DEV Community: masonmarker

I Made a Tool to Restart Xbox Game Bar on Windows

masonmarker — Sun, 17 Nov 2024 21:18:13 +0000

The Issue

If you're on Windows, and you frequently use Microsoft's Xbox Game Bar (by default invoked with Win+G), you may have encountered some bugs with it along the way.
These bugs include (but aren't limited to):

audio bugs
mic not working
friends that are online don't show up as online
friends not even showing up on friends list
in party, you or someone else shows as 'Disconnected' or 'Connecting'
can't join parties
can't leave parties

and many many more...

The Fix - GitHub

A good way to fix the majority of these issues is to restart Xbox Game Bar. Unfortunately there are a few steps to take to restart Xbox Game Bar, such as going to the task manager and ending the task.

I've created a quick and easy solution to restart the Game Bar. Just by running the .exe, and pressing 'Restart Xbox Game Bar', the Game Bar will completely restart, and attempted to re-launch.

Steps to use the tool:

Download the executable from here
Run the executable
When this window appears, click 'Restart Xbox Game Bar'

Your Xbox Game Bar has been restarted!

Thanks for reading :)

Source Code
My Portfolio

msnscript2: A Language for Developers Who Dare to Think Differently

masonmarker — Sun, 17 Nov 2024 01:17:13 +0000

The Genesis of MSN2

What started as a small experiment years ago has now evolved into one of my most ambitious projects: MSN2. Unlike traditional programming languages, MSN2 breaks conventions and embraces deoptimized interpretation methods that, while quirky, reveal new possibilities for how we think about coding.

Why didn’t I discard it like the other drafts before it? The answer lies in its potential—not just as a functional tool, but as an evolving passion project. It’s far from perfect, but its imperfections are what make it so intriguing. MSN2 has pushed me as a developer, challenging both my skills and my imagination.

Why MSN2 Exists

Let’s be real: the world probably doesn’t need another programming language. Initially, MSN2 wasn’t meant for public use; it was a playground to learn and explore. But as the project matured, it became clear that MSN2 had some unique strengths worth sharing:

Multiprogramming support
Flexible syntax extensions
Integration with multiple languages (Python, JavaScript, Java, and C as of version 2.0.403)
Automation tools for tasks like scripting and API interactions
JavaScript/React transpilation
Lightweight containers for deployment

The result? A language designed not only for creativity but also for collaboration, where new features can emerge from community-driven innovation.

Vision for MSN2

MSN2 isn’t just about writing code; it’s about expanding the boundaries of what’s possible in software development. Imagine a world where you can:

Create fluid workflows across multiple programming languages.
Customize syntax to fit your team’s unique needs.
Automate complex tasks and pipelines without leaving a unified environment.
Tap into pre-built utilities for natural language processing and other advanced features.

MSN2 offers a foundation for developers to experiment, innovate, and push the boundaries of their craft.

What You Can Build

Here are just a few examples of what MSN2 is capable of:

Simplify the Complex

Perform operations with concise, expressive code.

Integrate APIs Seamlessly

Spin up endpoints and query them in just a few lines.

Extend with Macros

Define reusable code snippets tailored to your projects.

Run Inline Code Across Languages

Mix and match Python, JavaScript, Java, and even C, all in a single workflow.

For larger-scale examples, the MSN2 GitHub repository includes projects like:

Injecting MSN2 into LeetCode workflows
Building full-stack applications
Automating Excel processes
Playing chess openings on Chess.com
Spinning up lightweight Streamlit containers

Challenges and Opportunities

No project of this scale comes without its share of hurdles:

Integrity Issues: Some runtime bugs can produce unexpected results, but ongoing fixes are addressing these quickly.
Performance: Built on Python, MSN2 inherits the limitations of Python’s execution speed. While optimization is a priority, speed-dependent fields like data science or real-time analytics may not be a good fit for MSN2.

That said, the language offers unique trade-offs. Its polyglottal capabilities allow developers to tap into faster languages when needed, while its integration features provide a compelling reason to explore its potential despite the performance hit.

Moving Forward

MSN2 is still evolving. Documentation, tutorials, and even a syntax-highlighting extension for VS Code have been released, but the journey is far from over.

The vision for MSN2 isn’t about replacing existing tools—it’s about complementing them. It’s about empowering developers to orchestrate complex systems and workflows across multiple languages, creating opportunities to innovate in ways traditional tools might not allow.

Final Thoughts

MSN2 is more than just a language; it’s a testament to the power of experimentation. It’s a reminder that programming isn’t always about perfection—it’s about curiosity, exploration, and growth.

Whether it becomes a widely adopted tool or remains a personal project, MSN2 has already fulfilled its purpose: challenging conventions and inspiring creativity.

If you’re curious about MSN2, I’d love for you to check out the GitHub repository and try it out for yourself. Whether you’re here to contribute, explore, or simply learn, I welcome you to join me on this journey.

Helpful Links

The above was written completely by GPT4o based on my previous, serious article about my programming language. I'm publishing this article as a test to gauge how many bot followers can be produced from a single, well-detailed and well-written article.

