[Raynes]

erik.price, on 7 Jan, 2010 - 07:15 PM, said:

Core, on 6 Jan, 2010 - 06:35 PM, said:

For Ruby developers, take a look at this code snippet that retrieves the list of public statuses.

You referenced my snippet!

I like Core's idea of interacting with the Twitter API, it should be interesting to see the different implementations in a bunch of languages

Yeah. I have my own challenge. If his challenge gets posted (and it will, because he is Core) I'll have to implement the Twitter API in Haskell in order to do it. :> Of course, I could probably just steal code from Haskell twitter clients, but it would be more fun to do it myself.

[ladyinblack]

Hi,

Not sure if this is outdated stuff or not, but what about gamedev. It is a game development program more for the non-developers or beginners. Not too much coding involved, but at least it gives some simple coding for moving sprites and stuff.

GameDev

[skyhawk133]

Let me see how next weeks XNA challenge goes to gauge interest then I'll let you know

[milleja46]

skyhawk133, on 7 Jan, 2010 - 12:07 PM, said:

That's a LOT of work for a 1 week challenge and I think would scare a lot of non C++ folks away.

Think simpler.

I agree, it takes alot of time to find examples, just the time required would be a 4 to 8 wk challenge in my head even though it sounds awesome.

[Keiran]

PHP Port Scanner



CHALLENGE: Every network engineer needs a good portscanner. What id you do not have one to have. You know you have PHP to help. This challenge will help you get to grips with th PHP Socket Library and show you how to check for active ports / services

INTRODUCE THE LANGUAGE/TECHNOLOGY:
PHP is the pinnacle of web development. It is almost a must have for all web developers. PHP is very dynamic and has alot of built-in functions for you to use. You can also create your own functions and classes. PHP also has alot of frameworks that are freely downloadable.
PHP is available on all major platforms including but not limited to

• Linux
  
• Mac
  
• Windows
  
• BSD

IDEAS:

• Scan a specific Port range
  
• Command Line Interface using $_SERVER['argv']
  
• Print out open ports only

RESOURCES:

• PHP Website - http://php.net
  
• Sockets Function Reference - http://php.net/sockets
  
• PHP Downloads Page - http://uk2.php.net/downloads.php
  
• An Introduction to Sockets in PHP - http://www.devshed.c...Sockets-in-PHP/

HOW TO GET STARTED:
First install PHP Fairly simple depending on your OS

This will show you how to connect to one port using the PHP command line

Now open a new PHP Document with content as follows

#!/usr/bin/php
<?php

?>

Note #!/usr/bin/php depends on your PHP Directory

Now We must check our arguments

NOTE : $_SERVER['argv'][0] is the script name

#!/usr/bin/php
<?php

if(count($_SERVER['argv']) < 3) //We have 2 arguments but argv[0] is the script name
{
    die("Usage : " . $_SERVER['argv'][0] . " <HostName> <Port>")
}
else
{

}
?>

Now we will go on to checking a connection

#!/usr/bin/php
<?php

if(count($_SERVER['argv']) < 3) //We have 2 arguments but argv[0] is the script name
{
    die("Usage : " . $_SERVER['argv'][0] . " <HostName> <Port>")
}
else
{

//Connection Check
   if(fsockopen($_SERVER['argv'][1],$_SERVER['argv'][2],$errstr,$errno,30))
   {
       print("Connection on " . $_SERVER['argv'][1] . ":" . $_SERVER['argv'][2] . "" is OPEN);
   }
   else
   {
       return false; //Port is Closed / inaccessable
   }

}
?>

[Raynes]

skyhawk133, on 8 Jan, 2010 - 07:04 AM, said:

Let me see how next weeks XNA challenge goes to gauge interest then I'll let you know

Aw man! Next week's challenge is an XNA challenge? :\

Another one I wont be doing. ._.

[robert_edgar]

CHALLENGE TITLE Robocode

INTRODUCE THE LANGUAGE/TECHNOLOGY: from the robocode wiki...

What is Robocode?

Robocode is a programming game where the goal is to code a robot to compete against other robots in a battle arena. The player is the programmer of the robot, who will have no direct influence on the game. Instead, the player must write the AI of the robot telling it how to behave and react on events occurring in the battle arena. So the name Robocode is a short for "Robot code".

The game is designed to help you learn Java, and have fun doing it. Robots are written in the JavaTM Programming Language, and the Robocode game can run on any operating system supported by the Java Platform, which includes all common operative systems like Windows, Mac OS X, Linux etc.

Robocode's battles take place in a battlefield, where small automated 6-wheeled robots fight it out until only one is left. Please notice that Robocode contains no gore, no blood, no people, and no politics. The battles are simply for the excitement of competition that we love so much. There are explosions, however, but these can be turned off if they are offending. :-)

IDEAS:

* DIC Robocode championship?!
* Challenge your friends!


RESOURCES:

wiki

Download link

HOW TO GET STARTED:

Download from sourceforge, loads of tutorial links are on the wiki

Build the best, destroy the rest!

