Alternative to Scid Database Released

Date: 16 Dec 2006 14:18:38
From: cbseries
Subject: Alternative to Scid Database Released

ChessDB - a free Chess Database

http://chessdb.sourceforge.net/

See the "Changes" page on the site. Especially the entry "A number o
things could be done to improve ChessDB. Would anyone like to voluntee
to do any of the following?".

Quote from the web page:

"ChessDB is a free chess database that runs on multiple platforms. I
uses C, C++ and Tcl/Tk and is based on code from Scid for whic
development stopped some time back.

--
cbseries

Date: 16 Dec 2006 18:21:17
From: Dave (from the UK)
Subject: Re: Alternative to Scid Database Released

cbseries wrote:
> ChessDB - a free Chess Database
>
> http://chessdb.sourceforge.net/
>
> See the "Changes" page on the site. Especially the entry "A number of
> things could be done to improve ChessDB. Would anyone like to volunteer
> to do any of the following?".
>
>
>
> Quote from the web page:
>
> "ChessDB is a free chess database that runs on multiple platforms. It
> uses C, C++ and Tcl/Tk and is based on code from Scid for which
> development stopped some time back."

Thanks a lot for that. I was just about to post it myself, but see you
beat me to it.

There is the source code on the site for anyone who wants to build
ChessDB their self. The latest release is 3.6.3

There is a Windows executable, but this is for a slightly older (one day
!!) release (3.6.2). This has a bug which prevents the PGN window
working unless the language is English. For those who use English, the
two are identical. But if you use another language, the later version is
better, but there is no Windows executable as yet - it might change over
the next 24 hours or so.

As soon as I get set up to build a Windows executable (someone else
kindly did that for me), I'll upload a setup.exe for the very latest
release.

BTW, ChessDB has menus in Czech, Dutch, English, French, German,
Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian,
Spanish & Swedish - so chose your language. Does Chessbase have such a
selection?

--
Dave (from the UK)

Please note my email address changes periodically to avoid spam.
It is always of the form: [email protected]
Hitting reply will work for a few months only - later set it manually.

http://witm.sourceforge.net/ (Web based Mathematica front end)

Date: 16 Dec 2006 19:27:47
From: Valente
Subject: Re: Alternative to Scid Database Released

Can we Mac OS X users have hope to see a version of this? Most of us mac
users don't know how to compile it.

in article [email protected], Dave (from the UK) at
[email protected] wrote on 06/12/16 18:21:

> cbseries wrote:
>> ChessDB - a free Chess Database
>>
>> http://chessdb.sourceforge.net/
>>
>> See the "Changes" page on the site. Especially the entry "A number of
>> things could be done to improve ChessDB. Would anyone like to volunteer
>> to do any of the following?".
>>
>>
>>
>> Quote from the web page:
>>
>> "ChessDB is a free chess database that runs on multiple platforms. It
>> uses C, C++ and Tcl/Tk and is based on code from Scid for which
>> development stopped some time back."
>
>
> Thanks a lot for that. I was just about to post it myself, but see you
> beat me to it.
>
> There is the source code on the site for anyone who wants to build
> ChessDB their self. The latest release is 3.6.3
>
> There is a Windows executable, but this is for a slightly older (one day
> !!) release (3.6.2). This has a bug which prevents the PGN window
> working unless the language is English. For those who use English, the
> two are identical. But if you use another language, the later version is
> better, but there is no Windows executable as yet - it might change over
> the next 24 hours or so.
>
> As soon as I get set up to build a Windows executable (someone else
> kindly did that for me), I'll upload a setup.exe for the very latest
> release.
>
> BTW, ChessDB has menus in Czech, Dutch, English, French, German,
> Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian,
> Spanish & Swedish - so chose your language. Does Chessbase have such a
> selection?
>

Date: 16 Dec 2006 20:20:40
From: Dave (from the UK)
Subject: Re: Alternative to Scid Database Released

Valente wrote:
> Can we Mac OS X users have hope to see a version of this? Most of us mac
> users don't know how to compile it.
>
>

BTW, looking at your email address, I assume you know Portugese.

