Tracking save attempts

 

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How can I track number of attempts and save game positions on users hard disk?

How can I track number of attempts and save game positions on users hard disk? In case you need to save game position on user hard disk, the best way to track game states is to use lists. In my example (which you can modify very easy for your needs) there are 9 backgrounds (rooms) with 6 games on each. Each room have 6 button links to 6 games (tasks). Each game you can play only 3 times. After that, if game is not succesfully solved, button disapiers from room (off stage) and you can not try that game until you start game again. The easiest way is to have list with 9 sublist, with 6 elements in each. Like this: set CurrentList=[[0,0,0,0,0,0], [0,0,0,0,0,0], [0,0,0,0,0,0], [0,0,0,0,0,0], [0,0,0,0,0,0], [0,0,0,0,0,0], [0,0,0,0,0,0], [0,0,0,0,0,0], [0,0,0,0,0,0]] I used following notation to track game state: I will write numbers in their positions- 1 – first try 2 –second try 3 – third try not solved 4 – game successfully solved So, if you have sublist like this [0,1,2,3,1,0], 1 on second position means that second game you played once and you have 2 more tries, 3 on fourth pos means that you tried all three times and button link should be taken off from stage. Main list which keeps track score and user name should look like this: set mainList=[["dejan",CurrentList,0]] MainList we will use only when we want to write new data on disk. Each button to call games should have next behavior attached: --********************************************* --BUTTON CONTROL BEHAVIOR --********************************************* --gets values from main list and keeps track for number of tryings property OffStage property mySprite,myLocH global currentlist property gameNumber property MyBackground on beginsprite me set offStage=-900 mySprite=sprite(the spriteNum of me) myLocH=sprite(mySprite).locH end on exitframe me --taking sublist TryList=currentList[MyBackground] --taking game state from sublist TryNumber=TryList[gameNumber] --action depends on game state, if try number is 3,4 or 5 ---button goes off stage if tryNumber=3 or tryNumber=4 or tryNumber=5 then sprite(mySprite).locH=offStage else sprite(mySprite).locH= myLocH end if end on ShowMe me sprite(mySprite).locH=myLocH end on hideMe me sprite(mySprite).locH=offStage end on getPropertyDescriptionList set description = [:] addProp description,#myBackground, [#default:1, #format:#integer, #comment:"Background Number:",#range:[#min:1,#max:9]] addProp description,#gameNumber, [#default:1, #format:#integer, #comment:"Game Number:",#range:[#min:1,#max:15]] return description end This behavior keeps track of number of trying and if finds number 3,4 or 5 in some game position, button take himself off stage. You need two more behaviors which should be applied inside each game, in gameWin frame and gameLoose frame. So, each game should have two ends, one for showing win message and there you can apply gameWin behavior, and one for “sorry you loose” message, where you will apply gameLoose behavior. Here is gameWin behavior: --************************* --gameWin beahavior --************************ property mySprite global currentlist global currentscore property gameNumber property MyBackground PROPERTY MyPoints on beginsprite me mySprite=sprite(the spriteNum of me) --geting trynumber from list TryNumber=getat(getAt(currentList,myBackground),gameNumber) case tryNumber of 0: --if first try we will write back 4 and get maximum points setat(currentList[myBackground],gameNumber,4) 1: --we solve the game in second try and we will write --back 4, and get few points less setat(currentList[myBackground],gameNumber,4) if mypoints=10 then myPoints=myPoints-5 else myPoints=myPoints-10 end if 2: --we solve the game in second try and we will write --back 4, and get more points less setat(currentList[myBackground],gameNumber,4) if mypoints=10 then myPoints=myPoints-8 else myPoints=myPoints-20 end if end case set the text of member "MainScore" to string(myPoints) --updating global currentscore set currentscore=currentscore+myPoints end on getPropertyDescriptionList set description = [:] addProp description,#myBackground, [#default:1, #format:#integer, #comment:"Background Number:",#range:[#min:1,#max:9]] addProp description,#gameNumber, [#default:1, #format:#integer, #comment:"Game Number:",#range:[#min:1,#max:15]] addProp description,#MyPoints, [#default:30, #format:#integer, #comment:"Number of Points:",#range:[#min:1,#max:100]] return description end This behavior updates TryNumbers and writes back 4 at the same place in list. When Button behavior reads 4 from any place, he forces button off stage. WinLoose behavior does not deal with