Torrent API for Web-based game installer.

libtorrent: http://www.rasterbar.com/products/libtorrent/ C++ though, BSD.

MartinsM: Thanks! I don't really like boost, but then again libtorrent has a nice license .

Just make sure to have it disabled by default and be completely optional.

With increased data caps you can break user's data cap and incur extra costs.

Bit torrent also has bad reputation and large number of connections can trigger various alerts.

I won't say this is the biggest problem, but so far Blizzard is the only one I can recall using BT and they might get privileged treatment.

Because of the demand on servers[/quote]

What kind of servers and how much traffic? How do AppEngine or S3 prices compare to that?

Antheus: Thanks for your reply. There has been a lot of thought put into this, and BitTorrent is the best option for Galactic Vice . I am also not too concerned about the potential problems BitTorrent may present, as users would be able to disable if if necessary.

Does anyone know of an alternative to libtorrent, one that doesn't boost?

Out of sheer curiosity, why don't you like Boost? It's basically a waiting-room for the next C++ standard library

Out of sheer curiosity, why don't you like Boost? It's basically a waiting-room for the next C++ standard library

Well, I don't want to start a debate or anything, but I am a die-hard Scheme/C fan (that should say it all ). IMHO C++ (and especially Boost), implement very bad programming techniques. Yes, programming in a low-level language is hard and meticulous for those used to high-level programming, but it uses a completely different coding mindset/technique that once mastered is far easier than the high-level programming. It allows for cross-platform, screaming-fast, and minimalistic/non-bloated programs to be written with elegant simplism.

On the other hand, C++ often leads to code like this:
#include <stdio.h>

enum { SCALElog=15, SCALE=1<<SCALElog, mSCALE=SCALE-1, hSCALE=SCALE/2 };

template< int DECODE >
struct Rangecoder {
enum { NUM=4, sTOP=0x01000000U, Thres=0xFF000000U };

typedef unsigned long long int qword;
unsigned range, code, FFNum, Cache; qword lowc; FILE* f;

void Init( FILE* _f ) {
f = _f; range = 0xFFFFFFFF; lowc = 0; FFNum = 0; Cache = 0;
if( DECODE==1 ) for( unsigned _=0; _<NUM+1; _++ ) (code<<=8)+=getc(f);
}

void Quit( void ) { if( DECODE==0 ) for( unsigned _=0; _<NUM+1; _++ ) ShiftLow(); }

unsigned Process( unsigned freq, unsigned bit ) {
unsigned rnew = (qword(range)*(freq<<(32-SCALElog)))>>32;
if( DECODE ) bit = (code>=rnew);
bit ? range-=rnew, (DECODE ? code-=rnew : lowc+=rnew) : range=rnew;
while( range<sTOP ) range<<=8, (DECODE ? (code<<=8)+=getc(f) : ShiftLow());
return bit;
}

unsigned ShiftLow( void ) {
unsigned Carry = unsigned(lowc>>32), low = unsigned(lowc);
if( low<Thres || Carry ) {
putc( Cache+Carry, f );
for (;FFNum != 0;FFNum--) putc( Carry-1, f );
Cache = low>>24;
} else FFNum++;
return lowc = (low<<8);
}
};

struct Predictor {
short cxt;
short p[256-1];

Predictor() { for( unsigned i=0; i<sizeof(p)/sizeof(p[0]); i++ ) p=hSCALE; byte(); }
int P() const { return p[cxt-1]; }
unsigned byte( void ) { unsigned c=cxt; cxt=1; return c; }

void update( unsigned y ) {
if( y ) p[cxt-1] -= ( p[cxt-1] >> 5), cxt+=cxt+1;
else p[cxt-1] += ((SCALE - p[cxt-1]) >> 5), cxt+=cxt+0;
}
};

template< class Predictor, class Rangecoder >
void proc( Predictor& p, Rangecoder& rc, unsigned y=0 ) { p.update( rc.Process( p.P(), y ) ); }

unsigned flen( FILE* f ) {
fseek( f, 0, SEEK_END );
unsigned len = ftell(f);
fseek( f, 0, SEEK_SET );
return len;
}

int main( int argc, char** argv ) {
unsigned i,c,f_len = 0;
if( argc<4 ) return 1;
FILE* f = fopen( argv[2], "rb" ); if( f==0 ) return 2;
FILE* g = fopen( argv[3], "wb" ); if( g==0 ) return 3;
Predictor p;
if( argv[1][0]=='c' ) {
f_len = flen( f );
fwrite( &f_len, 1,4, g );
Rangecoder<0> rc; rc.Init(g);
for( i=0; i<f_len; i++ ) {
c = getc(f); p.byte();
proc(p,rc,c&0x80); proc(p,rc,c&0x40); proc(p,rc,c&0x20); proc(p,rc,c&0x10);
proc(p,rc,c&0x08); proc(p,rc,c&0x04); proc(p,rc,c&0x02); proc(p,rc,c&0x01);
} rc.Quit();
} else {
fread( &f_len, 1,4, f );
Rangecoder<1> rc; rc.Init(f);
for( i=0; i<f_len; i++ ) {
proc(p,rc); proc(p,rc); proc(p,rc); proc(p,rc); proc(p,rc); proc(p,rc); proc(p,rc); proc(p,rc);
putc( p.byte(), g );
}
}
fclose( f );
fclose( g );
return 0;
}

Yes, that's a range coder. Yes, It's horribly slow. And yes, I think I just went blind xD.


Back to the original topic: Does anyone know of an alternative to libtorrent, one that doesn't boost?

Well...

I think that's an absolutely worthless argument with so many holes it makes a block of Swiss cheese jealous; but I won't hijack your thread into a debate about boost unless you really want to.

Well...

I think that's an absolutely worthless argument with so many holes it makes a block of Swiss cheese jealous; but I won't hijack your thread into a debate about boost unless you really want to.

Please, lets not. Lets continue this in a PM .

Yes, that's a range coder. Yes, It's horribly slow. And yes, I think I just went blind xD.

The funniest thing is, that is C code, not C++. It's just wrapped into a class.

The funniest thing is, that is C code, not C++. It's just wrapped into a class.

Ok, well, if it really is just "C code" then I challenge you to get it to compile with GCC in strict-ANSI mode (-ansi).

I like how you completely ignored the part where he said it's been mangled into class form, then try to misinterpret his statement and get all blustery over it.

The point is, the code you posted is shit, and hardly representative of idiomatic, clean C++. So your argument is borked.

I like how you completely ignored the part where he said it's been mangled into class form, then try to misinterpret his statement and get all blustery over it.

The point is, the code you posted is shit, and hardly representative of idiomatic, clean C++. So your argument is borked.

I am sorry, but I don't appreciate flaming. (Who do I contact for mis-behaving forum moderators?) Like I said, I don't want to get into a debate. You asked for my oppinion and I gave it too you--now let it go.

EDIT: I found the contact.

Just wanted to publicly note that my posts here were the result of some poor coping mechanisms with a high-stress week. I won't pretend like that excuses my behavior but at least I'd like my forum-peeps to know what's going on. My post was totally out of character and really uncalled-for and I hope that you guys can cut me a break for lashing out after a rough day.

I've apologized in detail to Conoktra via PM, and thanked him for calling me out on this. I appreciate that he did the right thing here, and I would like to encourage anyone else who has concerns about the actions of myself (or any of the staff) to do the same. That's how we keep this place the great community that it is.


Carry on