[Tutor] Help Designing a simple Program called Life

[bob gailer]

On 2/22/2012 1:50 PM, leo degon wrote:
> Hello All,
>             My name is Leo.
Hi Leo & Welcome to Python help.

We are a few volunteers who like assisting others.

A few guidelines:
- always reply-all so a copy goes to the list
- reply in-line rather than at the top.
- if your code is large put it in a pastebin on the web and post the link.
> I'm just beginning to learn python. I am learning on my own and have 
> no previous programming experience. I decided to create a version of 
> john conway's game of life as a personal project.
>
> I've been wondering what GUI to use.
>  I've been using Tkinter so far but I've not gotten very far. So far 
> I've started the basic window but now I'm kinda of stuck in how to 
> proceed.
There are a number of good tutorials on tkinter. Find one and go thru it.
>
> My idea is when the program initializes to have a root menu with a 
> series of options.
>  Accepting these options under the  new game launches a window where 
> you can set the initial state of the board to the correct dimensions, 
> colors, rules, name and initial distribution of live cells. Accepting 
> that window would launch a window containing the game board and the 
> in-game options. I would like to be able to pause the game, run it at 
> different speeds, and add new live cells to the board. I would like to 
> have multiple boards able to run at once, and I would like the option 
> to save a board and its rules to load at a later time.

You have chosen a very ambitious project (for a beginner). I suggest you 
start by creating one part of the whole - get that working then add one 
more piece.
> I'd like any ideas on how to approach this project in general and 
> specific.
>

One idea - start with a fixed dimension grid and one initial state - get 
the grid to display with the initial state.
Then step back, say "well done,Leo" then add code to advance to 
subsequent states with some limit.
>
> I'll post the code that I already have later today.
>

-- 
Bob Gailer
919-636-4239
Chapel Hill NC