If so, or any other language other than English or German, can you
translate these 3 lines:

* Main Line
* Current move background
* Next move background.

(this is where one sets the background colours, for the main line, last
move and current move.)

I'll then update the relavant language file, so the meues are in the
native language, rather than just English.
--
Dave (from the UK)

Please note my email address changes periodically to avoid spam.
It is always of the form: [email protected]
Hitting reply will work for a few months only - later set it manually.

http://witm.sourceforge.net/ (Web based Mathematica front end)

Date: 16 Dec 2006 21:33:50
From: Valente
Subject: Re: Alternative to Scid Database Released

in article [email protected], Dave (from the UK) at
[email protected] wrote on 06/12/16 20:20:

> Valente wrote:
>> Can we Mac OS X users have hope to see a version of this? Most of us mac
>> users don't know how to compile it.
>>
>>
>
> BTW, looking at your email address, I assume you know Portugese.

I use a "Brazilian" like email, but I am Portuguese from Portugal.

>
> If so, or any other language other than English or German, can you
> translate these 3 lines:
>
> * Main Line

Linha Principal

> * Current move background

Cor do lance actual

> * Next move background.

Cor do pr�ximo lance

>
> (this is where one sets the background colours, for the main line, last
> move and current move.)
>
> I'll then update the relavant language file, so the meues are in the
> native language, rather than just English.

Date: 16 Dec 2006 20:11:16
From: Dave (from the UK)
Subject: Re: Alternative to Scid Database Released

Valente wrote:
> Can we Mac OS X users have hope to see a version of this? Most of us mac
> users don't know how to compile it.

Possibly ...

I got this email from someone today:

--------
Hi David,

Your ChessDB 3.6.2 runs very well on my Mac (OS X 10.4.8). Bravo!

I will follow the next developments of your program on the Scid list.

Alan
------------

I'l ask him if he can make a binary available. But you will need to have
Tcl/Tk too, so it might be hard to get it working on OSX unless you
compile it yourself. It should take no more than 5 minutes to compile.

if you have a trusted friend who is comfortable installing software on a
Mac, they could do it remotely.

If you are really stuck, and want to give me a normal user account and
the ability to remotely log in, I could possibly set it up for you.

Drop me a private email if you want on that fact. But I'll try the
person who built it first - my concern is not with ChessDB as such, but
it needs the libraries installed.

--
Dave (from the UK)

Please note my email address changes periodically to avoid spam.
It is always of the form: [email protected]
Hitting reply will work for a few months only - later set it manually.

http://witm.sourceforge.net/ (Web based Mathematica front end)

Date: 17 Dec 2006 08:42:07
From: pascal
Subject: Re: Alternative to Scid Database Released

On windows there is no need to install Tcl/Tk before running Scid :
shared libraries are in the setup.exe file (tcl and tk84.dll) and
install in the same directory as Scid. I guess it should be made the
same on Mac.

Dave (from the UK) a �crit :

> I'l ask him if he can make a binary available. But you will need to have
> Tcl/Tk too, so it might be hard to get it working on OSX unless you
> compile it yourself. It should take no more than 5 minutes to compile.

Date: 16 Dec 2006 21:39:04
From: Valente
Subject: Re: Alternative to Scid Database Released

I also use Mac (OS X 10.4.8). I don�t know exactly what is tcl/tk but
probably I can install it with the other development tools that came with
the computer DVD. I used already that DVD to install the X-Win environment,
called X11. Can your friend made available to us the version he is using,
maybe?

in article [email protected], Dave (from the UK) at
[email protected] wrote on 06/12/16 20:11:

