Documentation Notes, Week of 8/27 - 9/3

8/27 - Senior Seminar meeting

Dr. Engebretson recommends scrapping the more difficult languages: C#/Java, and C++, as the most efficient way to check player's answers against expected answers is to parse or compile code to produce the desired result. Doing so in C#, Java, and C++ would require creating a compiler within the larger program.

I then look into Python scripting functionality embedded in C++. This is a possible feature, but it requires utilizing a third party library support. The two options that I found are Cpython, which is built in the C language, and Boost.Python, which is an open source project built on the Cpython framework but implemented in C++.

Sunday, 9/1

I spend four hours attempting to get Boost.Python working within Visual Studio, the IDE I am most familiar with. Visual Studio and third party library support is not the most user friendly experience. I look into IDEs available on Windows that work more seamlessly with third party and open source libraries. I discover that Code Blocks using a MINGW compiler works quite well at compiling Boost libraries, Python and otherwise. Code Blocks also has a template for SFML, Simple and Fast Multimedia Library, the API I am using to create the graphics and sound portion of the project. Learning a new IDE will take a bit of time, but it also appears that the IDE will make moving the project between my desktop and laptop a lot more seamless too.

Monday 9/2

Big code day. The main goal for 9/2 is learning Code Blocks and working on implementation for Boost.Python, it might not be completely ready by Tuesday's class time, but the goal is to figure out the library calls, and if possible work on learning how to write and parse script in Boost.

Boost then messed up all other additional library dependencies, had to return to a previous back up state, and call my functions again.