flowcode for computercraft turtle programs

the majority of players who have the mod installed do not take advantage of it because of the complexities involved with coding. simplifying this will make not only computercraft much more accessable to the masses but bring more popularity, interesting CC programs to the community, and would allow vetran cc coders to make some very impressive programs quickly.

so heres my suggestion, make an open source program to run on java (multiplatform support) to visualize coding, for a turtle or just a standard console to compile code to pastebin. for the user to then download to the turtle running the pastebin program.

what kind of program you ask? well if any of you have had experince programing microcontrolers, you know that making a lua script for computercraft is very similar. there is a program out there named flowcode for programing of microcontrolers that takes all the typing out of programing, and instead replace it with buttons to pull down preset logic, or functions, that a beginer level person can pick up easily, and start making their own code. if you do this it will also need a 3d block map for pathing and shaping structures or dig patterns, and a simulator.

the open source bit will allow the community of coders here to help develop it as it would be a fairly large undertaking, not to mention updating it everytime a new peripheral comes out.

the way i see it comptuercraft feels half finished, and this would be a step in the right direction to make turtles fun for everyone. this would also work great for redpower control but theres no froums for the mod, so their loss.

flowcode example
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWKAZ-XQhUQ[/media]

Too much efforts to visualize…
Too much efforts to recode…
Too much efforts away from coding :(/>

Think better. It slows programming really.

scrap the multiplatform support (java) and grab an open source lua compiler to look at in a more common language making something like this would be drasticly easier.

makes things slower? only after you learn how to use it then you will be faster since it will take typing the niceties out, allow you to test your code before puting it on your turtle, and im sure there will be a way to type in sections of your own code…

aside from that no one will be forcing you to use the program, you still have your notepad ++

still all hypothetical ofcourse.

Or, you know, just wait for Tomass1996 to add peripheral / turtle support to CCEmu, which I believe he's been planning for a while.

You can already use any exterior development environment and emulator you wish to develop/test code without running CC…as long as it uses/generates Lua (rather than C or whatever). There is no need to alter the core mod to accommodate this suggestion.

tiin57, on 02 February 2013 - 09:52 AM said:

Or, you know, just wait for Tomass1996 to add peripheral / turtle support to CCEmu, which I believe he's been planning for a while.

I've actually been planning - except I have been (and still am) waiting for Tomass to do a rewrite of everything.

And with regards to flowcode, I don't think this fits under "don't suggest another language", but I'm not sure it'd be implemented to be honest.

ComputerCraft isn't "half finished" just because you want a GUI to do this for you. I don't deny there are merits, but I think it is ultimately useless.

This is a stupid suggestion. If you're too lazy to learn Lua, get out.

My opinion is that being hard to program is good. It gives us a challenge and if it was so easy, not only would we get bored of it, but the programs could be a bit op compared to other mods. However I think it is just easier to write it yourself, as a computer does not know how to do everything. Our minds are the beings up for that task :)/>