>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> would it be considered efficient to merge all the helpfile entries into one big helpfile, rather than having them all over the place? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Efficient?? More like a big old resource hog. Think about it this way. If your entire mob/object/room database were dumped into 1 file, 1 place, how "efficient" would it be? Not very. The same goes for helpfiles. Yeah, keeping 'em all in the same FILE (help.are, or whate'r) is a good thing, but if your users go to search from a helpfile that contains everything, consider the memory usage and processor usage just in trying to find that single helpfile. The smaller the better.. Not to mention saving said single helpfile, or editing it online.. EGADS!! Again, talk about one huge resource hog. A lesson in life: If it aint broke, don't fix it == The way the helfpiles are currently handled in rom certainly is NOT broke. Maybe logging missing helpfile requests could be added, but other than that, don't touch it, unless you're highly trained and know exactly what you're doing. Remember (and most DO forget this): Unless YOU specifically run your own server dedicated to your mud, and whatnot, you DO have to consider other things besides your own mud. There's other resources on the machine you're running on, other muds, etc. Every bit of resource you take takes away from someone else.. Another thing: If you don't know what you're doing, don't touch it. No offense meant, but, hey, if you out and blindly implemented this, doing this, without knowing what you're doing, you run the risk of spiking the load on your server, each time a helpfile's requested, each time the helpfile's LOADED, SAVED, or anything. ------------------------------------------- TJW: Head tech, Dreamless Realms Mud Personal: http://twhiting.kyndig.com Mud: http://drealms.kyndig.com Snippets http://drealms.kyndig.com/snippets Telnet telnet://drealms.kyndig.com:9275 The OLC2 Pages http://olc.kyndig.com -------------------------------------------
