Bug - Not A Bug visit_url() not actually visiting url

me259259

Member
Edit: I forgot that I am running Java 7. Please disregard this post. I am downgrading back to Java 6.

I wrote a script that automates all of my non-challenge-path ascensions, but it hasn't been working for a few weeks. Functions that were working perfectly fine before are no longer working. After some time, I began to suspect that visit_url() was malfunctioning somehow. Long story short, visit_url() was not visiting the urls most of the time.

Right now I use visit_url() for a lot of random stuff. I use it to visit the guild to automatically pick up the nemesis quest when the time comes. I use it to navigate through the hidden temple (I wrote that part of the script before mafia started handling the updates to that area). I also use it to look at the quest log from time to time. The point is that it isn't visiting any of those pages. I checked the urls to make sure that they didn't change while I wasn't looking... but that wasn't the problem. I can tell that visit_url() wasn't hitting the server, because once I visit the quest log manually, then the script works. When I visit the guild manually, I get the text that you only see the first time you talk to them.

I didn't say anything because I assumed that I wasn't the only one this was happening to, and a problem like this is usually solved pretty quickly. Has anyone else been having problems visiting urls with visit_url?
 
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Catch-22

Active member
I guess just as a note, I've been running Java 7 since the beta and I do not experience this behaviour. *shrug*
 

roippi

Developer
Java is technically a cross-platform environment, but the bugs therein may not be cross-platform themselves. I have a feeling that's what's been going on with a lot of the Java 7 funkiness.

Ultimately we would like to make mafia more java 7 friendly now that Oracle is forcing it on casual users, but so far efforts to track down bugs like these haven't exactly been fruitful. Regardless, if someone comes up with a workaround for a java 7 bug that does not adversely impact the functional versions of the JRE, I'd be fine with including it in the codebase.
 

Catch-22

Active member
Oracle regarding older versions of JRE/JDK.

Oracle said:
They are not updated with the latest security patches and are not recommended for use in production.

For production use Oracle recommends downloading the latest JDK and JRE versions and allowing auto-update.

Regardless, if someone comes up with a workaround for a java 7 bug that does not adversely impact the functional versions of the JRE, I'd be fine with including it in the codebase.

Given that many of the devs are not yet using Java 7, and as a user of Java 7 myself, I'd be happy to work through any issues that are cropping up for people in Java 7 (which is to say, issues that occur in Java 7 relating to features supported in 1.5).
 
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fronobulax

Developer
Staff member
Given that many of the devs are not yet using Java 7

As noted in several other threads including the Java 7 sticky, there are two factors at work and Oracle's FUD about support and security are irrelevant.

The first factor is that one or more mafia devs are committed to Apple hardware and OSs that cannot be upgraded to Java 7. That means that either the devs need to upgrade their environments; Oracle needs to support legacy Apple hardware; or mafia remains targeted at a JRE that is supported on legacy Apple equipment.

The second factor is that it is bad practice to change mafia source because of bugs in Java 7. The better practice is to wait for Java 7 to be fixed.

Thus, if there is something with mafia that does not work in Java 7, is not the result of a Java 7 bug and does not break functionality under 1.5 then it is likely to dealt with.

IMO. YMMV.
 

Catch-22

Active member
I'm not talking about bugs in Java 7, I'm talking about bugs in mafia that do not occur when using earlier versions of the JRE. When you say it's likely to be dealt with, if it's not something that the devs can reproduce on their systems, it's not likely to be dealt with (*waves hand* "downgrade to Java 6", problem dealt with). I'm using Java 7 and if something breaks under Java 7 that can be fixed whilst maintaining 1.5 compatibility, I'm more than happy to take a look at it.

Also, there's no "FUD" coming from Oracle, Java 6 becomes EOL Feb 2013, that means no more public updates/security fixes will be released after that date. That's only 6 months away, for those playing at home.
 
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