Robocode
From CNUpedia, an IEEE Innovation.
Robocode is a combat simulation engine in which robots with certain basic abilities are programmed with an A.I. and made to spar off against one another. The simulator and AI framework are implemented in Java, with the result that one can access many of Java's benefits, such as portability and relative simplicity. It has also been tuned to be easy to understand by those learning how to program, and it is therefore an ideal tool for instructors.
CNU IEEE, in conjunction with the computer science faculty, plans to host competitions. It is for this reason that it has been seen a required topic in some courses.
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Obtaining Robocode
These instructions are for those interested in getting their own copy. Note that the Computer Science Lab Macs for the PCSE Department have a pre-installed copy, available for those with account access, and so it may not be necessary to get one's own.
Before one can get Robocode working, it is necessary to download Java, which can be done here at Sun's website. Either the Developer's Kit or the Runtime Envionment should be fine. Or one can look here for a more automated process of downloading the Runtime Environment.
This leaves getting Robocode itself! The official website for Robocode is hosted on Sourceforge. There is a link "Get Robocode!", which when followed, leads through pages to a download of the pre-compiled version. Those interested in the source code need to access the cvs mechanism built into Sourceforge.
Robocode now requires configuration. It is necessary to decide which compiler to use, at least, if one is going to build robots: If the Development Kit isn't available, then the IBM compiler shipped with Robocode should be used. It is also worthwhile checking to see if visible scan arcs are enabled under Options->Perferences: On some systems this causes a great deal of slowdown, while it is harmless and pretty on others.
Once Robocode and Java are both downloaded, installed, and configured, it is optionally possible to search through the Robocode Repository and the wikipage for additional code and resources. Note that Robocode comes with its own sample robots and a well-documented API.
