A new way to program?

[Epoc]

while going over some tutorials, it occurred to me that you can use notepad to program, I actually knew this before, but, it made me think, if there was a notepad app for zune that could create and save .txt files, could you create an interface that can read those files and then use them? the only problem would be the files like pictures, unless zpaint could be integrated. This doesn't seem like it would be something that couldn't work, but eh, just wondering if it is possible/ thought of before. if

[ShotgunSnipist]

Wait...
So your planning to program with the zune?
You mean like type up a program with the zune then save it and use it on the zune as a zune game?

[Netrix]

Actually... I was just thinking about this recently. You could very well so some sort of scripting. An example:

:begin
:int variable
:variable add 5
:variable multi 2
:end

You could have the Zune game read the first line, which tells it to start the script. The second line would tell the game to create a new integer. The third would tell it to add 5 to the variable. The fourth would tell it to multiply the variable by 2. The last would tell it to end the script, of course.

That is just an example... I am sure there is better syntax for such a thing, but the idea is the same.

The practicality of this is questionable, but I think in certain cases it could be useful to an extent. It is also greatly limited in what it can do, because you can not read true C# source code from a text file and have it run it. The source code would have to be compiled. The syntax and functions that we can understand mean nothing to Zune games. Thus, any code that you would want to read from a text file within the Zune game would have to be translated manually via a custom parser that is hardcoded into the Zune game.

This means that you can not create true Zune games within a Zune game.

[Epoc]

well, not necessarily, but something like that. but something of the sort.maybe a similar word selection as in visual studios, make things a little easier. maybe hit play/pause to access it. but really it would be for small app creating, or creating on the go. maybe being able to import half-finished code and being able to edit them? it was more of a question than a current project...

and to netrix, I see... I wasn't positive that it would work, due to the text files being within the game, and doing so without proper loading to the device. it would probably just be a text file within a program without the proper loading through visual studios.

[Netrix]

Originally Posted by Epoc

well, not necessarily, but something like that. but something of the sort.maybe a similar word selection as in visual studios, make things a little easier. maybe hit play/pause to access it. but really it would be for small app creating, or creating on the go. maybe being able to import half-finished code and being able to edit them? it was more of a question than a current project...

and to netrix, I see... I wasn't positive that it would work, due to the text files being within the game, and doing so without proper loading to the device. it would probably just be a text file within a program without the proper loading through visual studios.

Yeah.. You just can not compile source on the Zune. I used to program on my Pocket PC using PocketC. Runtimes had to be installed to run PocketC applications. The runtimes would interpret the code and behave accordingly. Something similar could be done for the Zune.

[Epoc]

Maybe after you've written the program, you can take the .txt file from the game, it can then be synced into the program. maybe it can be used in conjunction with zune home? though again, if you need to sync it with the computer, It wouldn't really be practical, unless you were on a long trip without a computer.

[Netrix]

Originally Posted by Epoc

Maybe after you've written the program, you can take the .txt file from the game, it can then be synced into the program. maybe it can be used in conjunction with zune home? though again, if you need to sync it with the computer, It wouldn't really be practical, unless you were on a long trip without a computer.

At this point, there is no simple way to get files from Zune games and put them on your computer. The only way is to get the data through the debugging trace. Basically, whatever you create in a Zune game stays in the Zune game.

[Epoc]

yeah, I didn't think there was really a way, save z unlocker, and i'm not sure how that would really work in the first place. but anyway, maybe it'll be inplemented in the actual release. eh, who knows...

[Netrix]

Originally Posted by Epoc

yeah, I didn't think there was really a way, save z unlocker, and i'm not sure how that would really work in the first place. but anyway, maybe it'll be inplemented in the actual release. eh, who knows...

Using the HD hack will not give you access to files that are inside your Zune games. They are in a protected part of the hard drive that no one can access through Windows Explorer.

[Anachostic]

Very clever idea; sounds like my QuickExec utility. I don't think the libraries are available on the Zune to do ad-hoc compiling and executing.

[Netrix]

Originally Posted by Anachostic

Very clever idea; sounds like my QuickExec utility. I don't think the libraries are available on the Zune to do ad-hoc compiling and executing.

I was thinking about this because when I am out, I still want to make progress with my 'epic' game that I am making. Right now, I can only run the game and think about what things need to be fixed, but I would just have to try to remember what needs to be done and I often forget a few things before I make it back to my laptop. So I was thinking I could add a notepad into the game, which I activate/deactivate with the back button, since I do not use it in the game (for now). That way I could write down what needs to be fixed and any ideas of which I think when I am out.

That got me thinking about creating text within the game and having the game respond to it.

[DiNoGames]

To be honest, I don't think that this is worth coding it. You will not be able to "make games" on the Zune itself. The notepad as some kind of integration to write down ideas might work, but I'd suggest, before you program a parser that understands simple lines of code, try making a cool game. The "write games on the Zune" thing will definetely not work in a satisfying way. You can't add new graphics or sound and you can't debug. To be honest, you will not be able to do anything on it, except adding some values or similar, but where is the sense in this?

Make games, no useless stuff...

[Epoc]

like I said, I didn't plan on building a portable game programmer, but was curious about if writing a .txt file on the zune could actually lead to having a program run on the zune. if it could work, I suggested having something like zune paint also integrated to create the new graphics, not that that has been released either, but it was just a question, and Netrix had the same idea, so it wasn't like it was a horribly bad idea, just something for programmers on the go, without a laptop.

[itsnotabigtruck]

Yeah, in order to be useful, a script engine needs to be so complicated that it would defeat the purpose in the first place.

Also you can write XNA games entirely using Notepad if you really want to. Visual Studio is just a fancy interface for the C# compiler, which you can run from a command prompt.

[Netrix]

Yeah, I agree with the two of you. I do not plan on making such a parser... It was really just theory. I will probably make the notepad thing as a sort of extension so it could be inserted into any game, since I can use some things from the Book Reader and the keyboard from ZIM.