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[Fenrir]

Serkib (dwarvish for "random") is a small program I'm developing for the generation of random words. The random words can be used for the naming of custom DF creatures and civilizations, characters in a story, or whatever else for which you can't think of a name.

Development Goals:

version 1.0
• updated word components
• a better interface
• ability to write words to an output file

version 1.1
• word size ranges

version 1.2
• input file selection

version 1.3
• better interface
• cleaner, more efficient code
• more code comments

version 1.4
• multiple file input

version 1.5
• file weight

version 2.0
• seeded word translation

Many thanks to Armok for a better default word components and his helpful suggestions.

DOWNLOAD CURRENT VERSION (1.2)
Now the source code is in it's own file, and it has a wee bit of commenting.

Version 1.1 was made infinitely easier by Armok's code.

[ February 11, 2008: Message edited by: Fenrir ]

[Armok]

Is this what I think it is...
AN INFINITE INSPIRATION GENERATOR!
DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU JUST MADE?  

this can be used to generate more than names, it might be simple but if used right it can be VERY usefull.

The wordparts file that comes whit it is quite lousy however, heres another one that generates random a bit holywoody names:

code:

 kla
olo
tri
dete
del
la
ion
mat
hyper
watt
ci
bla
mu
ori
para
tele
digi
ultra
sla
tu
pow
qua
vub
ter
pu
nah
jih 

This generates good names about 50% of the time.

This is actually worth improving on, first I would suggest a quick button for generating a new word the same length whit one buttonpress (so that you can spam names as fast as you read them until you find one that is good), also I would suggest a few spaces so the names can be read quicker and don't mix whit the instruction text.  

Whit a bit of work this might be any creative process best friend, you just need to know how to use it!

[Fenrir]

Many thanks, Armok. Yes, the wordparts file was quite horrible, but I didn't know what to put in there. I'll be sure to use your's from now on.

Well now that I know that this is wothwhile, I'll get to improving it.

[Reign on your Parade]

Thank you armok. I'm going to have the word "Slapow" stuck in my head for the rest of my life.

[Kagus]

*SLAP* Ow!

[Reign on your Parade]

No it's "sluh-POW!

[Armok]

Ok, I improved the WP file by removing some of the silly things and adding a few new lines for diversity:

code:

kla
olo
tri
del
la
ion
mat
ci
bla
mu
ori
sla
tu
pow
qua
vub
ter
pu
nah
jih
pli
kca
lip
nih
wog 

However, more importantly I am going to sugest im more deitail how to go nwhit this.

Those features I actually don't think are very important and might actually only make the program less elegant, I have instead a few suggestions of what I think would improve this. (and I am probably 90% of the user base, including you... could I have the source code?)
Keep to cout and cin for interface for simplexity and weight wile useful sometimes would make files a lot less (in lack of a better word) beautiful.

1)You need to be able to have it write results into files, and in bulk.

2)You need to be able to read from files by name; it is very annoying to change name to have the current used one named wordparts all the time.
2.1) A very convenient way to do this would be to only have to write the first letters and it automatically finds a file beginning like that, so if you had no other files beginning whit W in the directory you could just write 'W' instead of 'wordparts.txt'.
2.2) *minor* you could also have it use more than on file at the same time, just have it add the content.

3) MAJOR NEEDED! translation: use a string as a seed, so that each word results in a specific other word, resulting in translation to a randomly generated language whit words for everything. I m not explaining this very well.
3.1) it reseeds for every word, is not case sensitive (3.1.1; possibly taking the case from the seed word, either first letter, all, or none in caps), ignores special tokens, and so on making it possible to type in an entire sentence or even larger piece of text and getting it translated.
3.2) make it possible to do it all whit files, one "language" file (like wordparts, possibly +seed), one input file to be translated, and one output file were it puts the translated text.

4) while you shuld not make a GUI you could afford to give the interface some thought, one question per command please, and the ability to as stated make that command bulk or about entire files.

Thats all I can think of for now, there are loads more that could be done whit this.

[Fenrir]

Version 1.0 has been released. Hey, wadda ya know? This is my first ever official release of anything, primitive though it may be.

[ February 07, 2008: Message edited by: Fenrir ]

[Armok]

Thanks for listening to my suggestions, the new UI is PERFECT! don't change it ever (but still of course ad NEW options in the same style for new fetures)!