MSN2: An Experimental Programming Language for the Bold Developer

masonmarker — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 15:28:07 +0000

Beginnings

A few years ago, after tossing 2 draft languages, I began my personal project pinnacle. MSN2 was (and still is) what I consider to be a mock programming language, mostly due to its unconventional, deoptimized interpretation methods that can result in language integrity issues.

But then again I ask myself, why would I keep coming back to this project over the years? Why hadn't I tossed it with the other drafts in fear of developers embarrassment? I kept it because of how far I exceeded my expectations for a programming language having a single contributor, even though I'm still miles short of the vision I have.

Why another language?

Early in development, there was no real intention to release it to the public as it was merely a learning exercise, thus I felt there's no real reason to introduce a new language. Regardless, as a functional tool and a main source of my Python studies, the benefits of building a programming language on top of Python equips us with the not only the complete capabilities of Python itself, but new features for:

multiprogramming
syntax additions
automation (win 10 exclusive)
multilingual (as of 2.0.403, Python, JavaScript, Java, C)
MSN2 -> JavaScript/React transpilation
API endpoint creation and interactions
Simple, lightweight containers

Because of the ease of implementing new features, it could serve as the foundation for a more community-oriented language that continuously progresses through community feedback and contributions. With these the current and future contributions, we create opportunity to:

Innovate programming strategies
Foster cross-language interoperability
Support flexible and customizable syntax
Provide pre-built utilities for natural language processing (NLP)
Facilitate the creation of custom libraries and plugins
Adapt to a wider range of development environments

and how much more...?

Capabilities

It's easy to say the language is very capable, and in certain situations, I'd argue it's more capable with less code. It’s also becoming more and more enjoyable to use as a developer as updates are released. Unfortunately its not as easy to say using the language is a cakewalk. I've released an msn2 syntax highlighting extension for VSCode, basic documentation, and many tutorials and code examples. Though it becomes difficult without auto-completion of keywords or tokens and understanding implications when writing code certain ways. These issues are addressed in the issues tab of the MSN2 repository.

Complete, Runnable Examples

(None of these examples have extra code out of frame)

simplifying simple operations
starting an API endpoint and querying
creating a personalized macro
running inline JavaScript (also possible with Java and C)

These examples hardly scratch the surface of MSN2, find many much much larger projects and demonstrations in the MSN2 repository

Larger Project Examples

Drawbacks

The above sounds great! I'm entirely invested in making the steps to build on what I've created. But as much as I wish there weren't issues in such a large, overly complex, maintenance-demanding codebase, there are XD.

Integrity

As of MSN2 2.0.403, there are several, fixable integrity issues potentially producing incorrect results at runtime. Luckily integrity issues are temporary, but its important they're addressed quickly.

Speed

With Python as a backend, speed becomes a brutal drawback, and that's speed. Speed will always be an issue with MSN2, and unfortunately we can only make attempts to make the base language match a speed close to Python's own.

So what can we do?

We can offer a polyglottal approach - While we manage a slower, overhead process, this process can offer ease of launching programs in languages that are faster. MSN2 GitHub - See Multilingual Implementations
We can make it worth it - With Python maintaining the larger backend, MSN2 is given a unique opportunity to explore what's functionally possible from the developers side when having an extensive and flexible set of built-in integrations across languages and environments. This enables developers to more effectively coordinate extensive data pipelines, automation workflows, and large-scale systems, potentially making it easier to manage and scale projects that rely on Python’s boundless, production ready capabilities.
We can optimize - There are plenty of points of deoptimization during interpretation, this would be an initial source of major speed gain.
We can accept it - Base MSN2 will never be used for speed-dependent applications, such as those in data science, real-time analytics, high-frequency trading, and plenty of other fields. MSN2 would be used primarily for customizable program orchestration, using highly generalized functions quickly and seamlessly, allowing developers to create powerful workflows that connect various programming languages and tools. This flexibility makes it an ideal choice for managing complex, multi-language projects and automating diverse tasks without the need to switch environments or write extensive Python.

Wrapping Up

This project has been an ambitious journey, what started as a learning exercise quickly grew into a playground for exploring language design and new, creative proof of concepts. MSN2 has serves as a learning experience that continuously challenges my programming capabilities. It's far from acceptable, and much farther than perfect, but that's part of what makes it exciting - it's full of opportunities to grow and improve.

While the majority of the language is not entirely production ready, and testing hasn't reached 100% coverage, MSN2 represents the potential of unconventional thinking and freedom to experiment without the pressure of perfection. Whether it becomes a useful tool in projects or remains a personal endeavor is up to myself and the community, but its future depends on continued development, feedback and refinement. For now, I see it as a stepping stone, one with rough edges and plenty of cracks, but still solid enough to stand on.

helpful links
MSN2 on GitHub
MSN2[2.0.401] documentation
my website / portfolio

The banner of this post is unformatted, yet runnable MSN2 code incorporating inline mixes of JavaScript, Java, C, all interacting with an API endpoint spun up in the same line.