Remaining worksheets

I will place the remaining worksheets for download from this blog over the next few days. Those that are hyper linked are available.

Only print them if you desperately want to I will get them copied as they are done.

3.3.4 Data representation is done and copied I'll dish out on Wednesday
3.3.5 Data structures and data manipulation
3.3.6 High-level language programming paradigms
3.3.7 Programming techniques

Game Engine 3.00 and template now live

All students writing games can now play about with the first version of the new game engine.

Click here to read all about it

Wednesday 11th November

Unfortunately I am not in today, could you please continue development work on your projects.

Can you also ensure that you place an entry onto your blog concerning what you have been doing during the last week.

I will wee you on Friday.

UML exam question homework

Please complete the UML homework question by Friday 13^th November.

We will go through the mark scheme for this question on Friday 13^th so you need to make sure you bring it in on that day.

Method to display formatted queue contents

Copy and paste the code below into your Queue class, it can then be used to display the entire Queue contents on a label.


/// <summary>
/// Retrieves a formatted String showing Queues occupancy
/// </summary>
/// <returns>A vertically formatted queue for label display</returns>
public String GetListIllustrated()
{
    String list = null;
    for (int i = 0; i < MAX; i++)
    {
        //add a newline for any other than first
        if (i > 0)
            list += "\n";
      
        //add queue position
        list += "[" + i.ToString() + "] [";
      
        //show item if it exists
        if (q[i] != null)
            list += q[i];
        else
            list += "null";
        list += "]";

        //show first and free pointers at location
        if (first == i)
            list += " <--first";
        if (free == i)
            list += " <--free";
    }
    return list;
}

A2 Project work during first term

As we are concentrating on Theory work until January we need to keep the project work trickling forward.

The main tasks you should be working are:

1. Identifying and organising/creating graphics for your interfaces
2. Experimenting with the technology you are using

If you are working on a website:

• Getting familiar with CSS,
  
  and tags if you are working on a website
  
  
  
• Attempting to hook up a simple database to a website project
• Identifying any potential problems

 if you are working on a game/simulation

• Create your graphic tile sheets appropriately learning graphics packages
• After half term we can look at the game engine and c# coding required
• Experiment with any logic routines

We will devote at least the 45 minute lesson to this work.

Please make use of workshop, the timetable is on your Dashboard

Summer project work

The summer is an important time during the gestation of your project.

It is important that you gather around you as many resources as possible to enable you to make a sound start on your project proper when we return in September.

Ensure you look for the following sort of things:

Web forums related to your chosen project

• XNA development, Web development, Android development, Simulation, Physics, AI, Card games etc...

Programming forums related to the language you will be working in

• C#, Java, PHP, C++, etc...

Text books, these can be rapidly out of date so make sure you locate some relevant ones towards the start of September and I will source some of this for you and add them to the Library in E19.

Assets, these may involve graphics for your interface or game and possibly sounds. If you organise these over summer it will save you a lot of time next year. You can create your graphics own or find appropriate ones(you need to give credit to any sources). Make sure your graphics have transparent backgrounds. If you are going to use the Game Engine then you should take a look at this link

You may wish to download tools and software and have a go at some simple taster projects found on the web to help you get used to the language and environment before we start in September.

In the student shared folder (under Computing) you will find a folder called: DreamSpark downloads (LARGE), here you will find the following:

Visual Studio Professional 2008 (DVD ISO image)

XNA 3.0

Daemon tools (image mounter so you can install VS2008 without burning to a DVD)

Both of the Microsoft apps need keys from the Dreamspark website .You will need to register with a Windows Live account (hotmail, msn, xbox etc...) using your Athens account to verify you are a student.

You may contact me over summer for advice by either leaving a comment on this post or sending me an e-mail. I won't check my e-mails or the blog every day but I'll try to respond to your questions as soon as I can.

Have a good summer.

Eric

CPU Emulator moved

I have moved the CPU Emulator to my Engine development blog.

This is so I can keep the focus on Computing in this blog.

You will find the buglist which I would like you all to contribute too (if you find a bug or issue), so that I can easily track these and you can see the fixes.

You will be expected to keep a blog during the duration of your projects, this will enable you to identify the work your doing at any particular stage but also to simply document the issues and bugs in your project. This will form a the development phase of testing.

Game Competition ends Friday 4:15pm

http://ericsictblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/game-competition-end-friday-415pm.html

Some games removed from competition

http://ericsictblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/some-games-removed-from-competition.html

Competition 1st week update

http://ericsictblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/1st-week-update.html

Game competition is go!

http://ericsictblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/game-competition-is-go.html

New games added to Competition

http://ericsictblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/2-games-added-to-game-competition.html

Game Competition 2009

See this post for full details.

http://ericsictblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/game-competition-2009.html

Good Luck

Project proposals

Could you please ensure that all project proposals are e-mailed to me by the end of the week 19th June 2009.

CPU architecture research

You now need to complete the notes and diagrams discussing the basic architecture principals.

These notes are important and will form part of your revision material.

CPU Architecture

During transition we are going to look at the following topics:

CPU Architecture, looking at the Fetch-Execute cycle and different ways in which processors can be configured for different tasks.

Assembly language, the human readable form of machine code and the types of instructions available.

Introduction to Object Orientated design concepts, you will develop these as you go through the development of your projects.

We will do this by writing a custom CPU Emulator, so we can look at OOP concepts and also explore assembly language.

We will build on this later in the year when we look at addressing modes which we will build into our CPU emulator.

Welcome

This blog will contain information about homeworks, work were doing in class, interesting links to useful articles for your projects etc...

You should always (assuming google keep blogger up!) be able to access this even if the Intranet is down.

Eric