I Wanna Start Coding!

[MajorShake]

and programming or is that the same thing? the only thing is, i dont even know where to begin? so what should my first step be?

 

[satanic virus]

I used to code BASIC games on MZ-700 and C64 years ago for my own amusement. I took a break and never took up any C+ or otherwise.

As a first step I would recommend downloading developer files, libraries and utilities from the archives. Second, I strongly suggest using an DIY game maker kit (possibly for windows as a starter) to make a quick adventure game/ simple arcade game using the inbuilt tools to learn a bit more about design. Quick results for relatively little effort and no coding experience required (apart from reading the manual!)

Finally, read up as much as possible, and really prepare yourself to make something REALLY simple as a start. If you try to make something brilliant you will probably just end up frustrated and give up (unless you already have some experience?)

As I said, it has been years since I did any programming/coding (i call them the same thing) and it was very simple stuff. I'm sure others here with current experience can point you in a better direction. Good luck if you start, and if you need a tester for any stuff you eventually develop just shout.

 

[tridion]

First, learn C and/or C++. That will take you a while.

 

[ruckage]

Give Fenix a try, particularly if its game development you're interested in. It may seem daunting due to lack of english documentation but once you understand the basics development is relatively quick and easy. I haven't found a game yet that couldn't be made using fenix (apart from 3d games that is).
I'll be releasing a tutorial soon that goes through the process of creating a simple game but in the meantime there are lots of snippets at fenixonfire.

 

[norm]

I'll be releasing a tutorial soon that goes through the process of creating a simple game

sweet - what do you call soon? - im excited now

 

[PokeParadox]

To put things into perspective... You will want to start out with something simply as your first program. This is why the traditional first program is "Hello World"

My first GP2X Program was a port of ASCII Pong... erm no sorry my FIRST program was a crappy demo, that had all GFX mapped out in code since I could get any files to load... But my first game was a port of my ASCIIPong windows game.

 

[Sphinxter]

and programming or is that the same thing? the only thing is, i dont even know where to begin? so what should my first step be?

First you need to build a workstation or adapt a pc into a development environment with all the programming and painting tools required to build a native graphics program, this is where you will do most of your work. Next you will need to use those tools to build a toolchain, a set of development tools for your target embedded system, in this case the gp2x. Once you have all that you create a nice looking program in the native enviromnent but at the resolution of the target system then make the changes like the different input device and compile it with the toolchain, copy it over to the target device and... profit.

 

[ruckage]

I'll be releasing a tutorial soon that goes through the process of creating a simple game

sweet - what do you call soon? - im excited now


As soon as I've made it . Just need to decide what to do.

 

[skeezix]

I'm a wanker, but Coding and Programming are differeint in my (and only my brain .. Coding is the writing of code, progaming is the academic logic of it all. Some peope code, some program, the best do both

Anyway .. getting shit done is like cooking -- its easy to make a sandwhich, but to make a great sandwhich is harder; and to make really fancy gournmey stuff.. it takes time. Like anything else, none of it is hard, once you know it. Like repairing cars. No magic.. just takes time.

So coding is like anything else.. you start small, and it just takes time to write great things. But the small things are still cool .. I like sandwhiches!

jeff

Defining coding when hungry.. mm

 

[P-J]

and programming or is that the same thing? the only thing is, i dont even know where to begin? so what should my first step be?

Why don't you elaborate a bit?

For instance what do you want to code? Games? Applications?

 

[Sphinxter]

I'm a wanker, but Coding and Programming are differeint in my (and only my brain .. Coding is the writing of code, progaming is the academic logic of it all. Some peope code, some program, the best do both

Anyway .. getting shit done is like cooking -- its easy to make a sandwhich, but to make a great sandwhich is harder; and to make really fancy gournmey stuff.. it takes time. Like anything else, none of it is hard, once you know it. Like repairing cars. No magic.. just takes time.

So coding is like anything else.. you start small, and it just takes time to write great things. But the small things are still cool .. I like sandwhiches!

jeff

Defining coding when hungry.. mm

Now I'm hungry.

 

[yaustar]

Assumption: The OP just wants to learn how to program rather then create homebrew for a specific platform.

I would heavily recommend that you learn using a higher level language such as Python, Lua or even Fenix that was mentioned earlier. This languages will help you get a grounding in some of the basics in programming without learning the implementation details.

Most of the stuff you start with will be all in text and it be a while till you re ready to start dealing with graphics and external libraries such as Pygame for Python.

 

[virusx]

Would it be helpful to try to port a very simple program from linux to the Gp2X in order to understand how things are working together and what is the meaning of 'compiling'?

 

[motorollin]

You could learn bits and pieces by porting existing software. But my experience of the last couple of weeks is that it really does help a lot to start from the beginning and follow tutorials to learn the basics. Once you can draw things on the screen and move them around, detect collisions between them and handle input from the player, you have the beginnings of a game.

To answer your question, compiling is the process of converting the source code you have written, which is just text, in to an actual application you can run.

 

[Orkie]

Would it be helpful to try to port a very simple program from linux to the Gp2X in order to understand how things are working together and what is the meaning of 'compiling'?

I doubt it, reading somebody else's code, especially if they are experienced will just confuse somebody who has never programmed before. I use function pointers a lot for example and they aren't exactly a beginner concept. While porting may be good once you've got the basics down to expand your 'vocabulary' and see different ways of doing things, looking through other people's code can be hard for anybody sometimes. Add to that the fact that getting some things to cross-compile is a real pain, and you have a recipe for disaster.

Plus writing your own stuff is much more fun .

 

[virusx]

Thank you for the hints guys
So, no program is going to be easily compiled, as is, except for the Demo program included in the devkit?