Re: Info on programming language for comp mod games

From: Ken Mulholland <Ken@timepatternspbm.demon.co.uk>

Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 00:00:00 +0000

In article <7tqteh$q32$1@apple.news.easynet.net>, Taliesin wrote:
> Hi all,
> I'm sure you'll know more about this than I, but I have been offered several
> programs to use for the making of a pbm computer moderated game. Not really
> sure which one is better to use.
> They are as follows, QuickBasic 4.5, Delphi 4 Standard, and Visual C++. As I
> have never programmed anything before I am certainly stuck as to the ease of
> use of each system.
> Any help will be appreciated.
>
> Regards,
>
> Daz.

I will come out of the closet and admit that I program in Quick Basic 7.1 (I believe!)
This language allows for interactive running of the source code (vital for initial testing
and for diagnostic running to identify causes of a crash) and the compilation of the
code into .EXE files which will run under all versions of Windows on the PC. My main program,
StarGlobe, started in 1983 when QB was state of the art now contains some 3 megabytes of
source code and it would impractical for me to change to another language.
QB7 is well structured and with modern pentium computers runs at fast speed.
Not one line of my programs contains a line number!
(alright C++ is faster but if you are able to run an update for CRISIS! in under 3 seconds
who needs all the hassle of C++ which has to be compiled before it can be run for the sake of a
2 seconds wait?).

If you are starting programming from scratch consider this (I am grateful to Martin Crumpton
for this insight): Programming is not primarily about writing code or the language you write
it in, it is about data file structures. If you wish to put a feature into your program suite
you first design the structure of the data file, then you write a maintenance program that
will allow you to edit, extend, correct etc the data file. And then you put the new feature
into the program suite. This calls into question the idea of importing routines written by
others - you have to adopt  their data structure and the imported rotines might (probably will)
clash with data structures you have already adopted for yourself.

In QB7 (and probably in the other languages) you can write include files which control the
access to the data file. This means that if you wish to upgrade your data file you can do this
easily by changing the data control include file and then the data itself and then recompile
all the programs in your main suite that access that particular data file.

As for platform portability, who needs it? Repeated attempts to get other GMs to run my
programs have all met with failure - try getting foreign GMs to pay royalties!
The truth is your PBM game is yours and you should run it yourself on your own platform.
So portability is useless for your main program.
Client programs to be run by players on their own machines may however be a different matter
but there are really only two machines: the PC and the Mac...

Regards Ken Mulholland

References

Info on programming language for comp mod games
"Taliesin" <dsparrow@NOSPAMukonline.co.uk>
Sun, 10 Oct 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Referenced By

Info on programming language for comp mod games
"Taliesin" <dsparrow@NOSPAMukonline.co.uk>
Sun, 10 Oct 1999 00:00:00 +0000