all out of ideas

[Benjamin]

Well, I am sick(I have scabies), home from school, and I have nothing to do....
I want to make some programs or something, but I am all out of ideas.... perhaps somebody can help me think of something to make...

it can't be anything graphical at all, because it's going to be in a DOS console....(I don't like visual basic anymore, and I am not very good at programming GUI's in C++)

I would like something math or physics related...





Thanks,
Dennis

[HarryW]

Well if you're really bored then you could make your own version of Conway's Game of Life, often just called 'Life'. It's a mathematical game in which a colony of lifeforms live, breed and die according to the population surrounding them. If there's too many they die, too little and they die, else they live and breed. That's about it. They're arranged in a 2D grid. There have been a lot of studies on it, and there are all kinds of sort-of-interesting patterns that do stuff, with special names. Like gliders, glider guns, puffer trains, spaceships, and more. There are a lot of named patterns. It's not that hard to make but it will probably take you a while and give you something to do. It only needs ASCII graphics. Traditionally each lifeform is represented by an asterisk '*'. Maybe you could do something weird and make a 3D version, no idea how you'd make the graphics for that with ASCII though

Well anyway, you'll probably think that's boring but it's an idea. I started one once but never bothered to finish it.

[barrk]

I'm sorry to hear you are not feeling well, Dennis. I hope you take care and feel better soon. I'm sorry I have no suggestions of projects for you. I just wanted to wish you well.

[oetje]

Math:[*]A program that calculates magical squares[*]A program that tries to find the biggest prime number ever[*]A program that calculates pi in 1,000,000 decimals[*]Etc.

Other programs:[*]A pop3 and an smtp server[*]A program for converting between various (picture) file formats (look at wotsit for info about them)

I hope you've got some idea's now.

If you die, can I have your new Hard drive?

[HarryW]

Of course, if you do manage to design an algorithm to find incredibly high primes, the men in black will be along to grab you. If you disappear from the forums I guess we'll know where you've gone

[Sam Finch]

....(I don't like visual basic anymore, and I am not very good at programming GUI's in C++)

Anyone else spot the flaw in Dennis's Programming Phillosophy?


Try making a dll or COM component in C++ and then slapping a VB front end on, or learn to do GUIs.

One thing I never got round to doing was making a program that made those magic eye things (I have a similar flaw, I don't like C++ so I use inline ASM and refuse to use variables so it's taking a while)

I came damn close to a formula for Primes a couple of years ago, I got a set of about 6 nonlinear simultanious equations and if I found a solution (there should be at least 6) I culd tun that into a formula to produce prime pairs, I never found any solutions though, I'm guessing there wern't any for some reason beyond my understanding, otherwise someone else would have found it.

[JPRoy392]

Sorry to hear that you are not well. What the heck is scabies? Is it like rabies? Will they have to take you out back and shoot you like old yeller? I hope not.

[Benjamin]

Harry:
Could you tell me more about that game? I might want to try and make it.

Katie:
Thanks,

Oetje:
whats a magical square?

and it would be almost impossible to find the biggest prime number ever.

How would I find pi to 1,000,000 decimal places?

and I want to make a program that converts pictures to different formats, I've been thinking about it for a while.. about a month ago I downloaded almost every file type on wotsit, but I don't think I am good enough for that kind of programming.

DerFarm:
No

Sam:
I don't really have a use to do any major GUI programming... it's not like i am making a game(well, yeah I am making a game, but I am still writing the storyline)

[Benjamin]

Jim:
Scabies is a little bug type of thing that crawls and lives under your skin..
they are really small...

.

see that period?
a single scabie is 1/2, and even as samll as 1/4 the size of that..
they used to last a long time, even up to 15 years
but my doctor perscribed me a cream that I only have to use once to get rid of them...

SpoilSport

[oetje]

What's a magical square?

a b c
d e f
g h i

It's when (a+b+b=d+e+f=g+h+i)=(a+d+g=b+e+h=c+f+i)=(a+e+i=g+e+c).

And it would be almost impossible to find the biggest prime number ever.

Just try.

How would I find pi to 1,000,000 decimal places?

Do a web search for pi. I think it will give you some sites with info about it.

And I want to make a program that converts pictures to different formats, I've been thinking about it for a while.. about a month ago I downloaded almost every file type on wotsit, but I don't think I am good enough for that kind of programming.

[parksie]

Originally posted by JPRoy392
Will they have to take you out back and shoot you like old yeller?

I thought he was wandering down the road? Or am I getting confused?

Well, get well soon, anyway!

[SteveCRM]

Isn't pi Radius / Circumfrence?

[parksie]

cir = pi * rad * 2

therefore

pi = cir / (rad * 2)

There's an expansion to work out pi - will find out and be back shortly...

[HarryW]

Hate to disagree but circumference is not pi*r², it's 2*pi*r.

you know you love to disagree harry..
but parksie didn't say it was pie * r ^ 2

[marnitzg]

Hey, I remember programming life. My first pascal graphics prog

Anyway, here's more info dennis:

Now, when a square has 2 or more lifeforms near it, it will grow. However, if a living organism has 3 or more other organisms near it, it dies.

    *                   * *
   *A*    **    *        *
   BCD    EF            * *

In the above, an organism in A would die. however, if B,C and D were empty, they would get organisms. Also E and F.
The last two patterns are patterns that never change.

If you still want more info, just ask!

[HarryW]

Hmm, I'm fairly certain that if there are 2 or 3 next to it then it lives, and dies otherwise. Other than that you're right.

There are several well known patterns. Here are a couple, some of the names might be wrong, it's been a while:

 **            *                 ***
 **            *                   *
               *                  *
Block       Blinker            Glider
        (you'd see why     (you'd see why
        if you made it)    if you made it)

[HarryW]

Come to think of it I'm not sure on the glider; it might be something like this:

 ***
*  *
  *

I can't remember, sorry.

you were right the first time H

[HarryW]

Ah right, I suppose that's good then I see you've researched it a bit, you gonna try it?

Yeah, I guess.

BTW, here is Life:
http://www.math.com/students/wonders/life/life.html

[marnitzg]

Yup, you are right Harry. Hmm, that sites different from the way I remember it! Maybe because I wrote it 5 years back .

[barrk]

Are you feeling better, Dennis? Hope so!

1. Dennis will leave the vb forums.

2. He has a parasitic life form living on him...actually one of thousands but you know what l mean.


Seriously:

Hope you aren't too sick and it clears up quickly.

[Benjamin]

Yep, I am feeling better katie,
thanks

and jethro...
a nice comment?
whats wrong with you?
have you gone mad?

Just making our number one smart ass feel a little better in his hour of need. Need some one else to help out with tagging kovan.