extrapolate

thought, ideas, and freeibes

lately i have been jotting down my idle thoughts, my dreams (the ones i recall), and those stray ideas that come in the stray hours. some of these i forget, but some go on to bigger and brighter things. these ideas will be translated into electronic form for all to read, and share.

 

software
 cgi
currently my library of cgi (perl) is small - a couple of scripts. these are:
  • dumpit: allows you to tack in any text file as the html is served. used in conjunction with a cron job, this could be a banner, a header or footer file, or a quote of the day. requires SSI.
  • basic form mailer: there's any number of form mailers, but not many just do mailing, and nothing more.
  • faqit: lists the contents of a folder, and links to each of the files in that folder. great for faq's - you don't have to recreate any files this way.
  • bookmarks: allows you to add links to an existing web page, used in this example as a bookmarks page. You can see it in action at http://www.mcdonagh.com.au/bookmarks/bookmarks.html

    visual basic<
    a language without any real function other than to test ideas. the only software avaliable for download is linked to on my interactive fiction page (see below):

  • string processor: a string processor and parser that could be used in an adventure style text game, which denotes the passage of time (just a test - not a finished product).
  • basic image mapper: i had a need of an image mapper for html pages, but all the downlable ones were crippled in some way, so I wrote myself one with specific functionality i needed. free (12k zip file)!

    • interactive fiction
    the macroverse
    		 the macroverse: is still just an idea.

    i often read other people's stories, and while i find some complete and without mystery, often i wonder what it would be like if certain choices hadn't been made by the author when writing the story, if a crucial point in the plot had gone a different way. wouldn't it be nice if there existed a story, told in text form, that could be modified, changed over time to suit a need or desire? why not turn it into a game, and let more than one person decide the plot - write a story of life as it happens.

    the macroverse is, as said already, just an idea. over time i will refine points, add details of how such a structured 'computing engine' could be created.

     
    coding, design and production © tim st.clair 1995-2000