[Online] Map XML Wizard

[oaktown]

thanks chip for answering the same question you had to answer just three months ago.

[HtoOh]

Hello all,
I'd really enjoy creating a map. Where do I get this software?
Thank you in advance for any assistance provided.
Benny

[natty dread]

You don't download the XML wizard, it's browser-based.

But you will need a graphics software first. Draw the map and don't worry about XML, the XML comes later.

[chipv]

Added support for new XML feature to allow continents within objectives.

Details of changes:

1. Read and display continents within objectives
2. Allow adding and deleting of continents to/from objectives (click on grey cell first)
3. Hover over objective also highlights its continents
4. Deleting a continent (using delete button) will also remove it from any continents or objectives.
5. Gameplay allows for continents within objectives
6. Validation includes latest changes to XML schema check used in Mapmaker
7. Added checks

• Error: Objective X has component Y which does not exist as a continent
  Action: Component Y is removed from component list of Objective X.
• Error: Objective X has multiple component entries for Y
  Action: Duplicate instances of Component Y are removed from component list of Objective X.

The multiple components now include multiple identical continents

[ender516]

Glad to know you are keeping this tool right up to date. I have just started using it in something other than a testing mode: I am doing the XML for Napoleonic Europe 1812. I have so far only added the territories: just names at locations on the small map, no borders, or neutrals, or continents, or anything. I was a little bothered by one thing. I had created a file with the name of each territory on a line by itself and had that open in a window. I got a nice rhythm going: select a line (one territory name), copy to clipboard, click location on map in Wizard window (which creates a new territory and places the text cursor in the name field), paste from clipboard, click yellow cell to add new territory, repeat as necessary. My problem was that there was no keystroke equivalent to clicking the yellow cell. I prefer not to go back and forth between keyboard and mouse. If I could have pressed, say, Enter to signal that I was satisfied with the name and wanted to add the territory, I could then use Alt-Tab to return to the editor window with the territory names, selected and copied the next name via the keyboard, and then clicked with the mouse cursor (still over the map) to start another new point. The mouse would stay over the map where it belongs, and I would be even more productive.

[chipv]

Glad to know you are keeping this tool right up to date. I have just started using it in something other than a testing mode: I am doing the XML for Napoleonic Europe 1812. I have so far only added the territories: just names at locations on the small map, no borders, or neutrals, or continents, or anything. I was a little bothered by one thing. I had created a file with the name of each territory on a line by itself and had that open in a window. I got a nice rhythm going: select a line (one territory name), copy to clipboard, click location on map in Wizard window (which creates a new territory and places the text cursor in the name field), paste from clipboard, click yellow cell to add new territory, repeat as necessary. My problem was that there was no keystroke equivalent to clicking the yellow cell. I prefer not to go back and forth between keyboard and mouse. If I could have pressed, say, Enter to signal that I was satisfied with the name and wanted to add the territory, I could then use Alt-Tab to return to the editor window with the territory names, selected and copied the next name via the keyboard, and then clicked with the mouse cursor (still over the map) to start another new point. The mouse would stay over the map where it belongs, and I would be even more productive.

Are you wanting to click the yellow cell for the territory you just added in order to add borders?

Yes, I can put in automatic switch to yellow on ENTER specifically on territory names.

[ender516]

Glad to know you are keeping this tool right up to date. I have just started using it in something other than a testing mode: I am doing the XML for Napoleonic Europe 1812. I have so far only added the territories: just names at locations on the small map, no borders, or neutrals, or continents, or anything. I was a little bothered by one thing. I had created a file with the name of each territory on a line by itself and had that open in a window. I got a nice rhythm going: select a line (one territory name), copy to clipboard, click location on map in Wizard window (which creates a new territory and places the text cursor in the name field), paste from clipboard, click yellow cell to add new territory, repeat as necessary. My problem was that there was no keystroke equivalent to clicking the yellow cell. I prefer not to go back and forth between keyboard and mouse. If I could have pressed, say, Enter to signal that I was satisfied with the name and wanted to add the territory, I could then use Alt-Tab to return to the editor window with the territory names, selected and copied the next name via the keyboard, and then clicked with the mouse cursor (still over the map) to start another new point. The mouse would stay over the map where it belongs, and I would be even more productive.

Are you wanting to click the yellow cell for the territory you just added in order to add borders?

