Kianna Barbarisi, Rachel Brodsky, Veronica Li || Dr. LaFollette || CIS 1968 || December 2, 2021
Our final project is a game of Jeopardy. It begins with the computer asking the user to choose a category and based on their selection, it asks them a question in that category. The user then answers the question and if their answer is correct, the program awards them a certain number of points. If their answer is incorrect, an equal number of points is deducted. After completing all questions, the user either wins or loses the game and the game ends completely. The computer saves the player’s score throughout and reveals the final score at the conclusion of the game.
During the coding process, we ran into a few obstacles. We were able to write the code but struggled to run it in the terminal. We did not know how to run our program without using the secure shell and tried to transfer it to another computer to use in PuTTY. Eventually, Kianna figured out that we could run it in the Mac terminal without using a secure shell by using the pico command plus the file name. We also encountered a learning curve when trying to incorporate graphics into the project. We struggled with correctly resizing our buttons to fit the screen, as well as with other aspects. We initially wanted to color code the categories, but realized that due to the way we structured our code (more on that later), we would have to go through each button individually. By the end of the process, we realized that we should have made a two-dimensional array instead of hard-coding each button, because it would have made it significantly more efficient and easier to read and edit. With our current code, we had to change the dimensions and text characteristics of each button individually. With a two-dimensional array, we would have iterated through every button instead and we would be able to change button dimensions, text size, and font in a few steps compared to fifty plus. We would have also reduced the blockiness and lengthiness of our code.
We also wanted to add sound to our program but struggled to implement it. It would have had to be in a different class and we could not determine how to form the code. We tried to call the program the sound was in, but it did not run. We tried several other approaches as well, but all were unsuccessful. Due to the fact that we ran out of time, we did not get to include sound in our game.
We learned a lot through this project, such as how to manipulate graphics and how beneficial it can be to step away from code and come back to it with fresh eyes. Kianna spent over a week on a problem that she solved within minutes. Overall, while we encountered some difficulties, the project challenged our problem-solving skills and we were able to work through many of them.