Calculators

[IlDemonlI]

So I was just wondering why all of the calculators are unnecessarily complicated and written in (extensive) javascript? It seems like it would be more efficient to use PHP for most of it. Proper javascript isn't usually a popular casual language and it shows with the lack of updates and limited functionality of the current calculators. At the rate it's going, even jQuery would be more appropriate. I just think it would make the whole process of updating them and expanding them easier if it were in PHP or jQuery.

 

On that note, several of the calculators give inaccurate or incomplete information now due to in-game updates.

[essiw]

Probably because the crew (often only one or two people on the crew know that much about coding to make calcs) are volunteers which made those calcs, when they where made it could have been that javascript was the best option or that the crew knew not enough about the other types of web-languages. I am not part of the crew right now, but they probably don't mind volunteers upgrading their calcs ;) (and making them up-to-date)

[Stev]

I handle the calculators. Well, not the old ones, I build the new ones. Most old calculator (such as skill calculators/planners) updates can be credited to Arceus.

 

Now that we're introduced... If it were... In PHP? Wut? Instead of making the calculations instantaneously through JS, have it open a connection (with JS?), send a request, wait for a response, and then continue from there? Or do you mean you input values, submit, and then wait for a new page load?

 

The old calculators are far from optimized, but they still calculate almost instantaneously. How else would you build a responsive page/calculator without JS?

 

jQuery is JS. Several of our new calcs, like the Alchemy Calculator, use it. Several of the new calcs have the ability to update themselves.

 

Our old calculators, if adding items, are very easy. Arceus will tell you that. It's only when adding skill specific bonuses (portables, etc) that it requires any amount of time... And the only reason even that takes any amount of time is because he's taking initiative and only just starting to learn JS.

[IlDemonlI]

On that note then, I would say the more pressing matter is the lack of recent options for the calculators. I don't mean to come off as hostile or pushy - and yes I do realize jQuery is a combination of JS and Ajax.

 

Not sure where i was going with that original post - I've just always found javascript to be a lot of overhead burden when the entire script is written with it. I believe i meant PHP for more of the structure and back end maintenance of the calculator with js/jQuery taking the inputs to change the outputs' results. Looking through the JS it seems the entire page was drawn up in JS. Makes it harder to find people to work on them, I would imagine. 

 

I'm sure in terms of productivity they do fine - it's more the maintenance and updating them to include relevant information as the game evolves I was concerned with. I don't frequent the forums, but I often use the calculators for various reasons.

 

Has the idea of re-introducing a 'fill it in' row been asked? eg. Enter the base exp for the not-listed item you want to calc?

 

Other than that I have nothing else to add.  :unsure:

 

Edit: Oh, sorry if this counts as reviving an old, dead topic - This is about how frequently I visit the forums since I typically have no need.

[essiw]

^Nah, "reviving" your own topic to give an answer to the previous poster is not a bad thing (as far as I know ;) ) unless there is something like a year in between and even then there are cases where it is acceptable.

[netbdon]

am just wondering why the skill progress calculator has stopped working for me.

[firebird308]

am just wondering why the skill progress calculator has stopped working for me.

 

It's not just you. It's also something I've been wondering. I wonder if something got changed in how RuneScape handles it because everything else that pulls info from the same source? Also doesn't work. As seen by the skill calculators thinking all skills are level one and needing the xp entered manually to get accurate results.