I threw a lot at you in the first three days of this course. Yesterday I even suggested you work through the MiniScript Tutorial series. I guess I've been rushing a bit, because I'm eager to get you to the fun part where you're moving sprites around and making "pew pew pew" sounds.
But it's a lot to absorb, isn't it? Sometimes you need to pause and catch your breath.
So let's take today just to catch up, or if you're already caught up, just mess around a bit. Start by reviewing the resources available to you:
- Mini Micro has (in v0.2) 14 demos in the /sys/demo directory. This post explains how to find them. Some are trivial little demos; others are more or less complete games. If you haven't seen them all, spend some time with them. Poke at the code. Have some fun!
- The programming language you're learning is called MiniScript. The MiniScript web site has lots of resources in addition to these forums. Explore a bit.
- In particular, you should probably have the Try-It! page open at all times. Below the code editor and output is a "Help & Information" area that provides handy info on all aspects of MiniScript. You've already used the Tutorial part of this, but when you are just trying to remember how to use maps or something, you're probably better off using the rest of the folders. Explore 'em a bit, and use them when you code.
- Also, download the MiniScript Quick Reference. This is a one-page summary of the language, and a list of most of the built-in functions. It's just enough detail to jog your memory when you've forgotten something. If you have a printer, print this out and tape it up next to your computer!
I'll also mention the MiniScript User's Manual. If you like to read, then curl up in a comfy chair with this one; it explains everything in detail, and in an order that makes for a pleasant read.
As I said to Jodie yesterday: you don't need to remember everything! Looking stuff up as you code is totally normal and absolutely fine. You do want to be able to look stuff up quickly though, so it doesn't interrupt your train of thought too much. So a day familiarizing yourself with the materials above is a day well spent.
Finally, programming is a skill, like playing the piano or cooking. You get good at it by doing it every day. So I encourage you to write something today. If you don't have any other idea, how about a dice roller? Write a program that asks how many dice you want to roll, then generates that many random numbers (using rnd and probably ceil) and adds them up. Post your program below!
Click here for Day 5!