[Theaegd]

Quote

Aw man! Next week's challenge is an XNA challenge? :\

Another one I wont be doing. ._.

what did it ever do to you?

[Raynes]

Theaegd, on 9 Jan, 2010 - 09:31 AM, said:

Quote

Aw man! Next week's challenge is an XNA challenge? :\

Another one I wont be doing. ._.

what did it ever do to you?

I run Linux bro. Don't really want to bother trying to get that stuff to run in Mono.

[dsherohman]

Theaegd, on 9 Jan, 2010 - 05:31 PM, said:

Quote

Aw man! Next week's challenge is an XNA challenge? :\

Another one I wont be doing. ._.

what did it ever do to you?

Chain itself to one platform[1] and refuse to support anything else.

I use an (admittedly rather old) G4 PowerBook at home and run my servers on Linux. Anything Windows-only shuts me down cold.


[1] Or one tightly-knit family of platforms, depending on whether you see XBox and Zune as extensions of the Windows platform or as distinct platforms unto themselves.

[NickDMax]

Raynes, on 8 Jan, 2010 - 10:06 PM, said:

skyhawk133, on 8 Jan, 2010 - 07:04 AM, said:

Let me see how next weeks XNA challenge goes to gauge interest then I'll let you know

Aw man! Next week's challenge is an XNA challenge? :\

Another one I wont be doing. ._.

Although I don't know if I will be doing the XNA one either -- I think that just spending a couple of hours to hack away at something new is excellent experience. I was not too enthusiastic about the JQuery challenge but I found that hacking away a the DIC interface was fun. I learned a little about how DIC's rss feeds work, I got a chance to practice a little at Ajax, not to mention working with some JQuery events... It was fun.

Besides I suppose you could look at it this way: i bet you are excited to see some people try their hands at some functional programming -- you could at least be polite enough to tolerate brief excursions outside of your comfort zones.

SO I do hope that you will participate in SOME that are a little sideways for you.

Quote

I run Linux bro. Don't really want to bother trying to get that stuff to run in Mono.

But if you have no windows box, well you have no windows box... nothing to be done about it

[llemes4011]

I looked at the 2008 MDC video of the F# presentation last night, and it looked like it could be a pretty useful language. I would love to see someone write up a challenge using F#. I haven't written anything in it, and it seems pretty new, so a lot of people probably haven't. I would be good for everyone (minus linux users - sorry guys, I'm usually pro-cross-platform) to try out a reletivly new language. If I get around to using it, I'lll write up a challenge for it, but it wont be for awhile.

[NickDMax]

CHALLENGE TITLE: JavaME



CHALLENGE: Write a basic APP for a CellPhone or Mobile device using JavaME

JavaME is one of the most widely used Mobile development platforms. Developing JavaME Applications is not very complicated and its one app that you can take with you and show all your friends (like pictures of the kids). Since JavaME development kits come with phone emulators you don't even have to own a mobile device to participate.

RESOURCES:
to be determined (should this challenge be accepted)

HOW TO GET STARTED:
The most compilcated part of developing a basic JaveME application is setting up an environment. If this challenge gets accepted I will write a brief description of how to get setup in Windows and Linux using this Hello World example snippet. (Sorry Mac guys -- MacOS is too expensive to get a VM running with it).

[Erayan]

Hi,

here's my idea..


CHALLENGE TITLE Ogre 3D (Object-Oriented Graphics Rendering Engine) (v1.7 ofc, it's only source now svn: https://svn.ogre3d.o...e/branches/v1-7 ~74MB)



CHALLENGE: Try to simulate/display a small 3D scene using windows, ogre and C++ (or an port of ogre to an other language or platform(ex: iPhone))

INTRODUCE THE LANGUAGE/TECHNOLOGY: Ogre is an object oriented 3D engine written in C++.
for more info I read below

IDEAS:

* Load 3D scene
* Camera Movement with mouse and keyboard
* Little Interactive scene
* Breaking stuff (procedural)(advanced?)

RESOURCES:
http://www.ogre3d.or...ual_1.html#SEC1 (very long manual)
http://www.ogre3d.or...x.php/Main_Page (Wiki)
http://www.ogre3d.or.../Ogre_Tutorials (Tutorials on the Wiki)
http://www.ogre3d.org/ (Homepage)
http://www.ogre3d.or...Ogre_With_CMake (how to build from source)

HOW TO GET STARTED:
(see the tutorials link above start in the left upper corner with Setting up an Application)

download it here: http://www.ogre3d.org/download
I'm really unable to write a getting started tutorial because I don't really know the technology.
it's a challenge for me also.

This post has been edited by Erayan: 10 January 2010 - 01:16 PM

[LeisureProgrammer]

@robert_edgar, Robocode sounds like a really nice idea. Oooo maybe we DIC heads should submit a robot each, and a mod/admin will battle them and tell us who wins XD