[Bug-gnubg] Extending MatchID's and software compatibility - My Findings

[Michael Petch]

Hi All,

Here are my findings. If you go back to .143 you can not paste extended
GNUBGID's into the old Position and MatchID boxes above the table
because there was a limit on the number of characters allowed for a
matchID (in the GUI), however if you use the "set matchid" command
directly it doesn't mind the extra bits and will process them and ignore
the ones it doesn't know about.

In .15, .143, and milestone .90  act about the same. Can't paste
extended MatchID into the GUI boxes because of length, but can use the
"Set MatchID" command without problems. Copying and pasting ID's in
these releases were tedious. I'm not sure if we a hurting much there.

In later .90 releases where the Match/Position ID boxes were removed
pasting Extended ID's is not a problem. There appears to be is no
limitation imposed since the GUI text entry boxes were deprecated.

Now with software not written by us, extended bits cause problems and
are considered invalid by both XG and BGBlitz. I don't see this as a
substantial issue. We could ask the authors to update their software
with support for our new ID. I hardly think this would be a large effort
for anyone.

My opinion, I think there are more potential future benefits by
extending our ID, put version bits in, and add new data.

-- 
Michael Petch
CApp::Sysware Consulting Ltd.
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