fixes.

In the near future, I'll focus mostly on testing and using Winboard, trying to catch and fix as many bugs as possible. There have been lots of new features recently and it's now better to pause for a while and consolidate the code.

I will dedicate this time to my new engine, which is now very envious of Winboard and wants to be UCI, and to design what I think could be an important addition to the program. Will probably manage to keep weekly updates though (...or less, if no bugs are found!)

As usual, feedback is always welcome!

[Guenther Simon]

Thanks again Alessandro!
The game list export is working now! I have still to
work through all the other fine new features
Below I have added a link to a game list export from
my current Class D in RWBC(until round 16).
Note that the 'annotator' info was introduced with
round 5. You can link to the example,
or make a screenshot for your WBx site, if you like.
The html output was created in just 2 minutes with
a nice extra tool and some css experience.

http://rwbc.volker-pittlik.name/dc6newlist.htm

Best wishes,
Guenther

[Vladimir Xern]

Hello, Alessandro, I think I may have found another glitch (but I could just be doing something wrong).

In the edit game mode, when you make a move, take it back, and play another move, the change doesn't register in the move list window. So for example, I can get something as illogical-looking as "1. e4 d5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nxe5" by taking back 1...d5 and playing e5. However, the notation goes back to normal when I forward to the start of the game. I can't believe I hadn't noticed it before.

[Brian Richardson]

I have been trying some of the newer enhanced Winboard versions and have noticed something that I thought I would ask about, since it might be my .ini settings and not a real problem.

When trying to paste a game (copy game from Winboard running Tinker on ICC) to another Winboard copy running say Fruit or Rybka for analysis, the << < P > >> options are not shown. They are when running in just view or edit files mode.

What am I missing here?

Thanks again for the improvements,
Brian

[Brian Richardson]

Also, just wondering about the last move arrow.

Sometimes it changes to something that looks sort of like half "bold".

Thanks again,
Brian

[Alessandro Scotti]

Hi Brian,
could you post some step-by-step instructions I could follow to reproduce the problems?

[Guenther Simon]

Best viewed in full screen mode of your browser.
(around 190KB to load)

Regards,
Guenther

P.S. I hope you will ever have time again for your new 'baby'

[Dann Corbit]

The RC file won't load. Here is what happens when I try to compile it:

E:\pgn\WINBOA~1\wbx>rc /v /i . winboard.rc
Microsoft (R) Windows (R) Resource Compiler Version 5.2.3690.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Using codepage 1252 as default
Creating winboard.RES
RC: RCPP -CP 1252 -f E:\pgn\WINBOA~1\wbx\RCa03896 -g E:\pgn\WINBOA~1\wbx\RDa03896 -DRC_INVOKED -D_WIN32 -pc\:/ -E -I. -I . -I . -I C:\Program Files\Microso
ft Visual Studio 8\VC\ATLMFC\INCLUDE -I C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC\INCLUDE -I C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC\PlatformSDK\
include -I C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\SDK\v2.0\include -I C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003\SDK\v1.1\include\

winboard.rc.
Writing DIALOG:ABOUTBOX, lang:0x409, size 774.
Writing DIALOG:400, lang:0x409, size 586.
Writing DIALOG:700, lang:0x409, size 342.winboard.rc(103) : error RC2104 : undefined keyword or key name: OPT_OutOfBookInfo

[Alessandro Scotti]

The RC file won't load.

Hi Dann,
the source archive was incomplete! File resource.h was missing, and wclipbrd.c was "one function older" than the current version.
Since I only backup the same archives I put on the site, the old versions of these files are now lost for good (although the latest versions should compile without problems even in old sources) and I have updated the website with my current copy.
As a side effect, there are now a couple of extra features in the engine output window!
Both source and binaries are available at the usual place:

http://www.ascotti.org/programming/chess/winboard_x.htm

P.S. Thanks also for testing (recompiling) the sources and for the doxygen documentation!

