Challenge of the Month - September 2011
General discussion
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Welcome to the monthly SmallBASIC Challenge!
We have changed from weekly to monthly to allow everyone enough time to code their entries. It would be good if people could post their problems with these challenges so that a discussion can start so that everyone can learn from each other.
These challenges are intended for people who are learning to program or for more experienced programmers who want to start using SmallBASIC after using a different language. Some will be easy, some will be hard - but they will all make you think, and more importantly be GREAT FUN!
Please post your solutions / partial solutions / questions / feedback etc. into this thread that will remain 'sticky' for the month. The only rule is that your solution must use standard SmallBASIC methods (no extensions).
Easy Challenge
Use the SmallBASIC Turtle to write your name (or anything else) on the screen.
Intermediate Challenge
Use the SmallBASIC Turtle to draw a regular polygon with the number of sides selected by the user. For example if the user enters 5 then the Turtle should draw a regular pentagon.
Advanced Challenge
Write a program (text or graphical) that allows the user to play the game "Last One Loses" against the computer.
The game starts off with a row of 15 matchsticks. The player and the computer take it in turns to remove 1, 2 or 3 of the matchsticks. The game is over when there are no more matchsticks. The player who took the last matchstick loses.
Your program should allow for either the player or the computer to go first (maybe with the toss of a coin?)You might like to start by making the computer player just choose 1, 2 or 3 at random - but this would not make for a very intelligent opponent. Have a look at this site for a better way for the computer to play.
If done correctly you will have a game that will nearly always win against your friends and family! What a Prize!
Do you have an idea for a future challenge? Please post it here!
- Edited by rubikWizard Friday, September 2, 2011 2:08 PM
All replies
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Here is my game for advanced : NZB428
It doesn't work though and i need help with it. any ideas what is wrong with it? Its main problem is that when i tell it to take away 2 match sticks the computer player takes all but one! ITS MADDENING. im kind of new to programming so theres probably a reasonable explanation to this problem.
A good start. I have made a slight modification which at least stops the program from crashing. The computer turn now just picks 1, 2 or 3 at random for its move. See here NZB428-0. I have not added much, just commented out lines. Good work so far for a beginner! Keep at it!
If you are a beginner then it might be easier to use the text window for your first attempt so that you do not get bogged down with buttons and events which distract from the logic of the game. Have a look at the text output below from a version of the game I made with VisualBasic.
- Edited by rubikWizard Saturday, September 3, 2011 9:44 PM
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I cannot see anything wrong with your code - looks like some sort of bug with the turtle - perhaps add it to the sticky thread "Bugs to fix for version 1.1" with the code you wrote and instructions that entering NET fails.
The vector description for Hershey vector fonts are contained in strings of characters - a code if you like. A sample is like this:
1 9MWRMNV RRMVV RPSTS
2 16MWOMOV ROMSMUNUPSQ ROQSQURUUSVOV
3 11MXVNTMRMPNOPOSPURVTVVU
4 12MWOMOV ROMRMTNUPUSTURVOV
5 12MWOMOV ROMUM ROQSQ ROVUVThe net has plenty of explanations of what this means and how it can be decoded into pen (or turtle) movements - a bit of work with string manipulation and character codes UNICODE, but its all there in the SmallBasic Text method - here is an example output, the first small letters (A,B,C,D,E) are the 5 above.
