Competition

[Cableguy]

I like your Idea, but think that posting the app in a special page would be "Pay" enought for the efford....especially since all those apps would be Open-Souce....Right?

[RandomCoder]

Please don't miss my reply that came just before CableGuy, which is now at the end of page two.

One App with a set specification I think would have much more advantage to the community.

Regards,
RandomCoder.

[Cableguy]

Yeah sorry I did miss it...Both Ideas are good, why cant them complete themselfs....

As you said, randomCoder, a solution that works is already a winner... but we could vote for our preference and that would be the "winner".....

[LineCutter]

Maybe there are too many wheels being reinvented here. Should the coding competition not be a side project for those who are "capable" & therefore busy with their own creations?
So:

• Propose a big project
• Do the symbolic code planning / program flow chart
• therefore decide which functions are required
• Competitors propose the code for this month's function
• Winner gets their code adopted, at the cost of documenting it
• Move on to the next month

This would fit nicely with the paint program. I volunteer to do the "clear screen" routine.

[RandomCoder]

LineCutter Originally wrote:
Do the symbolic code planning / program flow chart

I'd love to know exactly what you mean, I'm afraid that I'm a one man band normally.
I tend to get an idea in my head, think of a few ways of doing it (again in my head) and then adopt the method that I think is best.
I then apply it staight to code.

Not really a lot of planning!

My main programming language (if I dare call it that) is ladder logic.
But I also know some C, VB, Basic, VHLL and AS (used by Kawasaki robots).

I'm really a jack of all trades and master of none I supose

Regards,
RandomCoder

[Stellaferox]

Count me in, but is it an idea to come up with something very different as a challenge? Programming a calculator will not have many different approaches I think, at least without a library (bitwise, binary etc).
Erel, what would you say is a challenge to program?
My suggestion would be a graphic presentation, something like the bouncing balls/ smileys etc.
How do we set the timetable? Who will be the jury? We all?
Marc

[RandomCoder]

It would be nice to have something decided by the end of play today.
Unfortunately I have to go to a friends christening now and so will be out for most of this afternoon.
I'll catch up with you all later.

PS, I think that the calculator app will have a variety of different problems but will also be something that beginners to B4PPC can have a go at.

Regards,
RandomCoder.

[LineCutter]

Originally Posted by RandomCoder

I'd love to know exactly what you mean

Break down the job into steps that can be defined & implemented as functions.
Say for the paint program we briefly threw in as a competition target:
* Draw() - needs to cope with a colour & brush shape
leads on to:
* DrawLine() - needs to accept start & end coordinates as well as a colour & brush.
* Eraser() - trivial, but needs to accept a diameter & shape to erase, as well as dealing with continuous strokes
Leading eventually to:
* Undo() - How do you implement? How many levels? Are we restricting to the foreground channel used by the drawing routines implemented earlier?

You should have the idea by now.

Once written the functions become "stand alone" as part of a potential B4P library of code (say for a graph program), as well as teaching some programming techniques & habits. There may even be some optimisation hints too.

[conf]

I advocate to create more library ! B4P will be stronger with these libs.

Originally Posted by Erel

An Outlook library is soon to come (it will require WM5 or WM6 devices).

Erel, can Outlook library access Inbox SMS and send SMS? I hope so and count day by day...

[RandomCoder]

OK, so this is more difficult to set up than I first thought.

The weekend has been and gone and we still haven't decided on the requirements or type of app to create.
Please accept my appolgies for the low input this weekend, I've barely had time to turn my PC on

So the three/four suggestions mentioned so far have been...

1) A calculator App (with the possibility of using a library)
2) A paint App (as difficult as you want to make it)
3) A graphic challenge (bouncing ball type of thing)
4) Wait for the Outlook library and utilise that (who knows what this will involve?)

I think that we need to voice which is our preference and agree on a time scale.
Initially I thought that one month would be sufficient, is this acceptable to everyone that wants to partake?

Once we've decided what to create I'll lay down the minimum requirements (along with your help) and then we'll set a start date.
I think this is the best way to proceed.

Regards,
RandomCoder.