A programming game!?

DarkWolf AS · 2005-03-01T14:17:43

I'm not sure where this should go, but I have a sugestion for a game that might be fun, and that would definatly be usefull! Now, I'm just getting into OpenGL, and the more advanced (more fun) parts of C++, but every time I program, I have one big problem! And I'm more than certain that it's more than just me, who has this problem. Okay, so lets stop ranting, and get to the explaining huh? okay Every time i program or for that matter script on my page, every thing is going fine, until i build the program, or test run the script. Not always, but most of the times, it wont run... why? Well, it might be a missing a ";" at the end of a line, a slip of the hand while typing "windowClass.somethingsomething", maybe I lack a "="(in the "==") in a if/else statement. Whatever it is, it's normally smale, and even thought I of course have bigger mistakes then these small mistakes, they are the most anoying... right? "Bugs" are anoying, and sometimes can be a hard thing to find. What I would like to see, is a game, you can choose the language, i.e. basic C++, OpenGL, DirectX, Perl, PHP, Java... If the game is a sucsess, then why not add more eh? :) Starting the game easy, it gives you a simple code, with an error. You have to find the error, then fix it. At each "level" the code gets longer, and more advanced, and there are more bugs. You work against time, and get points for the bugs you find. Basicly, i think this will help all programmers find these nasty little "bugs" faster, and get better at debugging, at the same time, we will get better at coding and maybe even learn something. Any coments?

funaki

132

February 11, 2005 05:03 AM

and then we can give them game to all those people who want to make a MMORPG and then tell them its a source code for a MMORPG and they should find some bugs left in the code, that should keep them busy on making the next big MMORPG!!!!111oneoneone.

btw nice idea.

CodeWeasil

122

February 15, 2005 01:15 AM

how about, instead of a game, you make a code-check plug-in for compilers that actually changes the mistyped code instead of just telling you that you have an error. There maybe something like this already, but all i know is MSVC++ 2003 doesn't do it.

TheDarkening

154

February 15, 2005 01:33 AM

Quote: Original post by CodeWeasil
how about, instead of a game, you make a code-check plug-in for compilers that actually changes the mistyped code instead of just telling you that you have an error. There maybe something like this already, but all i know is MSVC++ 2003 doesn't do it.

Thats a better idea. When I hit compile and the compiler says "you missed a ';' here" then it could just add it for me and keep going.

lucky_monkey

440

February 15, 2005 05:55 AM

Quote: Original post by Anonymous Poster
And as a final level, you get the code for MS Windows. At this point you give up and contemplate changing careers...

word

Wysardry

246

February 20, 2005 08:10 AM

How about creating a standard game, deliberately leaving bugs and errors in it, providing the source code, and telling players they need to debug it to play it?

To increase replayability, you could include a separate program that puts random errors back in again when you've finished it. [grin]

digitalerr0r

122

February 20, 2005 08:29 AM

Actually, this game may be more meant towards beginner programmers, where you can learn to "think" in debugging mode the start phase of your learning process. Many students at my school keep having these errors and most of them just don't care after they have corrected it. Then, they always got these errors.. those who got many of them when I first met them, 3 years ago, still got them. So, it might be good to build it towards those who have just started programming? So they dont continue to test "=" isnted of "==", and actually learn how and when to use it. If you are going to make it that is.. Its good to debug, if you got a solution to it. In your own projects there isn't any solutions, so its harder to know if you are right or wrong?

ToohrVyk

1,596

February 20, 2005 08:29 AM

Adding random errors to any program is impossible for a program to do. It has been proven that no program can alter another program and be sure it crashes.

Blog — Facebook

Genjix

100

February 20, 2005 10:11 AM

mathematically, I can't see how this can be proven. Could you provide some reasources?

load_bitmap_file

826

February 20, 2005 10:38 AM

Quote: Original post by ToohrVyk
Adding random errors to any program is impossible for a program to do. It has been proven that no program can alter another program and be sure it crashes.

What's to stop me from making an array with 2 elements and then trying to access a nonexistent third element, or dereferencing a null pointer?

pex22

139

February 20, 2005 10:45 AM

Quote: Original post by load_bitmap_file
Quote: Original post by ToohrVyk
Adding random errors to any program is impossible for a program to do. It has been proven that no program can alter another program and be sure it crashes.

What's to stop me from making an array with 2 elements and then trying to access a nonexistent third element, or dereferencing a null pointer?

the program can keep in memory the number of memory you allocated for the array (and the value of the pointer).
in a loop, the program can only warn that you have to be careful that the user wouldn't type a nonexistent element to access if you wasnt careful in your code. if () statement can be used to make sure.

pex.