Re: Cooperative Multitasking

["Kelvin McDowell" <kelvin_mcdowell@...>]

I too want to implement the same thing.  I've been looking at stackless
Python ( http://www.stackless.com ) and it seems simular to what we all seem
to want to achieve.

Kelvin

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bret Mogilefsky" <mogul@gelatinous.com>
To: "Multiple recipients of list" <lua-l@tecgraf.puc-rio.br>
Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2000 16:49
Subject: Re: Cooperative Multitasking


> On Thu, Oct 19, 2000 at 11:36:05PM +0200, Jeroen Janssen wrote:
> > lemkef@execpc.com wrote:
> [...]
> > > and such.  Bret Mogilefsky mentioned how it was done with Grim
> > > Fandango and it sounds like the same problem / solution.  a link to
> [...]
> > > There were some other discussions, on the same topic, but they were a
> > > year ago.  I was hoping there was a package available premodified :)
>
> Considering how often this comes up, it sounds like this needs to be done.
> I can't contribute back the code I worked on because it belongs to
> LucasArts.  However, I've been curious how much easier it might be to
> retrace my steps given the newer, simpler, more re-entrant Lua 4.0 as a
> starting point.  I used a dash of C++ here and there to make different
> "threads" share variables by making the right parts of the class
> static... Such mods would not be the type of thing that could easily be
> rolled into stock C-only Lua, and in my mind there's no reason they should
be
> since this is a fairly specialized requirement (though it DOES seem common
> among game developers).  However, an available patch that converts Lua for
> this purpose would be good to have.  I would like to work on this, but my
> free time for projects such as this is very slim... I'm not using Lua
> day-to-day now and my personal life is a lot more cluttered.  That said,
> I'll at least take a look when I get a chance and maybe draw up some
> pseudo-directions for what needs to be done.
>
> > well.. that (might) be usefull, but I think that depends on wether the
> > modifications are "maintainable" (as far as I can "see", the current
> > Monkey Island 4 demo still uses Lua 3.1 alpha, so they might have
> > "trouble" upgrading to a newer lua because of the deep modifications
> > they made).
>
> Yes and no... I was the lead programmer on MI4 before I left.  They might
> have trouble upgrading, but then again they have no reason to... The
> version of Lua that they have handles the cooperative multitasking AND
> serialization of Lua's internal data structures and of user-types
> as well.  They are more interested in getting a game out than in having a
> fresh, clean implementation of Lua 4.0 to program in; it's hard enough to
> get a game out when you don't go breaking things that work fine.  =)
>
> > > I think I can get away with manipulating the lua-state through C++
> > > code, and wouldn't need to modify any of that?
> >
> > I don't know (yet).
>
> I'll take a look and tell you what I can.  =)
>
>
> Bret
> --
> Bret Mogilefsky  ** mogul@playstation.sony.com **  Programmer, SCEA R&D
>