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Format and other fixes in 2020/ferguson1

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Fixed formatting in the markdown files. I did not check for typos due to
the fact I wrote so much (which I'm only sorry about in the sense that
it's too much to go through for almost everyone and this might make some
people miss useful/interesting things. If I had 'more "time" ' maybe I
could shorten it but I don't).

Renamed crazy.log to crazy.log.md. Updated Makefile for the DATA
variable.

Corrected file names in some cases.

Fixed formatting in man page.

There is one other change I have in 2020/ferguson1 but it's also needed
in 2020/ferguson2 so I'll do that at the same time.
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Cody Boone Ferguson committed 2023-04-16 10:09:33 -07:00
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2020/ferguson1/HACKING.md
+170 -138
View File
@@ -1,4 +1,11 @@
## Warning / caveat about this document
# About this document
In this document I provide information to the herpetologist hackers to help them
modify certain things and add features for their studying of snakes. Or if
you prefer you can be the snake studying the herpetologist. Whichever character
you prefer to play doesn't really matter.
# Warning / caveat about this document
WARNING: There are some things cited in this document that are no longer
correct, might be misleading or otherwise not clear. This is both intentional
@@ -7,21 +14,17 @@ something specific. Put another way just because the table says something
doesn't mean it's the whole truth: no misleading comments but misleading
document that talks about some parts of the code!
In this document I provide information to the herpetologist hackers to help them
to modify certain things and add features for their studying of snakes. Or if
you prefer you can be the snake studying the herpetologist. Whichever character
you prefer to play doesn't really matter.
Please do not assume that just because something is in this file means that it's
complete or will work without any changes. As I have changed the game over
development stages some features have been dramatically changed and some of
these ideas could be incompatible now or otherwise impractical. Also you might
find in fact that some of these leave more questions than answers (e.g. some
require making decisions for specific problems one might encounter)!
complete or will work without any changes (see above). As I have changed the
game over development stages some features have been dramatically changed and
some of these ideas could be incompatible now or otherwise impractical. Also you
might find in fact that some of these leave more questions than answers (e.g.
some require making decisions for specific problems one might encounter)!
With that said here's the C sibilancy (the herpetologist programmer's and
snake's syllabary) for all snake and herpetologist programmers alike.
# Modifying and adding additional features to the code
* Modifications
@@ -61,14 +64,14 @@ snake's syllabary) for all snake and herpetologist programmers alike.
- Max times the bug evades before game over
* MODIFICATIONS
# Modifications
Here I include information on modifying the game in various ways depending on
the preference of the herpetologist (or if you prefer you can be the snake
studying the herpetologist).
# Modifying the colours
## Modifying the colours
As I already said I provided a script that prompts you for colours and then
compiles the game with those colours (default if invalid input).
@@ -82,78 +85,88 @@ and background.
To change the colours use the snake-colours.sh or play.sh scripts. Hit enter for
defaults if you don't want to change the colour.
# Background colour of the game field
## Background colour of the game field
I prefer black backgrounds but this is the basic idea behind changing it. You
initialise a pair (make it 5 so as to not interfere with the script
customisability) and then you use the bkgd() function with the colour pair.
Something like this:
init_pair(5, COLOR_BLACK, COLOR_WHITE);
bkgd(COLOR_PAIR(5));
```c
init_pair(5, COLOR_BLACK, COLOR_WHITE);
bkgd(COLOR_PAIR(5));
```
I played with this after winning and I came across some problems with colours
but that changes the background of the program anyway.
The standard colour identifiers are:
COLOR_BLACK
COLOR_RED
COLOR_GREEN
COLOR_YELLOW
COLOR_BLUE
COLOR_MAGENTA
COLOR_CYAN
COLOR_WHITE
```c
COLOR_BLACK
COLOR_RED
COLOR_GREEN
COLOR_YELLOW
COLOR_BLUE
COLOR_MAGENTA
COLOR_CYAN
COLOR_WHITE
```
See Linux Journal for more information:
https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/programming-color-ncurses for more details).
See Linux Journal for more information article
<https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/programming-color-ncurses> for more
details.
