I’ve been an avid player of EVE Online for a number of years now, and have finally gotten started on something that I’ve wanted to do for quite a while: develop (as far as possible) a Total Information Awareness application. This app would initially be focused on supporting and advising a care bear industry corporation so that it can make as much ISK as humanely possible.
To this end I’ve started up a site called www.morninglightmountain.com where I’m releasing bits and pieces as they become useful, under the name Capital Intelligence. My initial focus was a system that looked something like:
With a SQL Server central repository DB comprising the static data dump + updates from the EVE and EVE Central APIs. A WPF client app then runs on the desktop, directly accessing the data in the repository.
The problems with this architecture are :
- Access to the repository from outside it’s network requires exposing the DB.
- Access to the data is only available from a rather fat WPF client.
Whilst the appeal of building a rather spanky WPF to graphically “show off” was very tempting it made more sense to adopt a system that looked more like:
Where access to the central repository is through a dedicated web application. In addition to increasing the exposure of the system without exposing the DB, it also opens access up to a number of additional platforms (netbook, mobiles, etc.)
Progress, thus far, has been steady (if a little slower than I’d like) and has resulted in a system that gives me access to the state of my corporate wallets as well as my market orders. Currently I’m working on tracking industry jobs (R+D and manufacturing), although the API can be a little “unsupportive” around this data. Any technical commentary will probably get cross-posted from www.morninglightmountain.com to here.