"Card-pictures.txt" file really needed?

[Orpheu]

What's the point of having the file "cards-pictures.txt"? Is there anyspecial reason for having the file card-pictures.txt?

If there isn't, I would like to propose that when we press the option download card pictures we just create on the fly the url http://mi.wizards.com/global/images/magic/general/[card name].jpg. In this way we don't have to mantain this file anymore, and therefore saving us alot of update time and possible forgotten updates do the file.

What do you guys think of this?

[GandoTheBard]

Two points. 1..this removes the option to download from other sources. 2..if the url changes and it will knowing Wizards you need to rehard code it. Hence the reason for card-pictures.txt. I understand that there is an urge to simply but in this case it is misplaced imho.

[Orpheu]

Two points. 1..this removes the option to download from other sources. 2..if the url changes and it will knowing Wizards you need to rehard code it. Hence the reason for card-pictures.txt. I understand that there is an urge to simply but in this case it is misplaced imho.

If the url changes, you will need to rewrite the all Card-pictures.txt file. This option it's not worst than write a line code on some class file?

[GandoTheBard]

I think you missed the entire point of the file. If a NONPROGRAMMER wants to change the url manually (perhaps because it has changed on wizards' site, they can easily do so with the card-pictures.txt. Plain Text is something anyone can change. However the same thing is not true if you hard code the url and compile it. Then only those who can and want to recompile the source can change it. This is extremely undesirable behavior.

[Orpheu]

So if i'm allowed I would like to propose the following change. Why don't we add a sort of a if that check if a card url is not specified in card.txt file, the program will download the file picture from the default url?

This way it can still be changed from nonprogrammer user, the updates are more bug free, and the Card-pictures.txt will be drastically reduced, no? Or the point of using this file is also to prevent from downloading all the card pictures but only the wanted by the user? If that's the case Card-pictures.txt should be empty by default, no?

[Rob Cashwalker]

the mi.wizards.com/global/images/magic/general URL is where wizards puts images to be shown in articles. It may or may not include every card, and we have no idea if it does. The gatherer location isn't terribly likely to change, and offers us the ability to artistically edit the look of cards used in the program.

I'm about to release a card set editor, which will allow you to paste the URL of your choice for each image. I guess I'll also include an option for you to specify the search URL of your choice.

[GandoTheBard]

Ah its going to be able to edit the card-pictures.txt file or will it just have its own protocal for downloading/saving the images? (Btw I cant wait for the client)

[mtgrares]

card-pictures.txt isn't really needed but it was the simplest way to download the card pictures. The URL could be generated on the fly from the card name but I didn't know exactly how to do that at the time (not that I really know how to do that know).