# Modifying the characters for the wall, bug and snake
## Modifying the characters for the wall, bug and snake
For the wall, bug and snake body characters you can replace the following in the
source code (include the single quotes) respectively:
source code (**include the single quotes!**) respectively:
'#'
```
'#'
'*'
'*'
'o'
'o'
```
# Modifying input keys
## Modifying input keys
Let's say you don't want to use arrow keys or you don't have arrow keys. Instead
you might want the keys 'l', 'r', 'u' and 'd' for the directions. Find the case
you might want the keys `l`, `r`, `u` and `d` for the directions. Find the case
statements:
KEY_LEFT
KEY_RIGHT
KEY_UP
KEY_DOWN
```c
case KEY_LEFT:
case KEY_RIGHT:
case KEY_UP:
case KEY_DOWN:
```
Replace KEY_LEFT with:
Replace `KEY_LEFT` with:
'l'
```c
'l'
```
(Yes the single quotes matter)
And do the same thing for the other directions too. If you want more than one
and do the same thing for the other directions too. If you want more than one
key e.g. the arrow keys and the letters just add another case statement e.g. for
left it might be:
case KEY_LEFT: case 'l':
```c
case KEY_LEFT: case 'l':
```
Yes the single quotes matter. You can do similar for the other input keys.
Please note that modifier keys like ctrl aren't detectable or at least I'm
unaware of how to do so.
You can do similar for the other input keys. Please note that modifier keys like
ctrl aren't detectable or at least I'm unaware of how to do so.
## Modifying the status/score line (table of variables/stats below)
# Modifying the status/score line (table of variables/stats below)
* SPOILER WARNING
### SPOILER WARNING
Below I give a table of some variables/expressions along with the data types and
their respective format specifiers of the data. Originally it was a lot more
@@ -167,11 +180,15 @@ different sets. Please also be aware that if you don't want any information you
must set it to the below at the very least; defining it without a value is not
enough (it amounts to the parameters to a printf call):
#define J " " );
```c
#define J " " );
```
If you don't care about brief displays of 'o' at 0,0 you can just have:
#define J "");
```c
#define J "");
```
That's the bare minimum. Notice also that it's been a long while since I've
tested this part but I think this is right.
@@ -191,7 +208,9 @@ coordinates of where the snake is plus the other things that are there (a number
of which were added over time). Obviously this would take many bug sized bytes
(bites) even once let alone twice! Thus I made it into a define:
#define J Z(X:%d/%d Y:%d/%d S:%zu/%zu B:%zu\n), Y, y[-2], X,*y,A,g, c);
```c
#define J Z(X:%d/%d Y:%d/%d S:%zu/%zu B:%zu\n), Y, y[-2], X,*y,A,g, c);
```
With the table below you can show a variety of other variables/statistics.
@@ -199,7 +218,7 @@ There's another reason for changing this line though: depending on the terminal
width the line could cover the top wall; this can even happen only part of the
game because the line length is not constant: most of the variables change
throughout the game play and as these are displayed the length of the line
changes. Use `make test' to get an estimate (it's not perfect).
changes. Use `make test` to get an estimate (it's not perfect).
This is not the fault of my entry but rather how text wraps. But this is another
reason it's easy to change: if the terminal size is too short then you can
@@ -215,78 +234,83 @@ For an example this would only include the size of the snake and the number of
bugs eaten (I think I have this correct; I've made many changes to the point of
not wanting to mess with anything that's unnecessary):
#define J Z(SIZE: %zu BUGS: %zu\n), A, c);
```c
#define J Z(SIZE: %zu BUGS: %zu\n), A, c);
```
More generally the following expressions and data types (with format specifiers)
come to mind as information that might be of interest.
DESCRIPTION EXPRESSION TYPE FORMAT NOTES
SPECIFIER
DESCRIPTION EXPRESSION TYPE FORMAT SPECIFIER
Snake size A size_t %zu
Y coordinate Y int %d
of snake head
X coordinate X int %d
of snake head
Max snake size g size_t %zu
Bugs eaten c size_t %zu
Bug line (Y) *U int %d
Bug column (X) *V int %d
Snake size A size_t %zu
Growth size (per N size_t %zu
bug)
Snake size A size_t %zu
Y coordinate Y int %d
of snake head
X coordinate X int %d
of snake head
Max snake size g size_t %zu
Bugs eaten c size_t %zu
Bug line (Y) *U int %d
Bug column (X) *V int %d
(Initial) Snake size A size_t %zu
Growth size (per N size_t %zu
bug)
# Make it so the snake starts at a random location
## Make it so the snake starts at a random location
Quite simply change:
X = H / 2; Y = *x / 2;
```c
X = H / 2; Y = *x / 2;
```
To be something like:
X = R(1,H-1);
Y = R(2,*x-1);
```c
X = R(1,H-1);
Y = R(2,*x-1);
```
Or whatever you might want it to be... (question to answer: will this work at
all? You decide!)
