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Subject: 
Re: Programming languages
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.robotics
Date: 
Wed, 14 Feb 2001 20:38:08 GMT
Viewed: 
732 times
  
I can only speak from experience about programming languages that use the
standard firmware, since that's all I've used.

*Spirit.OCX (I've used VB and J++): The worst way to program in the standard
firmware.  non-intuitive syntax (even if you replace the numbers with variable
names).  lot's of ugly periods hanging around.  I only learned/used this when I
was making VB programs for all of the robots in my book and putting them onto
the CD-ROM.  Other than that I never use it.  I'm sure some of the GUI
interfaces that people have made for use with the Spirit are pretty good, but I
haven't checked them out for more than a minute each.

*RCX Code: Graphical.  OCX dependency.  The easiest way to write a
quick-and-dirty sequential, simple-multitasking, and simple looping kinds of
programs.  Not good for much else.  Good for kids with low motor
skills/attention span.  No variables (yet) besides a simple counter.

*NQC: There are some things that you can do with NQC that you can't do with
ROBOLAB (I'm not sure exactly what - maybe someone else can elaborate).  Good
if you're already used to C.  I first learned NQC when I translated all of
Dave's programs for his first book into ROBOLAB for his CD-ROM (check 'em out,
I included jpg's too).  It took me a week, and it wasn't a pleasant experience
because I find ROBOLAB much more intuitive.

*ROBOLAB: Graphical, like a flowchart.  Written in LabVIEW.  No OCX dependency.
The best standard firmware solution in my _biased_ opinion.  There are things
that you can do with ROBOLAB that you can't do with NQC (in an out-of-the-box
sense): Internet Communication, Graphing, Calculations on Data, Turn programs
into Web pages, etc.  Very intuitive.

For non-standard-firmware languages, there is YBL (yellow brick logo) from the
media lab, legOS, pbForth, ... ??

In lugnet.robotics, John Barnes writes:
What an interesting question, and I hope it solicits a comprehensive
review from someone who has the breadth to understand and use them
all.

I use nqc all the time because it is SO easy. - thanks Dave!

But, I would like the freedom offered by a development system
which compiles directly to a native binary.

It would seem that you have to be familiar with unix  and its derivatives
in order to be able to accomplish this. My attempts to use LegOS
have been total failures. I have made the suggestion to one or two
people that a CD-R with everything preconfigured to copy to your
hard drive and run would make it much easier to get running. None
of my offered bribes have worked though :(

So, I wait with great interest to see what's out there.

JB


-----Original Message-----
From: Tobias Moller [SMTP:tobias.moller@telia.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2001 1:41 PM
To: lugnet.robotics.rcx@lugnet.com
Subject: Programming languages
Just out of pure curiosity:
How many different programming languages for the RCX exists?
Which is the easiest/most advanced/best? (I know this is a matter of taste)
And is there any language that does *not* use the LEGO firmware?
--Tobias



Message has 1 Reply:
  Re: Programming languages
 
(...) Dont forget Gordon's Brick Programmer (GBP) (though I still have to figure out what routines, tasks and etc. are) --Electro-- (...) (24 years ago, 15-Feb-01, to lugnet.robotics)

Message is in Reply To:
  RE: Programming languages
 
What an interesting question, and I hope it solicits a comprehensive review from someone who has the breadth to understand and use them all. I use nqc all the time because it is SO easy. - thanks Dave! But, I would like the freedom offered by a (...) (24 years ago, 14-Feb-01, to lugnet.robotics)

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