Generate Deck List

Would you consider being able to generate a list of the current cards in a deck being viewed with the deck constructor?

In other words, let's say I create an Elemental Hero deck. I hit a button that generates a list of card names for that build. Later, I modify that deck. If I ever want to revert back to the original build, I've got my handy list for reference. Also, if I want to actually physically build this deck I've got the list handy.

Is this a bad idea/good idea? Would it be tough to implement?

.... hoping .....

It would be an idea but it wouldn't be an important one. It would take a lot of coding to make it work then even more coding to program said decks.

Tigger22190 wrote:It would be an idea but it wouldn't be an important one. It would take a lot of coding to make it work then even more coding to program said decks.

Not really. All you have to do is look at the card's name and use that through the program. Each card has different sections for the object so all you need to do is tell the program to look at the name section and use what's there.

Now you probably won't get the 3x/2x/1x and it'll just be 1 big list, but it's still easy.

Or you can take screenshots and keep them in a folder for that.

What bunny said, screenshots take care off this already and help with so much more at the same time.

Just type the list on your computer if you want the deck list... its like 10 minutes or so.

5 Minutes actually.

He's actually saying that he wants pre-made decks(sounds like that).

....

Anyhow...Not worth it, it takes a few minutes to get that very same list.

Ps: There have been alike suggestions in the past which were rejected(as far as I'm concerned). Please use the search button next time!

Okay, I guess I need to do some more 'splaining. :: Cracks knuckles, yelps at discomfort (these fingers have punched an awful lot of miles' worth of keys) ::

First of all, let me say that these are great responses and I really enjoy seeing folks both emotionally invested in DN and protective of the devs. For this I thank every single one of you! That's the way it ought to be!!

And, for the record, I'm not #pushing# for this feature. It is merely a suggestion which, like all other suggestions, just amounts to a heartfelt wish. I wouldn't be doing the work, so all I'm doing is asking and leaving my little prayer in the hands of the guys who really DO all the work. I hope this paragraph clears the air a bit.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a fair amount of misunderstanding on several levels, and since I don't like to leave things hanging, I'm taking some time to address all the primary objections. :: Checks clock :: Geez, it's late. Thank goodness I don't have to work tomorrow! :: Checks clock again after editing the below text :: Crap on toast, I've been at this for two hours! I must have a touch of OCD!

Yeah, my software engineering button got pushed, so naturally I gotta respond.

To 3E-hero neos: Thanks, but this specific suggestion really wasn't in the "already suggested" list, which you likely couldn't tell from the very abbreviated wording of my feature request (if so, my bad; please read on). All the "similar" requests were for a complicated bit of work that didn't come close to resulting in a simple, printable list. Rejecting those suggestions was just plain smart.

This feature request is based on the need to mesh DN decks with the real Yu-Gi-Oh! world for varying reasons (and probably more that I haven't thought of) or keep track of changes to DN-only decks:

* To be able to walk around with all the information we need to build/modify a real-world deck. Hit one button on DN then tell the browser to print. Bada-boom, you're done. Time to make or modify your deck!

* To create a baseline deck list before modifying an existing deck, whether for play on DN or in RL.

* To track changes to DN decks between save points, for any reason.

Incidentally, the generated list wouldn't need to be more complicated than:

MONSTER CARDS (total)
3x <CARD_NAME> (or even CARD_NAME listed 3 times, vertically, to cut down on coding)
1x <CARD_NAME>
.
.
.

SPELL CARDS (total)
... etc.

Regarding screen snapshots: seems like a fair enough idea, but ... printing one of these snapshots? I'll pass, without even a teeny a bit of regret.

<Mild_Sarcasm_Mode>
Think of all the fun we could have buying more ink cartridges after printing the pretty graphics that are either too small to read or that are big enough to read, but span multiple pages at an even higher cost (read as: lots and lots of ink instead of just a lot of ink).
</Mild_Sarcasm_Mode>

Another respondent suggested just writing or typing up the list of cards. I'm having to do that today and my cramping fingers tell me that it's time to get away from it. To be fair, the DN card list is Right. In. Front. Of. Me. (Imagine grabby fingers trying to grasp the card list THROUGH the monitor!)

I'm not lazy (but I admit to being oldish [50+ years of age]. I'm just opposed to duplication of effort - on principle. Call it an engineering mind-set. Call it efficiency-crazy. Call it what you will. I just don't like doing the same work twice.

For the folks who think the work involved would be non-trivial ... please hear me out. My background: I'm a 35+ year database administrator and embedded software development team educator and performance specialist; software developer; team lead (project manager when needed); IT consultant who works primarily with Fortune-100 companies. There's one company I work with that I'm not allowed to name, but think of a department-type store that is not only in nearly every city in the United States, but is international as well, and owns more square footage in buildings than the entire U.S. Government. I'm just establishing my creds here.