* ADDITIONS (+)
# Additions (+)
Here are some things you could add (including a bit of code).
# Health (and/or Lives)
## Health (and/or Lives)
This was something I thought of a number of times but I opted for other features
instead. Here are some ideas on how one might choose to implement something like
this. Or maybe it's more like what sorts of things do you have to consider and
answer?
(1) If the snake runs back into itself - thus dying - the snake would actually
be slithering inside itself (a rather creepy thought - though they sort of do
when they shed their skin). How then would the lives be of any value? If that
would constitute as running into itself wouldn't it very quickly lose all lives?
0. If the snake runs back into itself - thus dying - the snake would actually be
slithering inside itself (a rather creepy thought - though they sort of do when
they shed their skin). How then would the lives be of any value? If that would
constitute as running into itself wouldn't it very quickly lose all lives?
I can think of a number of ways to answer this question: by defining specific
rules (as in what would be allowed and what wouldn't be) and also by when to
decrement the lives.
I can think of a number of ways to answer this question: by defining
specific rules (as in what would be allowed and what wouldn't be) and also
by when to decrement the lives.
(2) If the snake hits a wall and it's not allowed to where would the snake be
1. If the snake hits a wall and it's not allowed to where would the snake be
placed? This is similar to (1) but maybe not as many things to consider.
(3) Should the snake lose its size? WHAT does having another life even MEAN?
2. Should the snake lose its size? WHAT does having another life even MEAN?
(4) Do you want (you do not necessarily need) a new variable that says how many
3. Do you want (you do not necessarily need) a new variable that says how many
lives you want? Either way probably be good that it can be specified by the
player.
@@ -305,12 +329,12 @@ some other complications.
You could do similar for health only maybe the size of the snake decreases or
you use the variable you would have used for lives to be health instead.
Vital issue to resolve: Where is the snake? And if the snake size is decreased
Vital issue to resolve: where is the snake? And if the snake size is decreased
will you be careful enough that you don't run into the snake where it actually
isn't?
# Saving the game
## Saving the game
A few things would have to be done to do this. Maybe more than a few: some
decisions and some code.
@@ -329,8 +353,8 @@ the number of bugs eaten so far. Alternatively you could have the bug simply be
placed somewhere where the snake isn't after replacing (can you replace
something with itself?) the snake.
Question: Do you have to save the WALLS and other environmental variables?
You wouldn't have to but you could: If you didn't it would mean that the player
Question: do you have to save the WALLS and other environmental variables?
You wouldn't have to but you could: if you didn't it would mean that the player
could change the growth size on another run for example, or they could disable
or enable a feature.
@@ -355,40 +379,43 @@ It might seem like a difficult task but it's actually not that difficult. It
didn't take much time for me to do something like this: as far as saving and
loading the values and even setting up ncurses: I just didn't go beyond that.
Tip: Don't try scr_dump()/scr_restore()/scr_init()/scr_set(). After a quick
Tip: **DON'T TRY** `scr_dump()`/`scr_restore()`/`scr_init()`/`scr_set()`. After a quick
test in the way I have things set up it seems to cause some problems (also
scr_dump() quits the program).
`scr_dump()` quits the program).
You would have to instead identify that restoring is requested, then read in the
file (including the coordinates) and then populate the snake arrays, drawing it
on screen.
# Different types of walls
## Different types of walls
The game has two modes with walls: if you run into it the game is over (you
die) OR you go through it and come out on the opposite side. There certainly are
other possibilities though. Here I give some ideas that could be implemented
(and one I have some code for).
# Different types of walls: Blockades
### Different types of walls: Blockades
Instead of the snake either dying or going through and out on the other side
what if it's just that the snake is momentarily dazed and unable to move again
until it comes round sort of like what happens with some people who pay more
attention to their ruddy phone instead of where they're walking (even when
crossing a busy street!).
I did this once before as an experiment so it can work fine: let's say instead
of the snake either dying or going through and out on the other side what if
it's just that the snake is momentarily dazed and unable to move again until it
comes round sort of like what happens with some people who pay more attention to
their ruddy phone instead of where they're walking (even when crossing a busy
street!).