Yes, I can put in automatic switch to yellow on ENTER specifically on territory names.

All I wanted to do was add all the territories in one go: no borders or anything else at that point. Then I could save the XML (and a few hours' work). Next I would add something else (like continents, perhaps) and save that, and so on. Save early and save often is my motto.
Am I right in thinking that if I click a location to create a territory, then type in the name, I have to do something (like click the yellow cell next to the name) before I can go back to the map and click to create another territory?

[chipv]

All I wanted to do was add all the territories in one go: no borders or anything else at that point. Then I could save the XML (and a few hours' work). Next I would add something else (like continents, perhaps) and save that, and so on. Save early and save often is my motto.
Am I right in thinking that if I click a location to create a territory, then type in the name, I have to do something (like click the yellow cell next to the name) before I can go back to the map and click to create another territory?

No, you can keep going.

Click to create,type name, click to create, type name...

The mouse stays where it is.

[ender516]

All I wanted to do was add all the territories in one go: no borders or anything else at that point. Then I could save the XML (and a few hours' work). Next I would add something else (like continents, perhaps) and save that, and so on. Save early and save often is my motto.
Am I right in thinking that if I click a location to create a territory, then type in the name, I have to do something (like click the yellow cell next to the name) before I can go back to the map and click to create another territory?

No, you can keep going.

Click to create,type name, click to create, type name...

The mouse stays where it is.

Okay, I thought that when I tried that, I ended up altering the location of the same territory. Trying it again now, it seems okay. Pilot error, I suppose.

Three new issues:

1. I don't like the fact that reloading code that the Wizard generated can result in errors. For example, I used the Wizard to generate this code which I saved in short.xml:
   

   Code: Select all

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<map>
<territory>
   <name>Aboukir</name>
   <coordinates>
      <smallx>548</smallx>
      <smally>500</smally>
      <largex>732</largex>
      <largey>659</largey>
   </coordinates>
</territory>
<territory>
   <name>Anatolia</name>
   <coordinates>
      <smallx>569</smallx>
      <smally>407</smally>
      <largex>760</largex>
      <largey>535</largey>
   </coordinates>
</territory>
<territory>
   <name>Andalucia</name>
   <coordinates>
      <smallx>82</smallx>
      <smally>401</smally>
      <largex>111</largex>
      <largey>527</largey>
   </coordinates>
</territory>
</map>

   
   When I loaded it back in, I got the following:
   

   Code: Select all

   Loading File short.xml ...


Error: Line 5 - Did not expect element coordinates there
Error: Line 14 - Did not expect element coordinates there
Error: Line 23 - Did not expect element coordinates there
Warning: No continents found.
Warning: Aboukir cannot be attacked.
Warning: Aboukir cannot attack.
Warning: Anatolia cannot be attacked.
Warning: Anatolia cannot attack.
Warning: Andalucia cannot be attacked.
Warning: Andalucia cannot attack.
XML Load Complete 7 warnings and 3 errors found. Click Close to close this window.

   
   The warnings are quite reasonable, but I don't like the errors. If a <borders> component is mandatory, why not generate an empty one? When I work with other code generators in RL, if I choose to save at a point where a completely valid file (i.e., one that will load without errors) cannot be created, I get a warning and I can force the issue, but usually the system will find a way of generating something that it can cope with upon reloading.
   
2. I entered a name "Baden & Berg (Ulm, October 1805)" and when I reloaded it, I got an error which basically meant it had found a naked ampersand. Would it be possible for you to escape the weird characters (less than, greater than, ampersand, apostrophe, and quotation mark)?
3. Any chance you could work things so that the images could be loaded from local files rather than a file sharing site? It could be handy to work completely on local files. (I tried using the file:// trick, but no luck.)

[natty dread]

Would it be possible for you to escape the weird characters (less than, greater than, ampersand, apostrophe, and quotation mark)?

Second this! I had to manually change all ampersands every time I edited my XML on nordic... was kinda annoying.

Also, has the postioning of the numbers been fixed yet?

[MrBenn]

If a <borders> component is mandatory, why not generate an empty one?

Empty tags are equally invalid; and technically, multiple entries with the same item (even if it's an empty <border> tag) would be referring to the same thing, which would cause more problems... Empty and absent are not the same thing

[ender516]

If a <borders> component is mandatory, why not generate an empty one?

