New coder needs help
 

Title says the right thing:) Im a new coder (in c++) i need some help to start it off. I've been reading that a good way to start off with making bots is copy paste or somthing like that and try change some lines and see the diffrence. Well... I've tried it. also i dont know any place to start so if anyone know this.

Is there any totorials on the web that helps on getting out basis of the c++ coding? or is it worth to buy that book and read it?

If there are any good sites to get basis(maybe some more) can you please post it. needed:)

Re: New coder needs help
 

It is certainly worth it to buy a book and read it !!

You should get yourself a good reference manual for the C language. Once you know C well, C++ will flow like water. The best reference manual I've read so far is "C: A Reference Manual (5th edition)" (http://www.careferencemanual.com). Note that you'll also need a tutorial book, because a reference manual will tell you how to use the C standard libraries efficiently, how to write clean code and what is the state of the art in programming, but it won't tell you the basics if you've never written some sort of computer program before.

I don't know any good C tutorial book (I sorta didn't need one). But what I would find of the highest importance in such a book would be that the book goes at such a pace that the reader understands fully, *totally*, what he is doing. Everytime. Else you'll end up wrapped in class creation wizards, third-party tools that are supposed to do the work for you and MFC, and in the end you won't understand half of what you code.

What are you experienced in ? PHP ? Javascript ? BASIC ? programmable calculators like Casio or TI ? If you're *completely* new to programming, it won't be easy for you if you start off hacking a bot.

If you want to hack one, perhaps the simplest one for you is botman's HPB_bot template (not the full release).

Re: New coder needs help
 

I came from a php background (self taught) and my first attempts at C were with botmans HPB_bot the full version, not the template. PHP and C are similar enough to have some idea whats going on. I wont pretend to be a great C programmer but I manage to get along ok now. Biggest hurdle for me was learning my way about the SDK and how to access various pieces of info from the half-life engine.

Re: New coder needs help
 

well.. i have a bit experience in C#,

i got some more experience in Javascript, BASIC and some C.

Is there any tutorial's on the net that would help me a bit?

Re: New coder needs help
 

Whoa, C#, Javascript, BASIC and C ? You don't need any tutorial dude :) Trust me. Download the HPB_bot template and hack away :)
Start by finding your way around it, and do simple things first. Figure out where are the timers that make the bots chat, for example. Then make them chat a bit more on different occasions. Or try to improve their weapon usage. Or change the welcome text into a glowing text (compare with the source code of other bots)... there are a lot of things to do. Just be creative ;)

Re: New coder needs help
 

http://www.cplusplus.com
http://www-ccs.ucsd.edu/c/index.html

Re: New coder needs help
 

Well ive done it just seems so difficult... The only things i know the change is, server commands like "addbot" weapon skills and text and some very simple stuff. but well thats a start

@koraX

thanks i will be looking at the links

Re: New coder needs help
 

I need help again.

Well I have been reading much about c++ now and c(didnt know so much about c) and i got very good informations and readed some AI guides.

i downloaded potbot 2.6 source and hpb_bot template #4
Well my problem is the files not work anymore.. they been corrupted... everytime i open the file it says somthing strange. but another way i can do this on works.
but i dont know i shall compile the things i made everytime i compile i get a very small dll contains nothing. anyone got this problem or know how to fix?

Re: New coder needs help
 

You don't really need to learn C first.

Re: New coder needs help
 

you learn more from doing things then from reading about it. I'd say, go hack any bot source you can find and use the book as reference.

Re: New coder needs help
 

Well now i done it:P

but my question was... i cant go hack podbot 2.6 source or hpb bot template. it says the files are corrupted or missing while i still have them... anyone can help me on that?

Re: New coder needs help
 

copying new versions over the top might help

Re: New coder needs help
 

What is the exact message you get ?

Re: New coder needs help
 

Well i am danish. i dont know the exact translate but its says:

The file didnt get found.
or
The file is corrupted.

i am able to open the file and get into the solution window.(im using Microsoft Visual Studio) and i see the cpp. and h, files but when i open them i get the errors

Re: New coder needs help
 

There is probably a problem either with your unpacker (unzipping software) or the file has been corrupted while downloading. Try downloading it again and unpack it with the latest version of WinZip or WinRar.

Another problem, would be that your Visual Studio installation is corrupted. Try reinstalling Visual Studio too.

Re: New coder needs help
 

i dont really think its my Visual Studio. i am able to open all other files even yapB and podbot 2.6mm. but not hpb bot template or podbot 2.6 source.

either anything wrong with my files ive been trying to redownload them 3 times. no changes... i am able to open them single. but i cant open the completed file that one i can build the dll with. any other way to make the file?

Re: New coder needs help
 

I wonder why that happens. CPP and H files are just plain text, so that doesn't really make sense.

Re: New coder needs help
 

WinZip and WinRAR are all non-free sharewares. Try 7-Zip instead:
http://sf.net/projects/sevenzip
pure technically... zip files compressed by 7-Zip is slightly smaller than those by WinZip and WinRAR.

Re: New coder needs help
 

i allready got WinZip. and i can see all the files... i are not able to open the project. i can only open the cpp. and h. files. but the full project together is unavaible. i arent able to build the dll file that i need to see the changes

Re: New coder needs help
 

oh, an idea.
Maybe it's been encoded in UNIX format. Check if the end of line characters are LF or CRLF. They should be CRLF (0x0D0A) because Windows is touchy on this point.

Re: New coder needs help
 

Ouch. Im bad at theese for shorted words. LF and CRLF never heard of them...

but. i've should have solved the problem now... i got a new message when i open the project now.

somthing about source control i need to install i will that it says it require and see if it helps:)

Re: New coder needs help
 

the shorted words are from good old times where you had 'mechanical' printers

CR carriage return
LF Line feed

Re: New coder needs help
 

Didn't you mean "Type Writers"
Printers are still mechanical imho.
There's impact vs none impact printers tho.


@haha.
I don't think source control is required to open up HPBbot template in MSVC.
Double clicking the .dsp or .dsw file should work.

Re: New coder needs help
 

yep, right, just to lazy to look that up :)

Re: New coder needs help
 

@Cpl. Shrike
Well still no change.

Error on dsw.
The project file 'C:\Documents and Settings\preload\Lokale indstillinger\Temp\_tc\HPB_bot\dlls\HPB_bot.dsp' has been corrupted and cannot be opened

Error on dsp.

The file didnt get found´

*edit
sry9_9

anyway works now:) thanks for help

Re: New coder needs help
 

Did you find what went wrong ???

Re: New coder needs help
 

I found the problem : when it happens, delete the .dsw file and opens the .dsp one. MSVC will recreate a .dsw file. The "source control" (Microsoft's equivalent for CVS) parameters are stored in the .dsw, not in the .dsp, that's why.

Re: New coder needs help
 

ok. thanks:)