[Thomas Mayer]

Hi Alessandro,

really impressive what you have done to tiny little winboard.
Yesterday I had a problem with the analysis-window: after some games I did an analysis and got every 2 seconds a repetition of the current line in the engine output window. (Seems like it did repeat it every 2 seconds (each dot it seems) for whatever reason)
So far I can not reproduce it, but I work on it.

The old analysis window did use a feature of WB Prot. II -> it was always visible which move is currently searched by the engine. (The engine should give that information after the "." is sent by WinBoard.)

It is possible to copy lines from the output window, but it would be nice to have some kind of button for that.

During games, you delete the output window after every new move. This shouldn't happen while in ponder - it would be better not to clear the window when the ponder move was made. A possibility to recognize that is e.g. when the depth of the new line is smaller then the depth of the last line -> then it was usually not the ponder move. (If that is easier then to recognize the pondermove itself)

It would be nice to have some kind of debug-window. Just a window which shows the same output that is written into the winboard.debug file.

Anyway: simply fantastic, winboard is back... Well, it was never away...

Greets, Thomas

P.S.: I haven't tested it yet, but in old winboard the colours at ICS mode were gone when Zippy is used. Is that still the same with your version ? Because Daniel Mehrmann sent me once a version where the colours (of the ics-text) were back again. This was great !

[Alessandro Scotti]

Hi Thomas!

Yesterday I had a problem with the analysis-window: after some games I did an analysis and got every 2 seconds a repetition of the current line in the engine output window.

Never seen it, and very strange! I hope you can reproduce it!

The old analysis window did use a feature of WB Prot. II -> it was always visible which move is currently searched by the engine.

That's in the work, it took me a couple extra hours to do the pondering/thinking stuff but now it shouldn't be too difficult to complete this part.

It is possible to copy lines from the output window, but it would be nice to have some kind of button for that.

Yes, there are a number of places that could also use a context menu. It's all in the ever growing "todo" list, but not the highest priority at present.

During games, you delete the output window after every new move. This shouldn't happen while in ponder - it would be better not to clear the window when the ponder move was made. A possibility to recognize that is e.g. when the depth of the new line is smaller then the depth of the last line -> then it was usually not the ponder move. (If that is easier then to recognize the pondermove itself)

I used the "depth" heuristic up to the Jan 03 version, then added the new one to fix some glitches I found while testing. I have compiled a version for you without the new rule, so you can test it if you wish. (If you compile the program yourself just look at the end of wengineoutput.c and it will be very easy to spot the above two rules.)

It would be nice to have some kind of debug-window. Just a window which shows the same output that is written into the winboard.debug file.

Hmm it would be nice actually. At present there are more than a hundred lines like:

if (appData.debugMode) fprintf(debugFP, "DisplaySelectedSound(,,'%s'):\n", name);

in the code, and they all have to be patched manually...

Anyway: simply fantastic, winboard is back... Well, it was never away...

Thanks! Glad you like it!

P.S.: I haven't tested it yet, but in old winboard the colours at ICS mode were gone when Zippy is used. Is that still the same with your version? Because Daniel Mehrmann sent me once a version where the colours (of the ics-text) were back again. This was great !

I'm just moving my first steps in the ICS world. I've applied for a computer account at FICS but haven't heard from them. So at present I'm limited to connect Kiwi as guest, and to play with myself using another account but definitely I don't see a lot of features this way.
At any rate, I did a quick attempt at colorizing Zippy a bit. You can find a modified Winboard here:

http://www.ascotti.org/programming/ches ... thomas.zip

(The only modified sources zippy.c, backend.c and wengineoutput.c are included in the archive, the rest is from the last published version.)

[Alessandro Scotti]

Hi folks,
I have uploaded a new version at the usual place. There are a couple of bug fixes and Winboard has learned two more words now: UCI and Polyglot. No reason to be excited. This is an old idea of mine and finally got to do it. At any rate, full story is in the readme file!