Author Topic: Request for a Java Programmer  (Read 45702 times)

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Offline Hot_Dog

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Request for a Java Programmer
« on: December 17, 2010, 04:30:28 pm »
As many of you know, Correlation is coming out for testing in about a month.  If there are any Java programmers who would like to write a simple, but much-needed application, it would be greatly appreciated.

There are two options available.  It will be "one-or-the-other", since I will not need both.

1. Easier: Create an application where a user can paste text.  The application will alter the text by turning it backwards, and then skipping every 5th, 6th, and sometimes 7th/8th character.  The new text will be available for the user to copy and paste.
2. Create a Correlation Font Compiler.  I wrote one, but it requires .NET, and I am concerned about cross-platforming and all.  I will have the exact .8xp file format provided, so all you would need to do is create the code to accept user values and write an .8xp file.

Thanks for any help!

Offline nemo

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Re: Request for a Java Programmer
« Reply #1 on: December 17, 2010, 04:36:21 pm »
i'm confused when you say you want the text to turn it backwards.
so omnimaga would become agaminmo? and how would the program know whether to skip the 5th 6th 7th or 8th character?

#2 may be easier since it can be done command line style. would it be ok to export it as a .txt file, and then you can just resave it as NAME.8xp?


Offline Hot_Dog

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Re: Request for a Java Programmer
« Reply #2 on: December 17, 2010, 04:41:03 pm »
i'm confused when you say you want the text to turn it backwards.
so omnimaga would become agaminmo? and how would the program know whether to skip the 5th 6th 7th or 8th character?

#2 may be easier since it can be done command line style. would it be ok to export it as a .txt file, and then you can just resave it as NAME.8xp?

Omnimaga would become agaminmo.  The program would skip the 5th/6th bytes if a user specified a font no more than 8 pixels wide, but it would skip every 5th-8th byte if the user specified that the font would be more than 8 pixels wide.

I thought that java could write .8xp files.  Anyways, .txt would be fine, but remember with command line style the user would still need to specify some options

Offline nemo

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Re: Request for a Java Programmer
« Reply #3 on: December 17, 2010, 04:48:14 pm »
can you explain more in detail all pieces of information entered by the user? this is what i have so far:

-wait until the user presses a button...
-ask for the size of the font
-if it's less than 9, read through 4 bytes forwards and write them backwards, then skip 2 bytes (the 5th and 6th).
-otherwise, skip 4 bytes (5th-8th).
-display text, and return to the beginning waiting for a button press.

edit: or if this is what you want then i'll start coding.
« Last Edit: December 17, 2010, 04:48:32 pm by nemo »


Offline Hot_Dog

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Re: Request for a Java Programmer
« Reply #4 on: December 17, 2010, 05:04:18 pm »
can you explain more in detail all pieces of information entered by the user? this is what i have so far:

-wait until the user presses a button...
-ask for the size of the font
-if it's less than 9, read through 4 bytes forwards and write them backwards, then skip 2 bytes (the 5th and 6th).
-otherwise, skip 4 bytes (5th-8th).
-display text, and return to the beginning waiting for a button press.

edit: or if this is what you want then i'll start coding.

:D I admire your enthusiasm, but I want to wait a couple of days to see if there's other people.  Last time I asked for help, I made the mistake last time of "hiring 'too quickly'" when there were so many people who wanted to help. 

Offline nemo

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Re: Request for a Java Programmer
« Reply #5 on: December 17, 2010, 05:06:18 pm »
it's really no big deal. it'll be the most primitive solution, probably. plus i already have JCreator open working on my game... this shouldn't take more than a half hour if all goes well


Offline DJ Omnimaga

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Re: Request for a Java Programmer
« Reply #6 on: December 17, 2010, 06:15:51 pm »
Question, what would be that program for? I am curious about the text inverting part. Is it some sort of font editor?

Offline Hot_Dog

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Re: Request for a Java Programmer
« Reply #7 on: December 17, 2010, 07:00:12 pm »
Question, what would be that program for? I am curious about the text inverting part. Is it some sort of font editor?

If Option #2 doesn't work out, I'll end up using my font compiler, which probably won't work 100% for all computers.  In that case, Option #1--the program in question--will be used for compiling a font manually, which will be necessary for people who can't get my font compiler to work.
« Last Edit: December 17, 2010, 07:00:53 pm by Hot_Dog »

Offline DJ Omnimaga

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Re: Request for a Java Programmer
« Reply #8 on: December 17, 2010, 07:01:17 pm »
Ah ok, so it's the font editor? That's what I was wondering.

Offline Hot_Dog

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Re: Request for a Java Programmer
« Reply #9 on: December 17, 2010, 07:02:26 pm »
Ah ok, so it's the font editor? That's what I was wondering.

I'm sorry if I sound confusing :( Fonts are created and edited using paint programs.  The programs are both used for compiling, not for editing.

Offline nemo

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Re: Request for a Java Programmer
« Reply #10 on: December 17, 2010, 07:05:15 pm »
can i have some test data / expected output?


Offline Hot_Dog

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Re: Request for a Java Programmer
« Reply #11 on: December 17, 2010, 07:12:29 pm »
can i have some test data / expected output?

Okay, eager beaver! ;D  If it's option number #2, you're hired (and thanks!).  But before I can give you the data, I just need to make sure that it's #2 that you're wanting to do.

Offline nemo

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Re: Request for a Java Programmer
« Reply #12 on: December 17, 2010, 07:13:26 pm »
ohh... i just finished number one... i don't anticipate #2 being very hard though.

edit: and what type of data is being entered? integers?
« Last Edit: December 17, 2010, 07:17:36 pm by nemo »


Offline Hot_Dog

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Re: Request for a Java Programmer
« Reply #13 on: December 17, 2010, 07:55:51 pm »
ohh... i just finished number one... i don't anticipate #2 being very hard though.

It's not hard.  It's just that #1 is easier 0_0

Anyways, in case #2 works for you, feel free to do a command prompt or a GUI.

The user selects a monochrome .bmp file to select.  He also specifies the height (from 1 to 16), the width (from 1 to 16), the minimum value (from 0 to 255), the maximum value (from 0 to 255, cannot be less than minimum value), and the program name, which must be EXACTLY 8 characters.

I've attached a sample compiled font, though I don't have the original .bmp with me.

The file format: (Let me know if you have questions)
A star means the ASCII value of the character to be written to the file.
Quotes is a string to be written to the file.
For a double star, convert the two-byte value to little edian, and then write the value to the file

"**TI83F*"
*26
*10
*0
"Ti-83+ Font.  Used by Correlation.        "
** The size of the entire file, minus 57

----------------- (Ignore these dashes)


*13
*0
** The size of the .8xp program
*5
Eight-Character Program Name
*1
*0
** The size of the .8xp program
** The size of the .8xp program (This marks the beginning of the Ti-83+ program)
*User-Specified Width
*User-Specified Height
*User-Specified Minimum Value
*User-Specified Maximum Value
*255
*0       (This marks the end of the Ti-83+ program.)
**Check-sum (Take the sum of all bytes following the -------------, use AND %1111111111111111)
« Last Edit: December 17, 2010, 07:56:57 pm by Hot_Dog »

Offline nemo

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Re: Request for a Java Programmer
« Reply #14 on: December 17, 2010, 08:04:01 pm »
i think i'll stick with the first.. lol. do you have any test data for the first i can use?