Etna 2.1 + new Gnet OUT!

ETNA 2.1 is out! There is a new library to use Gnet without freezing your game and in all versions of Blitz (ie including BlitzMax). Gnet is a very simple system to track 'games in progress' (master server), written by Mark Sibly and running on this website (see the GNet link at the top right of this page). The original Gnet was only for BlitzBasic and was freezing your game when called.

ETNA stands for Easy daTabase Network Access. This library helps to connect to a web database of type PHP/MySql and may be used with all versions of Blitz (BlitzBasic, Blitz3D, BlitzPlus, BlitzMax, ...) + Delphi + PureBasic + C++!

Featuring: threads, queueing system, ultra-secure encryption, ease of use, lots of examples and FREE (see license).

New in version 2.1:
- Gnet (master server)
- Etna is now wrapped for PureBasic
- Etna is now wrapped for C++ (thanks to Fra)

We have about 20 Etna users: why not you?

Please visit the ETNA web page to download it. Etna was written by Progi1984 and myself.

Did it? My copy runs in a seperate thread.

Then you are not using the GNet version from Mark Sibly, but an improved version...

ETNA is a all-in-one solution, containing a lot of possibilities, amongst them the possibility to use GNet without game freezing. Also, GNet will now also work for BlitzMax. Additionnaly, with ETNA, you can encrypt the communication with the master server if you run the php script on your own web site, which is of course much secure than the original GNet.

Great work. ETNA is very useful.

It doesn't appear that you need a PHP/MySQL setup in order for this to work. It should work with any database and scripting language as long as the page can return results.
I tried a small test with Coldfusion yesterday and it worked fine.

edit: To use encryption you would have to convert the php functions to your different scripting language though.

I don't understand the relationship between gnet and db stuff, is there a reason for the combination or am I correct in being a little confused?

Doesn't GNET use a database for storing the list of active games?

I blame Mark for using the name 'gnet' for two different systems:
1) Game finder server system for bb+ and bb3d.
2) Net code for bmax.

It's called GameNet in my copy of Blitz Max.

Yes, Beaker had the good answer -> it is the first gnet coded by Mark Sibly long time ago, the one which is accessing a database on this site to create a master server (see here: http://www.blitzmax.com/gnet/gnet_servers.php).
Gnet is very useful for a network game: the user has no IP to type, he just have to choose amongst a list of games.



Very good news!! Glad to hear it!!



Right! If you convert the original php script to coldfusion, then do not hesitate to send it to me so that I can put it on the ETNA web page...