MantisBT - Zandronum
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0003093Zandronum[All Projects] Bugpublic2017-04-25 11:152017-04-29 17:43
Korshun 
 
normalminoralways
newopen 
MicrosoftWindowsXP/Vista/7
 
 
0003093: Some ASCII characters are invisible in chat
The following characters are invisible in chat:

`~|{}

But they can be typed and sent and will look like empty chat messages.
No tags attached.
Issue History
2017-04-25 11:15KorshunNew Issue
2017-04-25 14:29DrinkyBirdNote Added: 0017320
2017-04-25 23:28ibm5155Note Added: 0017330
2017-04-26 10:38KorshunNote Added: 0017341
2017-04-26 23:59KaminskyNote Added: 0017351
2017-04-27 14:55KorshunNote Added: 0017365
2017-04-27 15:00KorshunNote Edited: 0017365bug_revision_view_page.php?bugnote_id=17365#r10427
2017-04-27 15:05KorshunNote Edited: 0017365bug_revision_view_page.php?bugnote_id=17365#r10428
2017-04-27 15:08KorshunNote Added: 0017366
2017-04-27 16:23FusedNote Added: 0017367
2017-04-29 17:43KorshunNote Edited: 0017366bug_revision_view_page.php?bugnote_id=17366#r10461

Notes
(0017320)
DrinkyBird   
2017-04-25 14:29   
This because the font does not support those characters. I'm pretty sure Zandronum can do nothing about this.
(0017330)
ibm5155   
2017-04-25 23:28   
in the { } case it could replace it by ( )
(0017341)
Korshun   
2017-04-26 10:38   
It could provide the missing letters in zandronum.pk3, just like pistol sprite and BIGFONT.

Or it could at least not allow to type letters which are missing from SMALLFONT. Right now, players can spam chat messages that look completely empty, but actually use the characters above, while messages consisting only of spaces cannot be sent.
(0017351)
Kaminsky   
2017-04-26 23:59   
I think it would be best to just leave the missing fonts as they currently are. I know that WhoDunIt uses the '`' character for (almost) all the obituaries so they appear invisible in chat, as there's no image lump for that particular character. There might be other mods that use the same trick, so adding support for those characters could potentially alter messages that certain mods had intended to appear invisible.

Also, this issue would probably concern (G)ZDoom more than it concerns Zandronum because all those ports use the same font with the same missing characters.
(0017365)
Korshun   
2017-04-27 14:55   
(edited on: 2017-04-27 15:05)
WDI does this in DEHACKED:

[STRINGS]

OB_FRIENDLY1 = `
OB_FRIENDLY2 = `
OB_FRIENDLY3 = `
OB_FRIENDLY4 = `

OB_SUICIDE = `
OB_DEFAULT = `
OB_FALLING = `

And this results in an empty line in chat log (that uses SMALLFONT) and a ` in console.

Instead, it could have done this in LANGUAGE:

[enu default]
OB_FRIENDLY1 = "";
OB_FRIENDLY2 = "";
OB_FRIENDLY3 = "";
OB_FRIENDLY4 = "";

OB_SUICIDE = "";
OB_DEFAULT = "";
OB_FALLING = "";

and it would result in the same empty line in chat log but no ` in console.

Requested a feature to do it without hacks:'https://zandronum.com/tracker/view.php?id=3096 [^]'

(0017366)
Korshun   
2017-04-27 15:08   
(edited on: 2017-04-29 17:43)
So here are the options:

1. Leave it as it is.
2. Disallow typing characters in chat that are not present in SMALLFONT.
3. Add new characters and fix mods.
4. Add new characters and treat obituaries consisting of only `~|{} as disabled.
5. Add new characters and treat DEHACKED obituaries consisting of only `~|{} as disabled.

(0017367)
Fused   
2017-04-27 16:23   
Quote

I think it would be best to just leave the missing fonts as they currently are. I know that WhoDunIt uses the '`' character for (almost) all the obituaries so they appear invisible in chat, as there's no image lump for that particular character. There might be other mods that use the same trick, so adding support for those characters could potentially alter messages that certain mods had intended to appear invisible.

This is unintended behaviour, and it shouln't be a reason for a feature to not pass. The best thing that can be done for this is to have a feature to disable obituaries, as seen in the ticket linked above. It shouln't be hard to patch WDI and similar mods afterwards.