I messed around whit the code to figure out how it works and conclude you are a much better programmer than me.
I actually did succeed to do a very important and necessary, if not hard to code, improvement however:

code:

 
Added variables:
  
    int minnumparts; // by Armok
    int maxnumparts; // by Armok
   
replaced
    do
    {
        cout << "Word Size: ";
        cin >> numparts;
        if(numparts <= 0)
        {
            cout << numparts << "? What the hell? Let's try that again.\n";
        }
    } while (numparts <= 0);
whit
    do
    {
        cout << "Minimum word Size: ";
        cin >> minnumparts;
        if(minnumparts <= 0)
        {
            cout << minnumparts << "? What the hell? Let's try that again.\n";
        }
    } while (minnumparts <= 0);
    
    do
    {
        cout << "Maximum word Size: ";
        cin >> maxnumparts;
        if(maxnumparts <= 0)
        {
            cout << maxnumparts << "? What the hell? Let's try that again.\n";
        }
    } while (maxnumparts <= 0);
And most importnantly added:
        ...word.erase();
        
        numparts = (rand() % (maxnumparts-minnumparts))+minnumparts; // by Armok
        
        for(partsleft = numparts; partsleft > 0; partsleft--)...
 

I am horrible at this.

otherwise it looks good whit the development, even if you don't seem to realize all that can be done whit this. It can be used for far more than making up pretty/silly names if handled whit skill, whit all improvements that increases exponentially.
This might generate almost anything, if used together whit and adapted to the STTP (STereoTyPe code) system I use to for example realize chars for my sims(Stories are the closest approximation I think if you don't have sim ability).

[Sean Mirrsen]

This program needs the source list (the wordparts) consisting of a pile of 1-2-3-4-letter gibberish. With the ability to create a few thousands of weird-sounding words in a blink, the actual sensibility of the words is less relevant. You can always fish out what you need from the pile later.

[Fenrir]

quote:Originally posted by Sean Mirrsen:
<STRONG>This program needs the source list (the wordparts) consisting of a pile of 1-2-3-4-letter gibberish. With the ability to create a few thousands of weird-sounding words in a blink, the actual sensibility of the words is less relevant. You can always fish out what you need from the pile later.</STRONG>

I'm not sure I follow. Version 1.0 comes with word components that I stole from Armok, which are gibberish.

[ February 08, 2008: Message edited by: Fenrir ]

[Dreamer]

I'm going to have to remember this if I ever get writer's block...

[Armok]

A few things about my contributions:
Minimum and maximum looks better than min and max, also I thing it was easier to read the code when all variables were on separate lines, especially as you refuse to comment your code.
Also there is a reason I removed hyper, watt etc: they made the generated words worse and didn't contribute anything.
Once you make it simpler to use different files (v1.2, tomorrow I suppose?) I will make a few for various occasions.

And/Or I could just post the ones I have:

code:

"Kobold": 
kla
olo
tri
del
la
ion
mat
ci
bla
mu
ori
sla
tu
pow
qua
vub
ter
pu
nah
jih
pli
kca
lip
nih
wog
"Fish":
kca
zht
fss
pah
sz
jyh
ih
dhz
sha
lmn
ohr
biz
zip
slah
k'ks
lah
bsz
nah
wsh
ph
"Wolf":
grh
hr
ulv
rhf
pf
oouh
urg
ah
arg
wrh
ck
ehr
gh
rir
kan
ryr
rir
ehl
olo
qua

These are probably the best wordparts around, if you are going to actually use this you are best of whit one of these three sets.

Once you reach v2.0... we will see...

[Sean Mirrsen]

The point is, there's NOT ENOUGH gibberish.  

I use a list like, uh, this:

quote:kla
olo
tri
del
la
ion
mat
bla
a
mu
ori
sla
b
tu
pow
c
qua
vub
ter
pu
d
nah
jih
pli
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o
p
q
r
s
t
u
v
w
x
y
z
kca
lip
nih
wog
dete
hyper
watt
para
tele
digi
ultra
ohm
sun
muk
wat
foi
gra
tsu
jig
kat
loi
ka
nik
trist
foo
ban
baur
grab
ani
ati
ito
ohmi
tio
rigo
poil
per
ae
ferr
g'h
osa
fow
ba
ss
pog
ab
na
od
lf
we
gy
io
pal
la
as
k'a
j'r
k'l
s'c
i'o
b'a
n'd
f'r
on
off
iw
wii
oi
jo
ju
glo
ow
bno
ai
hu
re
taa
not
ped
olk
aa
oo
pu
ug
fee
ata
imo
aji
lot
mak
tai
tax
ixa
xan
oxe
lox
nap
nir
nit
new
mur
mie
opli
pilo
sugh
mon
pod
der
it
tis
nii
poo
goo
woo
ree
oss
appa

tyu
ois
gio
asi
sao
agu
api
ty
uy
vs
bg
def
er
jy
ui
as
hu
ae
ki
dr
t
oih
dft
tloh
cf

See the difference?   And I plan to expand it when I feel inspired.  :p

[Armok]

Ok, that wordparts file is actually pretty good, but there is really no theme, while it can be useful for some things shorter and simpler files are generally more useful most of the time.