Guys, I would never ask for a ton of work. The data I want resides in a database somewhere on a server and, presuming it is SQL-based (it's almost certainly MySQL), is as simple to extract as one could imagine. Here's an example that likely comes pretty close to reality:

Select {cards} from {user_deck}
where {user_deck.deck_name = the_current_deck_name}
and {user_id = your_user_name}

And now you got the deck list. If you wanted to go the extra mile you could add something like this:

...
order by {card_type} # monster, spell, trap, side_deck, extra_deck

You could even grab more info by selecting the count of each card type (as defined above).

Example for that part --> select count(*) from {table_name} where {condition}.

... then consolidate the whole shebang into a database procedure and you'd never have to do anything more difficult than

execute_procedure procedure_name(<input_parameters>) {
... that database stuff I described above ...
RETURNING <output_parameters>
}

<Note to readers: The above is "pidgin" DB language, but fairly represents the kinds of SQL language statements and actions required to get the job done.>

As one might imagine, this particular part of the job wouldn't be brain surgery (no offense to the freaking AWESOME coding team who developed and maintains DN on a daily basis! You guys ROCK!).

Sending the output an HTML-based "print" window would then be fairly straightforward.

The only unknown level of effort (to me) is what it would take to mod the Flash interface to drive the deck list generation. I have no clue how much work it takes to add a button to the screen and the write concomitant code to kick the whole process off. I don't know Flash, plain and simple, and don't pretend to. My areas of expertise lie elsewhere. But it "feels" easy to me (from the comfort of my not-so-cozy chair).

For the record: I'm not asking for the feature because I'm lazy: I simply do not believe in duplication of effort; if I do something once, I shouldn't have to keep doing "it" or any variation of "it." As I said before, the data is right there in front of me, dang it.

I hope I didn't come off as an argumentative, pushy so-and-so. I know I can get kinda terse when I'm writing about this kind of thing, but it's nothing personal. If you did read negativity into my commentary, all I can ask is that you please consider the context of my job and aggressive go-getter attitude. It's what I have to do with the clients I work with and it tends to carry over. *Sigh.*

To summarize: the need is real, and the work involved really should be relatively trivial.

Now, let me add this note. Simplicity / ease of coding is NOT an argument for feature development. Features should only be added when there is a need for them that is really worth the concomitant effort required to build them in. I've seen small projects bloat to elephantine proportions just because the developers either had no control over project requirements submitted by overly ambitious sales teams, or the devs got a bit too excited about what they could do. This situation must not arise at DN - frankly, from where I sit, DN is just too valuable to let that happen.

Hmm, I just might have talked everyone else into ignoring the feature request!

However, FWIW, it's my opinion that this is probably doable with minimal effort (at least I hope so!).

Devs, please think it over. I know your workload is already big enough, but I just gotta ask.

Before anyone wonders: yes, I contribute moneys to DN because they earned it and the Network is really valuable to me.

To all of you who read this through to the end and kept an open mind, my sincere thanks for the investing your time reading this little novella. (I never meant for it to get this big, but ... *sigh.*)



P.S.: Here we have the spectacle of a 50+ y.o. man who recently got into Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG in a big, big way. He regularly plays a childrens' game (yeah, right) in stores that support local tourneys, and is really passionate about it. This begs the question: is there something wrong with this picture? Heh.



P.P.S.: If you check, you'll find I haven't played on DN regularly and I haven't been a player for a very long time. But - I do use the network when I have time on the road; DN is my go-to fix for Yu-Gi-Oh! fever.


P.P.P.S: "And believe me, I am still alive. I'm doing Science and I'm still alive. [...] Still alive! Still ... alive."

[quote="3E-hero neos"]

[snip]
He's actually saying that he wants pre-made decks(sounds like that).
[/snip]

Uhm, no he's not, says he.

All this text comes down to the following right?
Press a print decklist button and you get the decklist of your deck printed instead of the picture. This would all come from a server which has all decklists stored, it'd just have to match the stored deck with the current one being viewed in deck constructor and print it in words.

Wow, is it really that hard to type a deck over?? 5 minutes work.

Sorry but no.

Ps: You're old 0.0.

I do appreciate the thought and time you put into that "novela". But all the time you were typing that you could have typed the deck list... LOL sorry just had to point that out. Also thanks for the mention.

It takes approximately 10 minutes to type out a deck if you're perfect and make no mistakes.

It's a pain sometimes.

That is why I support.

And it can be a pain to implement this function for the hell of being lazy...

Seriously, you can even shorten a bunch of card names like: MST, Heavy, D-Hole, etc...

Don't be lazy, just type the deck.

And yes, the deck could've been typed in the time he wrote all this....

3E-hero neos wrote:And it can be a pain to implement this function for the hell of being lazy...

Seriously, you can even shorten a bunch of card names like: MST, Heavy, D-Hole, etc...

Don't be lazy, just type the deck.

And yes, the deck could've been typed in the time he wrote all this....

:: shrugs ::

Did you have something relevant to say? Or do you just like to insult people without bothering to read their posts?

(troll harder. it's not working yet.)

I wasn't trolling, I was serious, just type the decklist instead of wasting time on typing huge posts all the time or wasting the programmers time. I call it being lazy because, if you have a decent typing speed a deck is typed in 10 minutes(including Extra and Side Deck).

Don't be mad, I'm just being relevant and honest.