My bot plan. Need help.

[Sorc.Polgara]

I want to make a server-side-like Bot that can logon, moderate a channel, and access some kind of database on the server.  I wish to have the database that is linked to the Bot, be accessible via an online site that can also modify and update the database.  The Bot will have a crawler-like function that will have it continuously checking the online status and information on users in the database.  It will be able to perform functions through users on B.Net with access to them.

This is obviously a big project and task.  I need some help figuring out the best way to database and the preferred language(s) to use for programming the Bot that will run and have capabilities described above.  Thanks for your time.

~Sorc.Polgara

[UserLoser.]

Perhaps you should write an ISAPI DLL in C++.  Using IIS or Apache, you'll be able to give access to your members for a required logon where from there they can view database, change things, etc.  This was an idea of mine a while back with ISAPIBot. Source was lost, never was completed.

[R.a.B.B.i.T]

You could, if you know java, modify JavaOp, or, even better, JavaOp2 Core (once it comes out).  JO2C will be only the essentials, and everything else will be run via a plugin system.  On top of the fact that it's open source (or will be), it is easy to tinker with

[Sorc.Polgara]

hmmm I was looking into java, is there a good java program, as like Visual Studio sort of editor/compiler?

[Mephisto]

Just write a bot how you normally would and then instead of loading the database via a file connect to a server and download/parse it in whatever fashion you wish?

[Networks]

hmmm I was looking into java, is there a good java program, as like Visual Studio sort of editor/compiler?

I found Eclipse to be a good looking compiler but I guess iago knows best.

[Mephisto]

You could, if you know java, modify JavaOp, or, even better, JavaOp2 Core (once it comes out).  JO2C will be only the essentials, and everything else will be run via a plugin system.  On top of the fact that it's open source (or will be), it is easy to tinker with

Don't use Java. 

[Forged]

hmmm I was looking into java, is there a good java program, as like Visual Studio sort of editor/compiler?

I use JCreator, it is decent.

[iago]

JCreator is commercial, and, therefore, sucks.

Eclipse is free and opensource, made by an IBM-owned company.  It's really good, although bulky and does too much annoying stuff to try to help, in my opinion.  Of course, not nearly as bulky as Visual Studio, but eh.  You can get it from www.eclipse.org.

NetBeans that I used stunk (stank?), but I'm told the newer version is better.  It optionally comes bundled with the compiler, http://java.sun.com

I've heard a lot of good things about using GNU Emacs as a IDE lately, and I'd like to learn more about it, http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/emacs.html


And a note to whoever called Visual Studio and Eclipse a compiler -- they AREN'T compilers, they are IDEs which combine interfaces to editors, compilers, etc.

And back to the topic at hand, I plan to implement something like that at some point, unless somebody else does it first.  The core for JavaOp2 seems stable, and I'm going to start on some plugins for it soon.  If all goes according to plan, I'll get some documentation out on how to use it and how to write plugins for it within the next couple weeks.

<edit> One more note.  When writing a program, you have to pick the best language suited to the job.  A sign of a good programmer is that they can pick the proper language to fit the project, whether it's C, Java, Perl, Shell, Emacs Lisp, etc.  If you just like one language for your reasons and condemn others, then when a project comes along that one language will clearly excel over others (like editing a text file for Perl, or running a series of tests/programs in Shell), and you don't choose it because of your biases, then you're making more work for yourself.  Java, in my opinion, is a superior choice for a bot, and I maintain that. 

Anyway, if you want to continue a language discussion/argument, please take it to a different thread.

[Arta]

NetBeans is horrific. Slow, bulky, ugly, totally ew.

[Zakath]

When I used NetBeans (although as I recall the program was called Forte then) I actually liked it. Can't really comment on the current status, though...the only programs I've used for editing Java source in the last couple years were Eclipse (which I don't like at all) and Notepad. Gogo plaintext editor!

[hismajesty]

I<3Eclipse, but it's not so good for just simple programs to just learn java with - it's more for larger programs involving many classes and such.

If you're new to Java, maybe get TextPad to learn with?

If you want to go the Microsoft route, J#.

[Falcon[anti-yL]]

hmmm I was looking into java, is there a good java program, as like Visual Studio sort of editor/compiler?

I use JCreator, it is decent.

Yea I use it too.

[Sorc.Polgara]

Well, I'm downloading Eclipse nowzor.  Imma try it out. =D


I was think earlier today during the boring part of driver's ed, changing tires, about how I am actually clueless onto how you even run a program remotely on a server.  I mean, I highly doubt that it is anything like just running a program/application like Windows/Mac, OS in general.

Linux would probably, if anything, Ibe the OS you would use...  Even that...

hehe, I'm pretty nuggly.

[Mephisto]

A server is a computer just like your desktop, just often configured differently.

If you're going to be using Linux you'll need to compile your programs on Linux, or a Linux compatable OS, unless you're using a language like Java (ew).

In any event, if you're using Linux typically you'll get an SSH client (assuming SSH is configured) and connect to the server with your SSH client.  From there use the SSH commands (all you'll really need is the cd command IIRC to navigate to the appropriate directory your program is) to navigate to the appropriate directory and run the program (with /$program IIRC).

At the point you run the program you should see any console output the program outputs, but if it's a GUI then it'll probably just run and you may get some sort of confirmation (never actually did this).

Another solution is using some sort of software to view the desktop interface of the server (there's many applications for Linux servers; for Windows there's remote desktop connection or terminal services).