Want to see something really ugly?

[Cayle]

Using VBA to generate python code from Excel sheets makes for some disgusting spaghetti...

Code: Select all

    spellBookTemplateLibraryHeaderList(1,1) = "def createSpellBookInInventory(templateID, ownerKey):" & vbCrLf & "    returnKey = None" & vbCrLf
	spellBookTemplateLibraryHeaderList(1,2) = "    try:"
	spellBookTemplateLibraryHeaderList(1,2) = spellBookTemplateLibraryHeaderList(1,2) & vbCrLf & "        owner = ownerKey.get()"
	spellBookTemplateLibraryHeaderList(1,2) = spellBookTemplateLibraryHeaderList(1,2) & vbCrLf & "        owner.inventory.contents.append(newEntity.key)"
	spellBookTemplateLibraryHeaderList(1,2) = spellBookTemplateLibraryHeaderList(1,2) & vbCrLf & "        newEntity.onAcquireItem()" 'The item fires its onAquire event
	spellBookTemplateLibraryHeaderList(1,2) = spellBookTemplateLibraryHeaderList(1,2) & vbCrLf & "        owner.onAcquireItem()"     'The new owner fires its onAquire event
	spellBookTemplateLibraryHeaderList(1,2) = spellBookTemplateLibraryHeaderList(1,2) & vbCrLf & "    except AttributeError:"    
	spellBookTemplateLibraryHeaderList(1,2) = spellBookTemplateLibraryHeaderList(1,2) & vbCrLf & "        raise Exceptions.NoSuchEntityError('There is no datastore entity associated with key' %ownerKey)" & vbCrLf 
    spellBookTemplateLibraryHeaderList(2,1) = "def createSpellBookAtLocation(templateID, locLatitude, locLongitude):" & vbCrLf & "    returnKey = None" & vbCrLf
    spellBookTemplateLibraryHeaderList(2,1) = spellBookTemplateLibraryHeaderList(2,1) & "    if locLongitude is None:" & vbCrLf
    spellBookTemplateLibraryHeaderList(2,1) = spellBookTemplateLibraryHeaderList(2,1) & "        raise Exceptions.LocationlessEntity('SpellBook %s requires a longitude when being created' %templateID)" & vbCrLf
    spellBookTemplateLibraryHeaderList(2,1) = spellBookTemplateLibraryHeaderList(2,1) & "    if locLatitude is None:" & vbCrLf
    spellBookTemplateLibraryHeaderList(2,1) = spellBookTemplateLibraryHeaderList(2,1) & "        raise Exceptions.LocationlessEntity('SpellBook %s requires a latitude when being created' %templateID)" & vbCrLf
	spellBookTemplateLibraryHeaderList(2,3) = ", locLatitude=locLatitude, locLongitude=locLongitude"

And yeah, I've got some long variable names. I like them to be self descriptive, so that I understand what they mean when I go back and look at them a year or two later.

[Jackolantern]

Wow, VBA generating Python? haha

[Cayle]

Yeah, I'll post a demo video of the content editor for Magicus Occultus in a couple of weeks. It uses something like 60 excel sheets and 3-4k lines of VBA to generate some of the python modules. I'm finishing up removing some nastiness and making sure everything works. When I've got valid exports again (they've been broken since I switched from DB to NDB), I'll wrap everything up into a nice little VSTO app.

Using VBA is like going on an archaeological dig. It really feels like an archaic language; especially when compared to a duck typed, multiple inheritance language like python. It even makes a distinction between subroutines and functions!!!

[hallsofvallhalla]

wow now this is interesting. Python and VB sleeping together. Wonder what kind of baby this produces?