ECOLOGIA - known bugs
=====================
1. Random freezing - "Spring frost"
Description: apparently randomly, Ecologia will freeze up with excessive
CPU usage. Occurs approx. once every 5-10 runs at various updates.
Reproducing: not known
Error source: Most likely related to animal behaviour. Possible:
fleeing animal cannot move in any direction.
STATUS: FIXED
2. Flee CENTER
Description: occasionally, a herbivore will attempt to move in the
direction CENTER when fleeing from a herbivore
Reproducing: not known
Error source: A carnivore ends up on the same tile as the herbivore in
question (how is that possible?)
- Answer: the carnivore is actually hunting another herbivore
and only happens to end up on the tile of this herbivore.
(The problem lies in the Animal class search algorithm.)
STATUS: FIXED
2b. Move CENTER
Description: sometimes, herbivores try to move in the direction CENTER
even when not fleeing from a carnivore
Reproducing: happens almost every run
Error source: a missing check in the grazing method
STATUS: FIXED
3. JAR file does not write log
Description: when the exported Ecologia JAR file is started graphically
by double-clicking it, it will not write any log files even if told
to do so via the 'Program Configuration' window. There is no problem
when launching from terminal.
Reproducing: as described above
Error source: This isn't a real bug at all - the only problem is that Java
takes the user's home directory as working directory when launching
the JAR file graphically. That means the log file ends up there.
STATUS: DROPPED
4. Tiles in row 0 or column 0 not accessible?
Description: if you click on a tile in row 0 or column 0, InfoBox will not
pop up.
Reproducing: as described above
Error source: an off-by-one error in Display/InfoBox
STATUS: FIXED
5. InfoBox confused?
Description: InfoBox showed that a tile is occupied by a carnivore in the
tile view, but showed the stats for a herbivore in the animal view.
The field above does not have any occupant, but the animal view
showed a carnivore present. (See lost+found/flee_center/log3 line
1316) Simulation stopped, but without an error message.
Reproducing: not known
Error source: caused by the flee CENTER bug
STATUS: REDUNDANT
6. JAR file can't read help file
Description: when launched from a packaged JAR file, Ecologia can never
display its help text. No problem when launching from Eclipse.
Reproducing: as above
Error source: something to do with where the help text is stored
STATUS: FIXED
7. Carnivore attacks dead herbivore
Description: At irregular intervals, Ecologia stops the simulation
(without changing the "Stop/Start" button). The log shows that
a carnivore has just killed a herbivore, but then immediately
proceeds to attack a (the same?) herbivore again.
Reproducing: not known
Error source: Probably either in the dead-herbivore-removal-code or in the
carnivore-attack-code. Why Ecologia stops is still unclear.
STATUS: FIXED
8. "Ghost bug" - Dead animals not removed from the display
Description: Occasionally, a dead animal will not be removed from
Simulator.map, leaving a "ghost" on the display. Sometimes
Carnivores attempt to attack phantom Herbivores, leading to
error messages.
Reproducing: during a longer run, look for carnivores that aren't moving.
Error source: Caused by an animal "dying twice" in one turn, e.g. during
movement, or when death by old age and starvation coincide.
STATUS: FIXED
9. "Wall of death" - carnivores repeatedly drive herbivores extinct
Description: Carnivores drift towards the right world border early on
during a run. There they reproduce, eventually forming a line
across the entire width of the world. This wall then moves
left, killing all herbivores in its path.
Reproducing: Noticeable on virtually every run in which carnivores
don't die out straight away.
Error source: The search algorithm in the Animal class is too predictable.
Unfortunately, the algorithm that would fix this bug is a major
cause of the flee center bug...
STATUS: FIXED
