WB-engine authors please note!

[Michel]

Ok, can you then write out the specification of the protocol?

[hgm]

I have not add the formal desciption of the protocol yet. But it is basically just a one-to-one translation of UCI protocol, leaving out the redundant keywords (upper line UCI, lower line corresponding WB command):

Engine -> GUI:

option name NAME type button
feature option="NAME -button"

option name NAME type check value true
feature option="NAME -check 1"

option name NAME type string value TEXT
feature option="NAME -string TEXT"

option name NAME type spin value N1 min N2 max N3
feature option="NAME -spin N1 N2 N3"

option name NAME type combo value TEXT2 var TEXT1 var TEXT2 var TEXT3
feature option="NAME -combo TEXT1 /// *TEXT2 /// TEXT3"

GUI->engine:

setoption name NAME value VALUE
option NAME VALUE

[Michel]

Why not formally specifying it?

I don't think a post in a forum has enough authority to convince people to implement it.

[Michel]

setoption name NAME value VALUE
option NAME VALUE

Can the engine be assumed to be idle when these commands are sent?

[Michel]

What to with options for which there is no default (this happens often with NalimovPath)?

EDIT: Actually on retrospect I am not sure if this happens. It seems Rybka and
Bikjump set the default for NalimovPath to <empty>.

Maybe having no default is illegal?

[Michel]

option NAME VALUE

This is defective.

Both NAME and VALUE may contain spaces.

[Michel]

b16 sends the options commands.

It doesn't do anything with the options since this has not been clearly specified.

http://alpha.uhasselt.be/Research/Algeb ... ot-release

[Michel]

option NAME VALUE

I would propose

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option NAME -value VALUE

This is most pleasant to implement.

[Michel]

Ok here is a new version of b16

http://alpha.uhasselt.be/Research/Algeb ... t-release/

I didn't bump the version number since this is not automated yet in my build scripts
(I have to change it in 5 places).

I have implemented the option setting command as

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option name -value value

It can be sent at any time. If it is send during a search, PG will stop the search and restart it.

[Michel]

Ok a new version of b16. It is now possible to do

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polyglot -ec <engine command>

Then PG will run without a config file. Great for testing!