set up fixed depth for winboard engines?

[hgm]

Maybe the users want to decide which features they like and which they don't like

They could do that if the would also would do the programming...

How many requests for that same feature do you need to change your mind?

Playing fixed-depth games may be less relevant for strong engines, especially those making heavy use of extensions/reductions/pruning. But the world has much more weak engines than strong ones, and it may be an interesting feature for several engine authors even if you don't believe it.

Engine authors can be expected to master the use of command-line options. Menus target the ignorant average user that cannot even read manuals.

As I pointed out this is already possible today when combining "sd N" with some artifical "level 1 333333 0" setting, or similar. So you would not add new functionality but just a little bit more convenience for users if you would define an explicit "infinite" time limit setting and a way to set up this sd+level combination by GUI and/or command line switch. I see no point in not making something more comfortable which is already possible.

I don't see how level 1 INFINITE 0 would be anymore confortable than level 1 999999 0. The former has more keystrokes, they are all different, and, worst of all, you have to know exactly what it is (e.g. not INFINITY or FOREVER but INFINITE). The meaning of 99999 is also clear to those that cannot read manuals.

[jwes]

Maybe the users want to decide which features they like and which they don't like

They could do that if the would also would do the programming...

How many requests for that same feature do you need to change your mind?

Playing fixed-depth games may be less relevant for strong engines, especially those making heavy use of extensions/reductions/pruning. But the world has much more weak engines than strong ones, and it may be an interesting feature for several engine authors even if you don't believe it.

Engine authors can be expected to master the use of command-line options. Menus target the ignorant average user that cannot even read manuals.

As I pointed out this is already possible today when combining "sd N" with some artifical "level 1 333333 0" setting, or similar. So you would not add new functionality but just a little bit more convenience for users if you would define an explicit "infinite" time limit setting and a way to set up this sd+level combination by GUI and/or command line switch. I see no point in not making something more comfortable which is already possible.

I don't see how level 1 INFINITE 0 would be anymore confortable than level 1 999999 0. The former has more keystrokes, they are all different, and, worst of all, you have to know exactly what it is (e.g. not INFINITY or FOREVER but INFINITE). The meaning of 99999 is also clear to those that cannot read manuals.

If I am running a fixed depth test of positions, I often want a time limit so that one position will not take up all the time I have for the tests. I will set the time limit such that 99+% of all positions will finish that depth in that time.