Crazy question about technology & crafting fiction

[SebastianHolt]

Part of my recovery from being nailed by a drunk driver is playing games like Concentration and things like that. I'm bored, so why not spice things up! hehe. I'm looking for a development environment (and for free to start with, to see if this idea becomes something) ... don't laugh, but is Visual Basic still around? I don't really need anything complex to start with, and I like to avoid using PHP as I don't want to install SQL Server.

Just need something simple where I can prompt the user, get his or her answer and have some sort of logic tree based on his or her answer.

make any sense?

 

[TheLobster]

I haven't used Visual Basic in a hot decade, but I think it's still around as part of the whole .NET thing from Microsoft. If not, C# is the premier language there for making GUI applications.

Since you mention SQL Server and PHP, I reckon you might be more interested in web development? In that case, Python with something like Django or Flask (web frameworks) might be your poison; you don't need to bother with any full-fledged databases like Postgres if you just start with SQLite. (Python even comes with SQLite driver and library, though most people would use an ORM or query builder like SQLAlchemy or Peewee).

You also mentioned "creating fiction," in which case that's another vote for Python since it has the Ren'Py framework for creating visual novels.

 

[AlinaX]

Honestly, Python is easy, free and versatile. Visual Basic is a severe headache in comparison.

 

[SebastianHolt]

I haven't used Visual Basic in a hot decade, but I think it's still around as part of the whole .NET thing from Microsoft. If not, C# is the premier language there for making GUI applications.

Since you mention SQL Server and PHP, I reckon you might be more interested in web development? In that case, Python with something like Django or Flask (web frameworks) might be your poison; you don't need to bother with any full-fledged databases like Postgres if you just start with SQLite. (Python even comes with SQLite driver and library, though most people would use an ORM or query builder like SQLAlchemy or Peewee).

You also mentioned "creating fiction," in which case that's another vote for Python since it has the Ren'Py framework for creating visual novels.

yeah I haven't touched VB.net in 30 years (I think, at least 20)

 

[SebastianHolt]

Honestly, Python is easy, free and versatile. Visual Basic is a severe headache in comparison.

does Python require MYSQL? let's see, Oracle owns that, correct?

 

[SebastianHolt]

I haven't used Visual Basic in a hot decade, but I think it's still around as part of the whole .NET thing from Microsoft. If not, C# is the premier language there for making GUI applications.

Since you mention SQL Server and PHP, I reckon you might be more interested in web development? In that case, Python with something like Django or Flask (web frameworks) might be your poison; you don't need to bother with any full-fledged databases like Postgres if you just start with SQLite. (Python even comes with SQLite driver and library, though most people would use an ORM or query builder like SQLAlchemy or Peewee).

You also mentioned "creating fiction," in which case that's another vote for Python since it has the Ren'Py framework for creating visual novels.

I was hoping to avoid SQL

 

[AlinaX]

Do you want a database?

 

[AG31]

AH is just amazing. You can ask ANYTHING here and be pretty sure of getting some responses.

 

[SebastianHolt]

Do you want a database?

no database is needed. First things first is a proof of concept and see if this app can be made into something useful

 

[NotWise]

does Python require MYSQL? let's see, Oracle owns that, correct?

Python is completely stand-alone, and useful for everything I know of. Comes with at least one graphical toolkit, too.

 

[EbersMoll]

Based on what you’ve said I’d agree that Python is the best language for these sorts of PoC type projects, these days. I use the PyCharm IDE, Visual Studio, VS Code and Eclipse are alternatives.

 

[RejectReality]

You may very well be able to find something similar to what you're looking for ( perhaps even free ) if you search for tabletop RPG tools. There are tools designed to keep track of characters, plot points, location descriptions, various items, etc.

I haven't touched Visual Basic since the very early 2000s. I started on TRSDOS Basic back in the day. LOL ( My school was confined to cheap 2nd or 3rd tier outdated options and one lonely Mac due to budget constraints. I'm not quite that old. )

 

[jsmiam]

It sounds (maybe?) like you’re asking about using technology for erotica?

If so check out the interactive game stories section and look at the “ink” tech in particular, since that’s supported here, at least to the extent Lit can support anything. I haven’t tried it, but it’s a way to create interactive stories and games here.

