Learning to program on the Pandora

[Orz]

Hello *Campers*!,

I have had a Pandora for over a year now and the device is extremely useful. However, I have never had a console other than a ps3 and thus I can't emulate anything and there are very few homebrew games for the device that I find enjoyable. I would like to contribute to creating more games for the pandora, but I have close to no programming experience. Can you suggest a  good online course or tutorial that will teach me to program in a useful language that can be used on the Pandora? And is it possible to directly write and compile code on the Pandora?

Thanks for help,

Orz

 

[_jr_]

It is possible to do it directly on the Pandora and several board members (including me) even enjoy it that way. In similar threads python get's the highest number of recommendations and it is readily available on the Pandora, you just need a text editor.


If you actually want to understand software on an abstract level (in contrast to piecing code together by example, which is fine, but a different thing) I'd recommend http://racket-lang.org and the (still incomplete) book http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/matthias/HtDP2e/ (an older complete edition is available from http://htdp.org ).

 

[moxie]

Ooohh! Now, I do love my scheme interpreters with a love purer than snow, but it will take you a long time to go from HtDP to "contributing to create more games on the pandora". There's several threads on the same theme earlier, but the forum search facilities are sometimes a bit...unreliable.

Personally, if you are a complete beginner, I'd very much recommend Python and the two books here:

http://inventwithpython.com/

The first one gives you programming fundamentals whilst writing simple text games, and the second gets you started onto graphical stuff. Toghether, they'll prepare you for heavier stuff ahead. And yes, all you need for programming in python is already on your pandora.

 

[iprice]

there are very few homebrew games for the device that I find enjoyable

Seriously? The Pandora has over 1000 games and apps on the Repo (including ports and ignoring emulation) and has access to games from the Wiz and GP2X via Ginge.

Are you looking for something specific?

Anyway, as for wanting to contribute games/apps to the community - that's an excellent idea and there are so many ways to do so

 

[alxm]

Check out Lazy Foo's tutorials, they're an excellent way to learn the basics of game programming with C/C++ and SDL and they cover everything including setting up your dev environment.

 

[Orz]

Thanks for all the suggestions so far!

I'll definitely read those Lazy Foo's tutorials. They look like exactly what I was looking for.

Seriously? The Pandora has over 1000 games and apps on the Repo (including ports and ignoring emulation) and has access to games from the Wiz and GP2X via Ginge.

It seems like 75 percent of the games on the repo are some form of arcade games, which I don't find entertaining for more than 5 minutes.  Most of the rest are source ports for games I don't have. Yes, there are quite few good homebrew games that don't require game files, like Elite and UQM, but not all of them are that good.

but it will take you a long time to go from HtDP to "contributing to create more games on the pandora"

Yes, I understand that it's going to take a very, very long time to learn to program and start making games for the pandora, and even more time to complete them. Everyone's gotta start somewhere. Maybe if I'm lucky, I can complete my first game sometime at the end of the Pyra's life.

 

[iprice]

It seems like 75 percent of the games on the repo are some form of arcade games, which I don't find entertaining for more than 5 minutes.

So what exactly are you looking for/wanting to create?

Maybe if I'm lucky, I can complete my first game sometime at the end of the Pyra's life.

You'd be surprised. If you are that motivated, then you could have something up and running in just a few days. Obviously starting simple is the way to go and build up to more challenging programs as you go.

 

[_jr_]

but it will take you a long time to go from HtDP to "contributing to create more games on the pandora"

Yes, I understand that it's going to take a very, very long time to learn to program and start making games for the pandora, and even more time to complete them. Everyone's gotta start somewhere. Maybe if I'm lucky, I can complete my first game sometime at the end of the Pyra's life.

This comment wasn't directed at you, but at my suggestion of a scheme derivative. Actually racket and especially the htdp books are very good and I have successfully used these on newbies, but since it isn't available on the Pandora the point is moot anyway. I just mentioned it because there is more to software is than meets the eye and it can be helpful to take several steps back. Htdp is a very good tool for that.

As long as you have fun, everything's ok

 

[moxie]

Actually racket and especially the htdp books are very good

That, I would definitely agree with

 

[FBnil]

Programming is huge... I mean, there are so many libraries and engines that work.

For the things I like, I found these easy. Pygame uses python (which also will help as a language for work). Love is in lua (and I find it an interesting language, however, in the 'real world', I can not find any use for it.).

Both engines produce good results with high framerates, just youtube them for game examples in action.

http://pygame.org/news.html

https://love2d.org/

For 3D there are also lots, take a look at what is ported, like sparrow3D and Ogre (sorry doesnt work on pandora, but still is awesome):

http://pandorawiki.org/Software_projects#Graphic%20Engines

Simple Löve (new engine, not that much found):

https://www.youtube.com/embed/vfOgdEaVBIY?feature=oembed

So start with python as a programming learning stepping stone towards C.