Chapter 10 Arrays PT3

Ok so this is going to take a little longer than expected, looking through whats to come, there is alot to go though and activites to do till Chapter 11, so it may take up till christmas!


Anyway, completing the activites I been doing has been giving me a good understanding of how we can use arrays, and why we use them. It has also been getting me used to the format, which is very helpfull, as i can type them faster! (Without any dumb moments nether)


There is not really much for me to comment on, as I havent learnt anything new, just enforcing what I have been learning. I may do some more later, but I need a break now, soak the sponge to much at once, it will drip! In this case refering to lee's (The holy creator of DarkBASIC) analogy of a brain =D


Until next time people =)

Chapter 10 Arrays PT2

Ok so I have been getting myself pumped for programming by thinking about the game/games I wish to make, and starting some of the graphics for the upcoming game! Also having a look round to see what others had done, making me a little jeolous, but in a good way!!!


Anyway, done some more of Chapter 10, learning about arrays, and they can be used just the same as variables! (Which i gathered) That really is the main thing covered in the section I. I also learnt how to store values into these arrays using this formula

• arrayname(elementnumber) = value

I could not believe how easy it was! And to think that arrays are what stopped me learning soley on comunity tutorials! (Im glad it did as i wouldnt have the HODBP books now)

Anyway the element number is called the subscript, it can be a number or a variable, for instance

• player1 = 1
• highscores(player1) = 1000 

Would give the element 3 the value of 1000, a little more confusing than variables! But im sure I will get used to the format.


Well I think that is it for tonight, hopefully I will finish the array chapter eather tommorow or wednesday, then I begin Bull and Torch, and i have to program the entire thing just using the specs it gives me! No code to copy.

******* Off Topic *******

We had so much snow on friday, it is still here as I right this! We also got some more today, and hopefully even more tommorow! Though our lights have been flickering recently, and this happened yesterday just before a three hour long powercut >_<

See (write)  you all soon!

Chapter 10 Arrays PT1

And so christmas draws ever nearer! and with all the snow us brits have been getting, it is going to be a jolly good one! Anyway, sorry I have not posted in a while, been very busy with other things. Just a few updates before I explain what I have been doing in DarkBASIC.


ONE - I just finished the second music peice for a planned game (more on that next year) in mixcraft and it sounds really great!


TWO - I am hoping to buy a few expansions for DarkBASIC (The 2d pack, and a few more, also may buy Exgen for nice particle effects)


THREE - I wont be making an independent game after bull and touch, because that WILL be my independent game! looking at the chapter, it gives you the mini-specs and that is it!!!


FOUR - I have got the upgraded DarkBASIC interface! I was looking through the files of DBP and i found EditorU73, double clicking i realized it was the new interface that supposingly had came with update 7.3! It looks and feels really great to use, with that professional feel, and the added usability, media previewing, project list showing all data that has been declared and a bunch of other stuff! It has been based on the Visual Studio 2008 interface, anyway here is a screenie =D

************************************************************************

************************************************************************

************************************************************************

Ok back to Chapter 10, i have been studdying Arrays, somthing i did not understand before i had the HODBP books, and learnt alot already, how to create them (using DIM) and why they are used. Not read/reading much today though because i want to do other things, but as long as i have done some its cool!

Im afraid thats all there is to say so far, hope you all the very best christmas, and im sure I will post again in january or on christmas! Prehaps before, we will see as to what goes on!

Chapter 9 Hangman PT4

Hello guys, I just completed hangman!, added the final few routines, one to draw the letters, one to draw the hanged man if the guess is wrong, and a few other smaller ones, I also added two error messeges one if you guess the same letter again, and one if you enter invalid values.


For my first game I am very pleased, and the book has been most helpful giving me easy explinations of why we do so and so. It also got me coding a few of the routines by myself, so that was quite nice, as I feel I have put some effort into the game =) The next game il will be making, is the classic bull and touch (mastermind nowdays) I know I said i wanted to make my own independant game before i continue, but there is only a few chapters inbetween, one being arrays which is very inportent so I will wait till after bull and touch.