> Valente wrote:
>> Can we Mac OS X users have hope to see a version of this? Most of us mac
>> users don't know how to compile it.
>
> Possibly ...
>
> I got this email from someone today:
>
> --------
> Hi David,
>
> Your ChessDB 3.6.2 runs very well on my Mac (OS X 10.4.8). Bravo!
>
> I will follow the next developments of your program on the Scid list.
>
> Alan
> ------------
>
> I'l ask him if he can make a binary available. But you will need to have
> Tcl/Tk too, so it might be hard to get it working on OSX unless you
> compile it yourself. It should take no more than 5 minutes to compile.
>
> if you have a trusted friend who is comfortable installing software on a
> Mac, they could do it remotely.
>
> If you are really stuck, and want to give me a normal user account and
> the ability to remotely log in, I could possibly set it up for you.
>
> Drop me a private email if you want on that fact. But I'll try the
> person who built it first - my concern is not with ChessDB as such, but
> it needs the libraries installed.
>

Date: 16 Dec 2006 17:14:45
From: Kenneth Sloan
Subject: Re: Alternative to Scid Database Released

Date: 16 Dec 2006 23:43:10
From: Dave (from the UK)
Subject: Re: Alternative to Scid Database Released

Kenneth Sloan wrote:
> Valente wrote:
>
>> I also use Mac (OS X 10.4.8). I don�t know exactly what is tcl/tk but
>> probably I can install it with the other development tools that came with
>> the computer DVD. I used already that DVD to install the X-Win
>> environment,
>> called X11. Can your friend made available to us the version he is using,
>> maybe?
>
>
> Before you worry about installing it, try "man tcl" and you may be
> pleasantly surprised.
>

At the same time, he could usefully try typing 'g++' and 'make' too.
Hopefully, the response will be something like:

teal / % g++
g++: no input files

teal / % make
make: *** No targets specified and no makefile found. Stop.

and not a 'command not found' error.

I'm still looking for someone to translate these few lines:

* Main Line
* Current move background
* Next move background.
(this is where colours are set up, to put it in context).

into one or more of these languages:

Czech, Dutch, French, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Russian,
Serbian, Spanish or Swedish

--
Dave (from the UK)

Please note my email address changes periodically to avoid spam.
It is always of the form: [email protected]
Hitting reply will work for a few months only - later set it manually.

http://witm.sourceforge.net/ (Web based Mathematica front end)

Date: 16 Dec 2006 22:25:53
From: Dave (from the UK)
Subject: Re: Alternative to Scid Database Released

Valente wrote:
> I also use Mac (OS X 10.4.8). I don�t know exactly what is tcl/tk but
> probably I can install it with the other development tools that came with
> the computer DVD. I used already that DVD to install the X-Win environment,
> called X11. Can your friend made available to us the version he is using,
> maybe?

Hi,

Tcl is a programming language. Tk is a graphical toolkit that is often
used with Tcl. They are both needed to either build ChessDB or to even
run it.

The libraries are apparently available in binary for Mac OS X from:

http://tcltkaqua.sourceforge.net/

I don't know what he is using, but it looks like the

* TclTkAqua:

http://prdownloads.sf.net/tcltkaqua/TclTkAqua-8.4.10.dmg (5M)

is what you probably need. You will need admin rights to install that.

You will need the Tcl/Tk whatever you do next.

It may be possible for you to get a binary for ChessDB, or it would not
be hard to compile if you have gcc and g++ installed. They are likely to
be either on your Mac OS X, or perhaps on the DVD you spoke of. They are
very common development tools.

Although I am not sure what you need, I suspect you will need all of the
following.

1) Tck/Tk - definitely.
2) gcc, g++ and GNU 'make' if you build ChessDB yourself. These are
quite likely to be found on a DVD that come with the system, as they are
very common development tools.

Generally it would be better if you can compile it yourself (with help
of course), since once you have done it once, you can always build a
later version if the source code is updated. If you get a binary of
ChessDB, then you rely on someone else updating the binary. That will
happen far less often than the source code is updated. (At the minute,
the setup.exe for windows is a slightly earlier release than the source
code).

--
Dave (from the UK)

Please note my email address changes periodically to avoid spam.
It is always of the form: [email protected]
Hitting reply will work for a few months only - later set it manually.

http://witm.sourceforge.net/ (Web based Mathematica front end)