Api base.

[ghost]

After reading #104 I was seduced by the idea.

I'm not a js guru and this code have to be improved a lot (new preset, some easy-to-uses functions...) but I create this PR before continues in order to know if this little base is good or if I should change it.

[lgarron]

Indeed, this will unfortunately need a lot more work before it's ready.

• Alg encoding needs to be properly defined, and use a common implementation.
  • The current implementation is missing stuff, and even that link doesn't have the most robust code.
• Generating the URL from the components needs to be very reliable. I'm wary of rolling custom code.
• Several options are missing from this pull request, such as the possibility for a scramble.
• Tests or at least examples would be very good.
• The code should be encapsulated, and ideally available in a module.
• The inclusion in index.html doesn't seem useful (and contains a typo).

In any case, this isn't high priority, but it would be okay to have a robust partial implementation. I'd start by making sure at least some of the code from alg.cubing.net.js (and maybe alg.js or twisty.js) is used here.

[ghost]

As said it's just a base. I'll continue work on it. Adding missing stuff and so on.

[ghost]

Ok, Reworked a lot this API, it should works now:

• Generating link is KISS : Just do var api = new CubingAPI("alg.cubing.net"); var link = api.generate_link({'alg' : "R U2 R' U' R U' R' "});
• The API check validity of given data : you can't do inexistant options or incorrect values (like {'foo' : bar} or {'puzzle' : '1x2x3'} ), the link generation will log the exception and return false
• There is a way to add preset : var link = api.generate_link({'alg' : "R U2 R' U' R U' R' "}, api.PRESET_OLL); for playback, alg type, oll stage. At the moment only two preset are available :
  • PRESET_OLL -> The preset used by speedsolving wiki on 3_3_3 OLL
  • PRESET_PLL -> The preset used by speedsolving wiki on 3_3_3 PLL
  • It could be interesting to add more preset. It's not really easy.
  • Note about preset : whatever the preset you used, original infos passed to generate_link will have priority on preset var : Example : PRESET_OLL set puzzle to 3_3_3, but if in infos you set it to 4_4_4, the output will be 4_4_4

• Here some examples of input & output:

  api.generate_link({'alg' : "R U2 R' U' R U' R' "}, api.PRESET_OLL); ---> http://alg.cubing.net/?alg=R_U2_R-_U-_R_U-_R-_&view=playback&type=alg&puzzle=3x3x3&stage=OLL

  api.generate_link({'alg' : "R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U' R U R' F'", 'type' : 'alg', 'title': 'T-PERM', 'stage' : 'full' }); ---> http://alg.cubing.net/?alg=R_U_R-_U-_R-_F_R2_U-_R-_U-_R_U_R-_F-&type=alg&title=T-PERM&stage=full

• The constraint for data are from alg.cubing.net.js, the escape_alg function too.
• I haven't found other way to generate query string, but it should be safe.
• This API is Fully independant: You just have to include the script to have it working.

[lgarron]

Thanks for the changes; that looks nicer!

Since alg.cubing.net is far from stable, however, I don't think I'll be merging or working on this feature very soon. That's not because I don't appreciate it, but there are too many other things that need to be done first, and I don't want to commit to a certain API format in more places than necessary. I'll definitely look back at this PR when the time comes, but I don't know if that will be more like a few weeks or a year.

[ghost]

No problems. Anyway when you'll decide to work on it, just contact me, I'll be glad to help finishing it!

[jettero]

heh, am I reading this wrong; or has this PR been open since 2014?

[lgarron]

heh, am I reading this wrong; or has this PR been open since 2014?

It has been open!

alg.cubing.net v2 is still far from ready, although I'm working on it on-off.

[jettero]

It looks like this project had a lot of initial momentum, then life happened. I've got a bunch of projects like that in my github.

Is there any way to resurrect time/impetus/interest to get a v2 out there? Maybe I'm misreading. I'll go look at the v2 branch(es).

[lgarron]

Is there any way to resurrect time/impetus/interest to get a v2 out there? Maybe I'm misreading. I'll go look at the v2 branch(es).

Sorry, I can't promise anything. I have time to work on it every few months, but at the moment I'm focusing on getting things right rather than finishing sooner.

[lgarron]

cubing.js now has this functionality, particularly for Twizzle.