If you look at the walls code you will see a ternary operator for both X and Y
If you look at the walls code you will see a ternary operator for both `X` and `Y`
coordinates. This of course is very different now but the idea remains the same:
if (p && !(*O>=O[1]||H>=M(1)))
{
if (X<1||X>=H)
X = X<1?H-1:1;
if (Y<2||Y>=*O)
Y = Y<2?*O-1:2;
}
```c
if (p && !(*O>=O[1]||H>=M(1)))
{
if (X<1||X>=H)
X = X<1?H-1:1;
if (Y<2||Y>=*O)
Y = Y<2?*O-1:2;
}
```
You can ignore the first if if you like; I'm not going to explain that part. The
@@ -399,9 +426,11 @@ coordinates to the correct new location.
If however you wanted the walls to act as a barrier you could do something like
this instead (omitting the inner if statements here):
X=X<1?1:*H-1;
```c
X=X<1?1:*H-1;
Y=Y<2?2:*O-1;
Y=Y<2?2:*O-1;
```
Again though that's just the idea; the code is dramatically different. The above
incidentally is not even complete.
@@ -421,22 +450,25 @@ other words the snake will just appear to be not moving as if the game had been
paused.
# Diagonal movement
## Diagonal movement
I said this is impractical so how could it be done? Well you have to decide
which keys would take you up and right, up and left, down and right or down and
left. The trouble is ncurses can't detect both right and up at the same time.
Besides that though it would only be a matter of updating both Y and X
Besides that though it would only be a matter of updating both `Y` and `X`
coordinates rather than just one or the other. That's easy enough to do. The
only impractical part of this is deciding the keys and unfortunately rule 2b
(and probably 2b) would have been broken and so have no chance of winning (now
that I won it's too much effort and I've forgotten some of the stuff too to say
that I won it's too much effort and I've forgotten most of the stuff too to say
nothing of getting the format right).
Anyway it's just a matter of updating both X and Y. But what about going through
walls mode? Does it matter? I'll let you figure it out!
Anyway it's just a matter of updating both `X` and `Y`. But what about going
through walls mode? Does it matter? I'll let you figure it out!
# Special abilities
Looking back at the missing features, this is the feature I wanted more than any
other.
## Special abilities
Could the snake jump over itself if it wanted to? How would this be implemented?
The head would simply be moved one beyond but then you would have to keep track
@@ -446,7 +478,7 @@ actually includes it! Then it would only be a matter of deciding what key does
what.
# Obstacles
## Obstacles
Similar to walls only that it's inside the field. You would have to consider
the behaviour of running into the obstacles: should the snake die? Should it
@@ -457,7 +489,7 @@ character. Also to make it simpler if the walls are passable then so too would
be the obstacles; else you would die (or if you had health/lives then those
would apply).
# More than one bug
## More than one bug
The main thing to consider would be the test if the snake has eaten a bug would
have to check an array (and: how big? Where does the size come from?) as well as
@@ -466,14 +498,14 @@ meaning that if you run into a bug spot that has more than one bug you would eat
that many bugs).
# Power-ups
## Power-ups
You would need to decide what power-ups exist, what they do, how many can there
be (and how many can the snake have at one time), what makes them show up plus
you would have to add code to handle the power-ups.
# Snakeskin shedding (becoming an obstacle)
## Snakeskin shedding (becoming an obstacle)
I.e. at some point the snake would split back to some (arbitrary) size but then
the snakeskin left would act as the snake in the sense that if the snake runs
@@ -483,18 +515,18 @@ slithered out. But that would fill the screen very quickly of course. Maybe the
snakeskin has some other purpose?
# Snake moves faster over time
## Snake moves faster over time
In the game Surround you have no control over the speed. I believe there are
five different speed levels but the player has no control over it except the
drawing mode. It would be possible to make it so the snake moves faster over
time. How often and by what amount would probably vary but importantly it would
need to not go so fast there's no controlling - or go below 0 which puts it in
blocking mode. Probably it would be that it gets faster up to a certain per cent
of the original speed so that it doesn't get too fast. But even that would have
to be customisable.
In the game [Surround](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surround_(video_game) you
have no control over the speed. I believe there are five different speed levels
but the player has no control over it except the drawing mode. It would be
possible to make it so the snake moves faster over time. How often and by what
amount would probably vary but importantly it would need to not go so fast
there's no controlling - or go below 0 which puts it in blocking mode. Probably
it would be that it gets faster up to a certain per cent of the original speed
so that it doesn't get too fast. But even that would have to be customisable.
# Max times the bug evades before game over
## Max times the bug evades before game over
Basically so that the player is on a time schedule of sorts. The same could be
done for maximum number of movements before game over. These would both be