points, and just update TryNumbers and if TryNumber is less then 3 it increments tryNumber by 1. If this was the 3rd attempt it writes back 4 and button will be taken off stage. --******************* --gameLoose behavior --******************* --gets values from main list and keeps track for number of tryings property mySprite global currentlist property gameNumber property MyBackground on beginsprite me mySprite=sprite(the spriteNum of me) sendAllSprites(#TimeElapsed,0) TryNumber=getat(getAt(currentList,myBackground),gameNumber) TryNumber= TryNumber+1 setat(currentList[myBackground],gameNumber,tryNumber) end on getPropertyDescriptionList set description = [:] addProp description,#myBackground, [#default:1, #format:#integer, #comment:"Background Number:",#range:[#min:1,#max:9]] addProp description,#gameNumber, [#default:1, #format:#integer, #comment:"Game Number:",#range:[#min:1,#max:15]] return description end Now, when we created control system which keeps track of how many times we played each game, we only need to create save/load feature. In all 9 rooms we have to create link to save/load movie in MIAW. We need to have one “Save”, on “Load” and one “Delete name” button. Also we need one editable field where user can type his name, and we need one scrolling field for loading procedure, where user can select saved game name, and after pressing load button MainList will be loaded from user hard disk and all buttons with number 4 in list will be taken off stage and score will be updated. But lets go first with “Save” procedure. We need only one editable field and one “Save” button. On editable field you can attach some behavior for restricting some characters, this is optional but recommended. On “Save” button attach following behavior: --************************* --Save button behavior --************************** property mySprite,NewUser,myText global MainList,currentList, CurrentScore,level on beginSprite me set mySprite=the spriteNum of me ReadGlist me end on mouseUp me NewUser=the text of member ("InputNewUser") if newUser="" then alert "Please input your name" exit end if if char 1 of newUser=" " then alert "First char can not be space." set the text of member ("InputNewUser")="" exit end if --adding spaces if user typed in word with less chars then 6 if length(NewUser)<6 then repeat with i=length(NewUser) to 5 newUser=newUser&" " end repeat end if --ACTION adding new user to existing list read from --HardDisk append(MainList,[newUser,currentList,CurrentScore]) sendAllSprites(#updateText) set myText=string(glist) set filepath=ensurePathSep(getOsdirectory())&"())&"ListSavedOnHardDisk.txt " writeToFile mytext,filepath set the text of member ("InputNewUser")="" end on ReadGlist me set filepath=ensurePathSep(getOsdirectory())&"ListSavedOnHardDisk.txt" -- put filepath Filefound=fileexists(filepath) if FileFound then --read list from text file on hard disk and store text in myText set myText= readFromFile(filePath) set the text of member "ShowList"=string(myText) set glist=value(myText) end if end ReadFromFile, ensurePathSep, fileexists and WriteToFile are utilities in movieScript: --************************************************ --write/Read utilities --*********************************************** on writeToFile outputText, saveFilePath -- Use -1 to indicate a failure set resultFlag = -1 set fileXtra = new (xtra "FileIO") if not objectP(fileXtra) then alert "FileIO Xtra not Installed" return resultFlag end if --Attempt to create the file createFile (filextra, saveFilePath) case (status (fileXtra)) of 0 : -- Successful file creation , nothing -122 : -- File already exists. -- Delete and recreate it -- So that it is not mixed with old data in file openFile (fileXtra, saveFilePath, 0) delete (fileXtra) createFile (fileXtra, saveFilePath) if status (fileXtra) <> 0 then put "Error:" && error (fileXtra, status (fileXtra)) return resultFlag end if otherwise: put "Error:" && error (fileXtra, status (fileXtra)) return resultFlag end case -- Open the file with ReadlWrite Access`! -- ualid modes: 0=reacUwrite, 1=read, 2=write openFile (fileXtra, saveFilePath, 0) -- Check if it succeeded if status (fileXtra) = 0 then -- Record the data passed in writeString (fileXtra, outputText) setFinderInfo (fileXtra, "TEXT ttxt") closeFile (fileXtra) return 1 -- Success code else put "Error occurred" && error (fileXtra, status (fileXtra)) return resultFlag end if end writeToFile on readFromFile readFilePathset resultFlag = -1 fileXtra = new (xtra "FileIO") if not objectP(fileXtra) then return Void end if openFile (fileXtra, readFilePathset, 1) set resultCode = status (fileXtra) -- Check if it saocceededit resultCode = 0 then if resultCode = 0 then set returnData = readFile (fileXtra) closeFile (fileXtra) return returnData else put "Error occurred" && error(fileXtra, status(fileXtra)) return Void end if end readFromFile --syntax --set filepath=ensurePathSep(getOsdirectory())&"jaco.txt" on ensurePathSep inPath set PathSep=the last char of the pathname set temppath=inPath if the last char of tempPath<>pathsep then put pathsep after temppath end if return temppath end ensurePathsep on appendToFile myfile if objectP(myFile) then set myFile = 0 -- Delete the instance if it already exists set theFile = the text of field "myfield" -- Put some text into a variable set myFile = new(xtra "fileio") -- Create an instance of FileIO if the moviePath = "" then alert "No moviePath! Please save your movie and try again." else openFile(myfile, the moviepath&"textfile.txt",0) --Open the file with R/W access setPosition(myfile,getLength(myFile)) -- Set position to end of file writeString(myFile, theFile) -- Append text to the file alert "Status: "&error(myFile,status(myFile)) -- display error message end if closeFile (myfile) -- Close the file set myFile = 0 -- Dispose of the instance end on deleteFile myfile if objectP(myFile) then set myFile = 0 -- Delete the instance if it already exists set myFile = new(xtra "fileio") -- Create and instance of FileIO if the moviePath = "" then -- alert "No moviePath. Please save your movie and try again." else openFile (myFile, the moviepath&"textfile.txt",0) -- Open the file delete (myFile) -- Delete the file alert "Status:"& error(myFile,status(myFile)) -- display error message end if closefile (myfile) -- Close the file set myFile = 0 -- Dispose of the instance end on fileExists filename set fileObj=new(xtra "fileIO") if objectP(FileObj) then openfile(fileObj,filename,1) set result=status(fileObj) if result=0 then set found=true else put error (fileobj,result) set found=false end if closefile(fileobj) set fileObj=0 return found end if end fileExists --***************************************** --end of utilities --***************************************** Now we need to create load feature for our project. We need one scroll field and two buttons, one “Load” and one “Delete” button. Here is behavior attached to scroll field: --SHOW NAMES from file global MainList property mySprite,myMember,myUser,MyPoints,mytext,LineNum on beginSprite me set mySprite=the spriteNum of me set myMember=the member of sprite mySprite set myText="" updateText Me end on updateText Me set myText="" --show users and their score repeat with i=2 to count(MainList) set myUser=getat(getat(MainList,i),1) set myPoints=getat(getat(MainList,i),3) set myText=myText&return&myUser&" "&myPoints end repeat set the text of member myMember=myText end on mouseUp me --highlite clicked line hilite line the mouseLine of member myMember -- get clicked lineNum set LineNum=the mouseline --send to all buttons clicked user name sendAllSprites(#OpenClickedUser,LineNum) sendAllSprites(#DeleteUser,LineNum) end When names are stored in scrolled field, when user on some name to load game, information is send to all buttons. Here is a Load button behavior: property ItemNum global MainList,CurrentList,Currentscore,level on mouseUp me set filepath=ensurePathSep(getOsdirectory())&"ListSavedOnHardDisk.txt" --Read list from file on disk set myText= readFromFile(filePath) set the text of member "ShowList"=myText set glist=value(myText) if itemNum>1 then currentList=getat(getAt(Mainlist,ItemNum),2) Currentscore=getat(getAt(Mainlist,ItemNum),3) itemnum=0 end if end on openClickedUser me,ItemN ItemNum=ItemN end Delete user button is very simmilar: global gList,CurrentList,level property deleteflag,whichUser on beginsprite me set deleteflag=false end on mouseUp me --set glist=[] if deleteflag then set filepath=ensurePathSep(getOsdirectory())&"())&"ListSavedOnHardDisk.txt" set myText= readFromFile(filePath) set the text of member "ShowList"=myText set glist=value(myText) if count(glist)>1 then deleteAt glist, whichUser -- put glist itemnum=0 deleteFlag=false sendAllSprites(#updateText) end if set myText=string(glist) set filepath=ensurePathSep(getOsdirectory())&"())&"ListSavedOnHardDisk.txt" writeToFile mytext,filepath --go to 1 end if end on deleteUser me,ItemNum set deleteflag=true set whichUser=ItemNum end So, we created system with several behaviors. All behaviors can be modified very easy and also we can add features to create multilevel game system. We can even add time check to see how many secs player are dealing with game, and if, lets say, user stays more than 10 secs in one game we can treat this like one try. I have applied this system on my latest commercial CD-ROM title for kids, and I added also information on one map about which game I have played and how may times, so kid have complete control over game. For any additional information please feel free to contact me.