What is the difference between hack fix and proper fix?

[Lugia0529]

I have been around this forum for this few days and I found that some patch fix is rejected due to ugly hack fix.

What i want to ask is, what is the difference between hack fix and proper fix? Is that a proper fix use the data provided from a dbc file or something else related to game original data to solve problem, and a hack fix use a hard code method to solve problem?

My english is very bad, hope someone can understand what i want to ask.

[Patman128]

A hack fix uses a more complex or more specific way to solve something than a more generic way. For example, using a function to spawn a GO instead of a spell that does the same thing is a hack fix. Things that can be fixed in the database instead of in code are generally hack fixes.

[VladimirMangos]

In short:

hack fix is attempt fix specific single case in game working with ignore how related generic code work expected.

proper fix: look how work similar case, attempt find generic sollution for all its, use same shared code and attempt

look in future for avoid created by change problems in other code places.

Proper fix in most cases not req. "fix"/overwrite data send by client or stored in DBC. It also often let see better how game must work in some other related case so improve code in cases not directly affected by fix.

Ofc, exist cases when client/dbc provide wrong data by result original author typos for example. Or just unclear how some part must work in details. So fixes mostly something between hacl/proper fix in its extreme definitions. But we must attempt has been more near to proper side when write fixes how possible... ^^

[darkstalker]

by looking at the content of dbc's retail server must be full of hacks

[Lugia0529]

So does mangos never accept any patch attempt to use hack fix to fix some problem? Or there may be some exception? Due to some hack fix maybe the most proper way to solve the problem.

[Schmoozerd]

never clearly not.

And also there applies no general rule for such questions.

What mangos nearly never accepts is to introduce a new hack to fix something, where it is likely that it will be possible to fix proper

So the style "Hack until proper fix is around" is not applied at mangos.

[VladimirMangos]

Yes, as Schmoozerd say. If we expect existence proper way with current sources, or after some rewrite ist then low chance adding hack way writed patchs. Hack can be sometime accepted when tottal unknown how implement this in proper way or

expected that hack overwrite some wrong data in dbc for example. Last must really hard proved not just "not fit my code then this some wrong data"