This is the javadoc generated code documentation for FreeCol.

Overview

The main package contains the class FreeCol which is responsible for handling the command-line arguments and starting either a stand-alone server or a client-GUI.

The rest of the program has been divided into three separate packages: client, common and server.

You might have noticed a fourth package named metaserver, but this is a separate program. The metaserver is running on meta.freecol.org:3540 in order to maintain a central list of public servers.

Client/server-architecture

We use a client/server-architecture. That is: a group of clients connects to the server in order to play a game. We are also using this approach even when a singleplayer game has been chosen (then there is only one client connected to the server).

The client and the server are really two different programs, even though it is possible to start the server from the client GUI, and all interaction between the client and the server, after the creation of the server, should be done by communicating through the network.

Both the clients and the server has a game model, but only the server has the complete game model containing all the information. The client model only contains the information being visible to the player using the client.

One important point here is: You will need to update all the clients' models as well as the server model if you want perform an action (like building a colony, moving a unit etc).

Read more at: Overview of the client/server-architecture

The game model

The common package contains everything being shared between the client and the server. One of these things is the game model which is best described as being a model of the imaginary world we are creating.

The model should only contain the information needed to model the imaginary world. That is; it should not contain information on how the map should be displayed etc.

Packages

Package	Description
net.sf.freecol	FreeCol
net.sf.freecol.client	FreeCol Client Package
net.sf.freecol.client.control	FreeCol Client Control package
net.sf.freecol.client.gui	FreeCol Client GUI package
net.sf.freecol.client.gui.action	Contains the Actions used by the GUI in menus and other places.
net.sf.freecol.client.gui.animation	Contains the FreeCol unit amimation classes.
net.sf.freecol.client.gui.dialog	Contains the dialog-specific displays
net.sf.freecol.client.gui.images
net.sf.freecol.client.gui.label	Contains the Label-specific displays
net.sf.freecol.client.gui.mapviewer
net.sf.freecol.client.gui.menu	Contains the FreeCol menu classes.
net.sf.freecol.client.gui.option	Contains user interface classes for visualizing options.
net.sf.freecol.client.gui.panel	Contains the panel classes deriving from MigPanel or FreeColPanel
net.sf.freecol.client.gui.panel.colopedia	Contains the Colopedia-specific panels
net.sf.freecol.client.gui.panel.report	Contains the FreeCol Report-specific panels
net.sf.freecol.client.gui.plaf	Contains the user interface objects for the "FreeCol Look and Feel".
net.sf.freecol.client.gui.tooltip	Contains the JToolTip-specific displays
net.sf.freecol.client.gui.video	Support for playing video.
net.sf.freecol.client.networking	Contains the client networking classes.
net.sf.freecol.common	FreeCol Common package
net.sf.freecol.common.debug	Contains the FreeCol debugging classes.
net.sf.freecol.common.i18n	FreeCol Internationalisation package
net.sf.freecol.common.io	Classes for reading and writing FreeCol data files.
net.sf.freecol.common.io.sza	Support for reading an animation made from images stored in a .zip file.
net.sf.freecol.common.logging	FreeCol Common Logging package
net.sf.freecol.common.metaserver	Contains the common networking classes.
net.sf.freecol.common.model	FreeCol Game Model package
net.sf.freecol.common.model.mission	Contains the FreeCol Unit goal classes.
net.sf.freecol.common.model.pathfinding	Classes used when making searches on the map.
net.sf.freecol.common.networking	Contains the common networking classes.
net.sf.freecol.common.option	Contains classes for describing, and saving the state of, a game option.
net.sf.freecol.common.resources	Classes for handling resources.
net.sf.freecol.common.sound	FreeCol Sound and Music package
net.sf.freecol.common.util	Contains the FreeCol Collection of small static helpers.
net.sf.freecol.metaserver	FreeCol Meta server
net.sf.freecol.server	The main package of the server package tree.
net.sf.freecol.server.ai	FreeCol Artifical Intelligence
net.sf.freecol.server.ai.mission	Contains the FreeCol Artifical Intelligence AIUnit mission clases.
net.sf.freecol.server.control	Contains the classes responsible for the control of the game.
net.sf.freecol.server.generator	Contains the map generator.
net.sf.freecol.server.model	Contains model classes with server specific information.
net.sf.freecol.server.networking	Contains the server networking classes.
net.sf.freecol.tools	Contains tools directly related to FreeCol.