Pandora Easiest Way For A Vb.net / Blitzmax Dev To Get Into Pandora?

[scottm]

Hi,

I program in vb.net (and a little bit of c#) at work, and at home I've coded a couple of games in Blitzmax (for the recent retro remakes comp). So my question is what's the easiest way for me to get into programming on the pandora?

Is there any chance blitzmax could be converted to run under Pandora (I'd love to be able to convert my 2 games to work on Pandora)? Or are there any basic type languages that are going to be coming out on Pandora?

I'd really rather not have to learn c++ if I can help it

I've had a quick look at python / pygame - but to my untrained eye the syntax looks very similar to c++

 

[Calmatory]

How can language's syntax be the reason for not learning it - especially when the syntax is very neat?

...even forces to indent... :love:

 

[GernotFrisch]

GLBasic might be worth a try.

 

[sindbad]

Python is VERY different from C++. It's much nicer C# and Java and most certainly nicer than C++. I suggest you try it for a bit. This will help http://www.greenteapress.com/thinkpython/ even if you are experienced in programming and so will the official python tutorial.

If you don't end up using python for any reason, there's also Mono, which will allow you to use C# on the pandora.

 

[argor]

well for c# mono will be available on the pandora
so you can use it

 

[bencoder]

I've had a quick look at python / pygame - but to my untrained eye the syntax looks very similar to c++

It's really not. Python is a wonderful language and I also dislike c and c++ a lot.

 

[Klepto]

How can language's syntax be the reason for not learning it - especially when the syntax is very neat?

...even forces to indent... :love:

Funnily enough that's the very reason I've not learned python. I had a bad experience with COBOL once, since then the idea of using indentation as syntax scares me. It seems a nice language and certainly has a lot of mindshare, but using layout as syntax is just plain wrong IMHO.

Disregarding the above, python/pygame would seem ideal for your requirements, as would ruby/rubygame. Will there be a version of Fenix for the Pandora?

 

[Username]

I only know some vb.net and how to use that stupid game maker. Are there any good python tutorials?

 

[sindbad]

Funnily enough that's the very reason I've not learned python. I had a bad experience with COBOL once, since then the idea of using indentation as syntax scares me. It seems a nice language and certainly has a lot of mindshare, but using layout as syntax is just plain wrong IMHO.
I found it weird at first, but it's actually a lovely feature. Just try it

You should also be able to develop and compile the VB.NET on windows and have it run on Mono. Somebody else around here tried that and it worked on my Mono.

 

[benjymous]

Is there any chance blitzmax could be converted to run under Pandora (I'd love to be able to convert my 2 games to work on Pandora)? Or are there any basic type languages that are going to be coming out on Pandora?

Looking at the Blitz website, they already have Linux runtimes for Blitzmax, so it would be possible for them to make everything work on the Pandora (it would probably just need a recompile at their end). Of course, as it's not open source, this means it is only possible if they do it, so you could contact them and ask!

I'd really rather not have to learn c++ if I can help it

If you can get your head around C#, then you'll find C++ isn't that much different, really. If you're struggling with C#, there are an assortment of tools out there than can convert vb.net code into C# for you, so you could easily write some vb code, convert it to c#, and compare the two side-by-side to learn the differences

 

[bencoder]

Also: Pascal, which has a verbose kind of basic-like syntax, you might want to try that. look into free pascal and get the arm cross-compiler to compile to the Pandora. You'll also want to get the SDL libs from Jedi

 

[scottm]

Thanks for the updates guys.

I think I'll check over at the Blitzmax forum to see if there is any chance they'll do a port - unlikely, but if you don't ask.

Failing that I'll check out python and mono

Cheers

 

[Sphinxter]

Go with C, much easier than it's derivatives, think of it as just visual basic with plenty of rope. Only 28 keywords, they don't come any smaller than that.

 

[dentrado]

Go with C, much easier than it's derivatives, think of it as just visual basic with plenty of rope. Only 28 keywords, they don't come any smaller than that.

But simple syntax doesn't always mean easy to code in, just look at brainfuck.

 

[CyruzDraxs]

Another vote here for Python.

It and Pygame. You will actually enjoy doing menial programming tasks.

Seriously, I don't know what it is about that language, but it seems to have this magical power to make me not break my keyboard in half over my knee every time I attempt to make a dynamic array out of an object. (Note to C++ users: I'm sorry for bringing back those horrible memories.)

 

[Chaosstorm]

ive downloaded pygame 1.8 and python 2.6.. but how the heck do you make a game in such a program??.. i dont get any of it.. and yes i have never really programmed any thing ok i know "hello world" but never got really gotten into it with all those things that you need like compilers and i dunno what you need more..

ok maybe i should've made my own tread on this forum :rolleyes:

 

[Klepto]

Go with C, much easier than it's derivatives, think of it as just visual basic with plenty of rope. Only 28 keywords, they don't come any smaller than that.

I'd argue that Forth is smaller, but then again I'm a Forth nut so I would say that. The Machine Forth dialect has only 27 words.

But simple syntax doesn't always mean easy to code in, just look at brainfuck.

...which IIRC is a parody of Forth

but how the heck do you make a game in such a program??
Spend a couple of thousand hours learning and you'll be well on the way

 

[CyruzDraxs]

ive downloaded pygame 1.8 and python 2.6.. but how the heck do you make a game in such a program??.. i dont get any of it.. and yes i have never really programmed any thing ok i know "hello world" but never got really gotten into it with all those things that you need like compilers and i dunno what you need more..

ok maybe i should've made my own tread on this forum :rolleyes:

Get this.

 

[Sphinxter]

Go with C, much easier than it's derivatives, think of it as just visual basic with plenty of rope. Only 28 keywords, they don't come any smaller than that.

I'd argue that Forth is smaller, but then again I'm a Forth nut so I would say that. The Machine Forth dialect has only 27 words.

But simple syntax doesn't always mean easy to code in, just look at brainfuck.

...which IIRC is a parody of Forth

but how the heck do you make a game in such a program??
Spend a couple of thousand hours learning and you'll be well on the way

Sure, I remember forth, easy learning but can't seem to recall many video games written in it.

 

[plopperz]

QUOTE

ive downloaded pygame 1.8 and python 2.6.. but how the heck do you make a game in such a program??.. i dont get any of it.. and yes i have never really programmed any thing ok i know "hello world" but never got really gotten into it with all those things that you need like compilers and i dunno what you need more..

ok maybe i should've made my own tread on this forum :rolleyes:

Get this.

There's also a good eBook online that I've been using called How to Think Like a Computer Scientist. After that you should be OK with getting into Pygame and such.