Empty tags are equally invalid; and technically, multiple entries with the same item (even if it's an empty <border> tag) would be referring to the same thing, which would cause more problems... Empty and absent are not the same thing

If a territory has no borders, then it cannot attack, which I am warned about later, so the reporting is redundant. I presume (but cannot check right now) that the insertion of

Code: Select all

<borders>
</borders>

would satisfy the system enough that the <coordinates> element would not be unexpected. I am not suggesting the generation of anything like:

Code: Select all

<borders>
<border></border>
</borders>

which as you say would cause more problems.

[chipv]

Click to create,type name, click to create, type name...

The mouse stays where it is.

Okay, I thought that when I tried that, I ended up altering the location of the same territory. Trying it again now, it seems okay. Pilot error, I suppose.

It has always been this way

Three new issues:

1. I don't like the fact that reloading code that the Wizard generated can result in errors. For example, I used the Wizard to generate this code which I saved in short.xml:
   

   Code: Select all

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<map>
<territory>
   <name>Aboukir</name>
   <coordinates>
      <smallx>548</smallx>
      <smally>500</smally>
      <largex>732</largex>
      <largey>659</largey>
   </coordinates>
</territory>
</map>

   
   When I loaded it back in, I got the following:
   

   Code: Select all

   Loading File short.xml ...

Error: Line 5 - Did not expect element coordinates there
XML Load Complete 7 warnings and 3 errors found. Click Close to close this window.

   
   
   The warnings are quite reasonable, but I don't like the errors. If a <borders> component is mandatory, why not generate an empty one? When I work with other code generators in RL, if I choose to save at a point where a completely valid file (i.e., one that will load without errors) cannot be created, I get a warning and I can force the issue, but usually the system will find a way of generating something that it can cope with upon reloading.
   
2. I entered a name "Baden & Berg (Ulm, October 1805)" and when I reloaded it, I got an error which basically meant it had found a naked ampersand. Would it be possible for you to escape the weird characters (less than, greater than, ampersand, apostrophe, and quotation mark)?
3. Any chance you could work things so that the images could be loaded from local files rather than a file sharing site? It could be handy to work completely on local files. (I tried using the file:// trick, but no luck.)

1. This is done, an excellent spot, thanks.
2. This is invalid XML. There is no map on CC with a naked ampersand, so the XML Wizard should enforce this correction, not actually do it.
The Wizard and any XML parser will (and should) expect valid XML. If you simply load your XML with naked ampersands in any browser you will see an error. The 2 mandatory escaped characters are & and < - if these are not escaped, then the XML is invalid.
Basically if you cannot load your XML in a browser without errors, then you can expect the same from the XML Wizard.
3. I don't think I'm going to do this, purely because I do not expect the image to change several times during a session whereas I do agree that the XML is always changing which is why you can do the XML locally.

So I have done 1 for you, but unfortunately will politely reject the other 2.

Would it be possible for you to escape the weird characters (less than, greater than, ampersand, apostrophe, and quotation mark)?

Second this! I had to manually change all ampersands every time I edited my XML on nordic... was kinda annoying.

Also, has the postioning of the numbers been fixed yet?

For the ampersand please see above, I will write or ask MrB to write a piece on special characters on XML for everyone.

I am somewhat nervous about changing the positioning especially since you corrected your inital assessment, so I
am looking for a small consensus on the amount of adjustment - if we get enough people stating the same amount on the same objects then I will do it (the fix is trivial)

[natty dread]

The problem with the ampersands is, that I had ampersands correctly escaped with &amp; but when I loaded the map into wizard, then saved it again with the wizard, the wizard changed them back to plain ampersands, and I had to change them again manually. I'm not sure if this has been fixed already, but that's how it was when I worked on the nordic xml.

As for the coordinates, I was mistaken first because I thought that the normal 88:s were correct but when I checked the XML with the mapmaker tools it turned out that only the 3:s that were shown on the game test were correct, the white & red 88:s were incorrect.

[cairnswk]

chipv
loading das schloss xml into your tool brings up error message, possibly because several territories have no borders as they cannot be attacked but can be bombarded.
http://h1.ripway.com/cairnswk/das_schloss_120310.xml
can you check this out please.
it still loads the file so i can adjust the coordinates for centering, but produces that error message.
Thanks

There is also issues in this xml with (Alt+0223) ß
and ä (Alt+0228)
your program places a black diamond on the xml and then copies that as a ? into the xml code.