i don't like c# as it's just so silly in places, and everything is so different from original C/C++
So? Just that it's different doesn't automatically make it silly. After all, it's a separate language and so it doesn't have to be similar to C/C++. One of the main goals of C# is to be more "robust" than C/C++. If you think about that, then it isn't so silly at all that you can't do destructor-based programming because of the garbage collector, or even that "switch" assumes "break" unless the programmer uses "GOTO case".
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Hi! Me and two others on my project have decided to create a website for children to entertain and teach them an easier way to learn.
We are programming in Visual Web Developer, Language C#
And we are mainly going to use stuff like Arrays and Session Variables.
Going to make "programs" like;
* quiz
* Secret number
* Story generator
* Math problems
So any suggestions on what else we could do or further problems would be great!
What's the goal of your project (i.e. what will you get good grades for)? To make use of particular programming techniques in a clever way ("Visual Web Developer, Language C#", "Arrays and Session Variables") or to actually make a good website ("create a website for children to entertain and teach them an easier way to learn")? If it's the latter, then I think you're already failing. "quiz", "Secret number", "Story generator", "Math problems" and similar things don't necessarily teach anyone anything about how to learn learning. Of course, since we're talking about "children" (a term which can mean many different types of user) here, you can't just go ahead and explain how to learn, most children would probably not be interested in that kind of "training". Instead, you can reach your goal by making children experience that it can be fun and useful to learn, for example by telling an interactive story in which a cat can be saved from a tree by solving a math problem (this is probably a bad example, the story MUST be highly entertaining and funny, or otherwise the child will get bored easily).
you'll want big colourful (yet tasteful) buttons and an easy to see cursor for a start
Not necessarily. The goal isn't to have big buttons, it's to make the software easy to use for children. So, the goal simply is to create a navigation that even people who have never used a website or even any electronic device before can use (in other words, a navigation just like any other good navigation
). Children typically aren't blind and/or dumb, they may just lack experience and interest. Children who will be using the website will either a] know how to use the Internet or b] have someone next to them who showed them how to get there. You can start from there, because IF the child doesn't know how to use a website, a real person who already knows the child and can see the child's reactions will be able to explain how to use a website better than you ever could do through the website (This is not an excuse for bad design though!).
The other effect that "beautiful" buttons can have when you're working with children is to make them want to click these buttons. In any case you want to make clear that buttons of a particular menu (including the "main menu") "belong together", for example by not giving every button another color (unless for some carefully sorted out stylistic reasons or to make the brain associate a particular button with specific hints).
Also, when making websites, never EVER do you want to mess around with user preferences, e.g. by dictating the use of a specific cursor symbol/size or using a fixed text size. Even if you absolutely HAVE to, it's typically only acceptable for a limited period of time, and only if no other solution can be found.