If not, I would also vote for learning python, it’s popular because it’s so very flexible for almost any kind of purpose.

People are overlooking that maybe you already know visual basic though, which makes for a different playing field. But python will nonetheless do most of the things you wished VB would have done back in the day.

 

[Bramblethorn]

You may very well be able to find something similar to what you're looking for ( perhaps even free ) if you search for tabletop RPG tools. There are tools designed to keep track of characters, plot points, location descriptions, various items, etc.

Twine might be worth a look. I haven't used it myself but it seems to be popular for interactive fiction.

 

[TheRedChamber]

If this is a project about crafting fiction, have you looked at the language Lit uses for interactive fiction? It's obscure but quite good for simple projects, and is the only thing allowed to be posted here. It's hard to give proper advice without knowing what the project is.

Python is a good language for quick amd dirty projects. If you want to learn to code properly though, I'd avoid it as a first language. The issue is that it isn't very good at telling you up front if you've coded something incorrectly and other languages are conceptually more focued around impementinf key concepts cleanly and thus are easier to understand. I learned Java but C# is essentially the same thing and either woild be a good starting point. Nearly all programming languages are free so you dont need to consider that.

 

[Britva415]

does Python require MYSQL?

I was hoping to avoid SQL

Do you want a database?

If there is going to be any data at all in this application, a database is going to be needed.

I haven’t figured out the purpose of the app yet, but if it is going to show you stuff you’d consider to be “content,” that sounds like data, and if it’s going to ask you to input stuff you’d consider to be “content,” that also sounds like data.

There are ways to integrate a database with Python which is NOT a sql database, but I couldn’t say whether it would be any easier or simpler.

But investigate “nosql” if you’re interested. Python does not require any database at all, it’s your particular application which would require it. And Python supports many different databases, including nosql ones.

 

[iwatchus]

If you just want some data retention, try SQLite

 

[TheWritingGroup]

does Python require MYSQL? let's see, Oracle owns that, correct?

No one owns MySQL. It's Free Software (or rather, you can use a Free version of it). I'm not saying you should use it, just that you won't be charged for using it.

https://downloads.mysql.com/docs/licenses/mysqld-8.0-gpl-en.pdf

--Rocco

 

[iwatchus]

It is still owned by Oracle. There is a fully unencumbered version called MariaDB if you want to avoid Oracle. It's a fork made when Oracle bought MySQL

 

[SebastianHolt]

No one owns MySQL. It's Free Software (or rather, you can use a Free version of it). I'm not saying you should use it, just that you won't be charged for using it.

https://downloads.mysql.com/docs/licenses/mysqld-8.0-gpl-en.pdf

--Rocco

not trying to be a dick but technically Oracle owns it

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MySQL...onsored,Microsystems (now Oracle Corporation).

 

[TheWritingGroup]

not trying to be a dick but technically Oracle owns it

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MySQL#:~:text=MySQL was owned and sponsored,Microsystems (now Oracle Corporation).

OK, fine. But the GPL version is free for anyone to use, change, and so forth. "Ownership" that gives no control is pretty nebulous.

--Rocco

 

[SebastianHolt]

OK, fine. But the GPL version is free for anyone to use, change, and so forth. "Ownership" that gives no control is pretty nebulous.

--Rocco

My apologies, it's a touchy subject for me as Oracle nailed a company that I was involved with. I'm still pissed at how greedy Oracle is, or maybe it's jealous, as Ellison did what I couldn't do

 

[TheLobster]

Just use Postgres

 

[TheWritingGroup]

Just use Postgres

Or MariaDB, as mentioned upthread.

--Rocco

 

[TheRedLantern]

I'm going to cast another vote in favor of Python as an ideal platform for prototyping. Mainly to let OP know that there are several people here who know how that works and can point them in the right direction if they get stuck.

You want to know how to use at least two tools to use python ... "pip" and something to manage environments ("virtualenv" is the easiest, "anaconda" is for more data-heavy/machine learning, and "Docker" is industrial strength professional production ready). Pip is required. An environment manager you can get away without learning if you're not planning on keeping the computer for a long time.

Most languages have this problem, FWIW. You have to learn the package manager and all the tooling as well as the language. It sucks, and I hate that part, but what I hate more is not realizing I need those things until it's too late.