[vworld-tech] Modern MUD server design

[Ben Garney]

Brian Hook wrote:

>For a general application extension language, I think JS makes more 
>sense than just about anything else simply because there are way moer 
>people that know/understand JS than, say, Lua or even Python.
>  
>
I actually wrote the kernel of a mud using the Mozilla JS engine. It had 
multiple "rings" of  execution, taking a cue from x86 architecture, and 
integrated, as I recall, the loop protection and such. Of course, I was 
picky and wanted to make it break on ANY instruction when it hit its 
limit... In retrospect I think I would have been fine with on-branch 
checking. :)

But it was a real breeze to write the driver code in JS. I had "dummy 
processes" that would get spawned per connection and talk to the core 
mud code, written mostly in JS running under my kernel, so it was easy 
to send data hither and thither. Perhaps not the most efficient 
architecture, but definitely good for experimentation. I used IPC for 
talking to the dummies - I guess in theory that would even let you 
reboot the mud kernel without disturbing active connections.

If you feel a burning curiosity, I fear Sourceforge is still hosting the 
source somewhere... Bear in mind the project never made it past 0.3 or 
so. :)

Ben Garney