PS, the words are just city names at the moment and the game also has its own icon, of a hanged man =)


OK the game has been added to my skydrive for people to download link:


Hangman Download


Screenshots:

Chapter 9 Hangman PT3

OK i have just filled in another two functions, GetGuess() and CheckForLetter(), (Had a little problem with check for letter, though i rectified, turns out i haddened asgined a varible to equal a function, anyhow) Now the program takes in a value from the user (Guess) and checks it for any equal letters in word$

I am looking to complete the game on Sunday or tommorow, depends on which day i decide to do my homework >_< and il post the download, so you can see what i have learnt =D After Hangman i am going to see if i can make my first independant word game of a sort, to test my current skills and knowledge.

But for now i am going to continue to write some of my story (Elysiem) So hope you all have a great weekend!

Chapter 9 Hangman PT2

I have just completed a little bit more of Hangman, after an anoyingly long piece of homework that is! It is beginning to look alot like the game now, since it draws the gallows and the hyphens onto the screen. Though the rest of the routines stubs are printed so it isnt going to be the screen exactly. A simple FOR and NEXT loop, and i got my hyphens laid out =)  

  FOR c = 1 TO LEN(word$)
     PRINT "_ ";
  NEXT c

Anyway still got a bit to do for a working game, and looking forward to completing it, screenshot for all! (I know it isnt much of a looker graphics wise, but this is the first game i make with the book so it keeps it simple, which is fine for me. The fact that i made it makes it appealing to me, oh and it displays the word next to it as proof the hyphens are working, it wont be in the final version of course!

News =D

Well firstly, my Television has broken =( The LCD crystals have gone funny forming pritty lines and colours, so im not glad about that. Luckly its covered on the insurance ^_^


Anyway I found out a few days ago, that because my computer is Windows Vista Home Premium, I get a free windows 7 upgrade! Which I was very pleased with, though as i done with Vista, I will be waiting for it to be out a while, allowing software to adapt and bugs to be fixed, so I will have no problems.


Ok now i dont know if any of you know yet, or are at least interested, but The Games Creators, have made DarkBASIC Professional free!!! Much to my regret as i bought it, but anyhow, now those who do not have alot of money to spend on the internet or are not allowed can program games! Link bellow for those interested


DarkBASIC Professional Free!


And for those of you who are interested in my first project i done a while back (its on my Windows Live Space) The New Solar System, i shall post a link for you to download(Please ignor the music or mute it XD i created the peice before i descovered midi 0.0)


The Solar System Project

Chapter 9 Hangman PT1

(This happened yesterday)


I just started Chapter Nine of Hands on DarkBASIC Pro, the topic being Hangman, and the first actual game I get to make! =D


Previously it has just been teaching me about many diffrent commands in DBP giving me examples, and getting me to do some quick programs with it to test them out. I have also be learning about several key aspects of good progamming.

• Routines
• Planning
• And mini specs

and of course data and controll structures. Anyway im rather excited as this will be my first game I program in darkbasic! I know it helps me and tells me most of what I need to do (This time) but it is still a big step, and should teach alot of what i need to do to program games successfully. Anyway so far I haven't done much, just set up the Constants and Global Varibles and the main program (The part that calls the functions and uses them, think it as a simple circuit, a board is used and the components are placed and manipulated, the components being the functions in this case).


I also have set up stubs for every function, so I cant test the program as I go along and fill the missing code in later. (A stub is where you create a function with no code, or usually a one liner to display its name), and finally i have got two filled functions, InitialiseGame() and ThinkOfWord(). The game is nowhere near done ad the code is already getting big! So all is going well =D I will update on my status when i complete some more.


 (Two screenies for you, both of the code so far)

Click for larger pictures