Atari – Xojo Programming Blog https://blog.xojo.com Blog about the Xojo programming language and IDE Mon, 23 Mar 2020 18:19:06 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 #JustCode Challenge Week 8 – JumpStart App Launcher https://blog.xojo.com/2018/08/10/justcode-challenge-week-8-jumpstart-app-launcher/ Fri, 10 Aug 2018 10:10:46 +0000 https://blog.xojo.com/?p=4815 A long, long time ago (1989) one of the first apps I ever made was an app launcher for the Atari ST. I called it JumpSTART. I originally wrote it in GFA BASIC and then later re-implemented it in Pascal (OSS Personal Pascal, technically).

When I got my first modem I went online with Genie and Delphi and uploaded JumpSTART as freeware. Even though it was freeware, I got a few checks in the mail from people that liked it.

I was reminded of JumpSTART when I saw my dock getting crowed. I thought replicating JumpSTART in Xojo would be a good project for week 8 of #JustCode. Though let’s just call it JumpStart this time around.

This is what JumpSTART looked like on monochrome 640×480 screen:

JumpStart in Xojo is greatly simplified and looks like this:

The Xojo version automatically saves and loads the apps you’ve added so there was no need for separate Load/Save, Re-Read buttons. Technically they don’t have to be apps as even a document file can be launched as well.

You can right-click on an app button after you’ve added it to Rename, Change or Clear it so that also removed the need for some UI controls. And you just click on an empty button to add an app to it. When you click on a button with an app assigned, the app is launched and JumpStart hides itself.

This Xojo app demonstrates the use of a Canvas-based button, ContainerControls added dynamically to a window, and saving/loading JSON. The Canvas-based button will let me tweak the display, colors and maybe display an icon there.

You can download the project or check it out on GitLab.

As an added code treat, I’ve posted the original JumpSTart Pascal code to GitHub. FWIW, the original Pascal source is just over 1300 lines of code. The Xojo version is about 180.

Add your #JustCode project to the week 8 forum conversation.

Download and check out earlier projects:

]]> Programming Challenge: 8 Queens Problem https://blog.xojo.com/2017/05/05/programming-challenge-8-queens-problem/ Fri, 05 May 2017 06:00:43 +0000 http://blog.xojo.com/?p=2659 In my Algorithms class in my second semester of college (many, many eons ago), one of the project assignments was to write a program that would find all the solutions to the 8 Queens Problem.

What is the 8 Queens Problem?

If you are familiar with chess, you know that the queen is the most powerful piece on the board. It can move any number of squares in any direction in order to “kill” another piece. The 8 queens problem is defined like this:

“How many different solutions can you find for placing 8 queens on a chessboard so that they cannot kill another?”

Believe it or not, there are quite a few solutions. Back when I was in school, the language of choice for this class was Pascal and I wrote a Pascal program (on my Atari ST) that generated the solutions and printed them to the screen. I got an “A” on it.

A while ago I actually ported this old Pascal program (yes, I still have a copy, which you can download if you’re interested) to Xojo. I updated it a bit to add a graphical view of each of the solutions.

But before I tell you where you can find my updated Xojo solution, think about how you’d solve this using Xojo. Share your thoughts, ideas and projects on the forum.

My Xojo 8 Queens Problem project is included with the Xojo examples: Examples/Sample Applications/8Queens

]]> XojoTalk 029 – I Went to High School with the Apple File System Guy https://blog.xojo.com/2016/09/27/xojotalk-029-i-went-to-high-school-with-the-apple-file-system-guy/ Tue, 27 Sep 2016 14:29:33 +0000 http://blog.xojo.com/?p=1569 In this special episode of XojoTalk, the tables are turned as XojoTalk host Paul Lefebvre is interviewed by Tim Dietrich.

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]]> XojoTalk 026 – Happened by Accident https://blog.xojo.com/2016/06/28/xojotalk-026-happened-by-accident/ Tue, 28 Jun 2016 00:00:00 +0000 http://blogtemp.xojo.com/?p=366 Paul talks with Tom Catchesides of Light Blue Software about how he started using Xojo, the experience of migrating a FileMaker app to Xojo, surnames and retro computers. Don’t miss this fun-filled episode!

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