Learning To Port?
- Thread starter Zambaku
- Start date
u9i
Call me Uni
Do you know how to code, use make, compilers and such tools? I don't think using CodeBlocks will help you as most opensource stuff uses makefiles or something. I think it is just a matter of setting up your toolchain, compiling the libraries your project needs and then compile it 
Sounds simple enough, but...
Sounds simple enough, but...
Akabei
Well-Known Member
It would help, if you told us, if you have any experience in coding or start from zero.
R
redlemon
Guest
To be honest I've had some interest in learning enough to port programs to the caanoo. I haven't a whole lot of free time these days but I did Java for a year and a half at collage and wouldn't mind a bit of learning so I could get a better understanding of programming in general.
Optimus
Member
I am curious, would it take enough programming experience for someone to port stuff or not?
It's strange, even if I had coded enough projects from scratch, yet I have never tried to port someone else's work and it scares me, looking at someone else's code, especially when it's much bigger than everything I ever did and especially emulators which also might need hardware tweaking and stuff like that.
It sounds easy for new programmers maybe, because you don't need to know what's underneath, for example you could port a big 3d engine and yet know nothing about 3d math or 3d graphics at all. It could be possible. Maybe an easier way to release something big that could make an impact without having to work too hard. But it still must be challenging. When I get a big code from someone else, it usually doesn't even compile so to speak.
The other reason I am not trying it. It doesn't sound so interesting. I'd prefer to code something entirely from scratch. But maybe I should try one day, to see how hard it is to adapt a big code to a different hardware.
It's strange, even if I had coded enough projects from scratch, yet I have never tried to port someone else's work and it scares me, looking at someone else's code, especially when it's much bigger than everything I ever did and especially emulators which also might need hardware tweaking and stuff like that.
It sounds easy for new programmers maybe, because you don't need to know what's underneath, for example you could port a big 3d engine and yet know nothing about 3d math or 3d graphics at all. It could be possible. Maybe an easier way to release something big that could make an impact without having to work too hard. But it still must be challenging. When I get a big code from someone else, it usually doesn't even compile so to speak.
The other reason I am not trying it. It doesn't sound so interesting. I'd prefer to code something entirely from scratch. But maybe I should try one day, to see how hard it is to adapt a big code to a different hardware.
torpor
hack hack hack, the little machines fight back
You have to be very patient and meticulous about how you work. First, get something written for the Caanoo that will test your environment - maybe a very basic SDL game, first of all, and make sure it works properly. This way you will know your path ahead.
Then when you've got something you want to port, make sure it works on the original non-Caanoo environment first, by building it fresh from scratch, and observing the things it requires to run, and so on.
Then, do a few passes over the code to understand the general layout and flow for how the code works.
You must be able to put two feet on one side of the river, then one foot on each side, then both feet on the other side, before you can reliably hop back and forth between the two banks. I hope that metaphor works.
Then when you've got something you want to port, make sure it works on the original non-Caanoo environment first, by building it fresh from scratch, and observing the things it requires to run, and so on.
Then, do a few passes over the code to understand the general layout and flow for how the code works.
You must be able to put two feet on one side of the river, then one foot on each side, then both feet on the other side, before you can reliably hop back and forth between the two banks. I hope that metaphor works.
i ported a few games to the wiz.
the biggest problem is of the games is, that they are made for a higher screen resolution than the caanoo's small 320x240. so most of the time you need to find out how and also where to resize the game to fit the resolution.
also, mostly opensource applications/games are not designed to be ported codewise. so it's getting a total #ifdef mess throughout the whole code to get your special hacks in.
if you have no experience in programming at all, you should first try to get familiar with the programming language of your choice (that should be C/C++ ), an IDE/text editor, using a toolchain and stuff. then try to compile something simple you know that works on the device; if you're able to get it work, then take the next step; probably add a feature you feel is missing. and so on ...
the biggest problem is of the games is, that they are made for a higher screen resolution than the caanoo's small 320x240. so most of the time you need to find out how and also where to resize the game to fit the resolution.
also, mostly opensource applications/games are not designed to be ported codewise. so it's getting a total #ifdef mess throughout the whole code to get your special hacks in.
if you have no experience in programming at all, you should first try to get familiar with the programming language of your choice (that should be C/C++
), an IDE/text editor, using a toolchain and stuff. then try to compile something simple you know that works on the device; if you're able to get it work, then take the next step; probably add a feature you feel is missing. and so on ...
