xref: /csrg-svn/lib/libcurses/PSD.doc/appen.C (revision 27287)
1 .\" Copyright (c) 1980 Regents of the University of California.
2 .\" All rights reserved.  The Berkeley software License Agreement
3 .\" specifies the terms and conditions for redistribution.
4 .\"
5 .\"	@(#)appen.C	5.1 (Berkeley) 04/23/86
6 .\"
7 .ie t .he ''\fBAppendix C\fR''
8 .el .he ''\fIAppendix C\fR''
9 .bp
10 .(x
11 .ti 0
12 .b "Appendix C"
13 .)x
14 .sh 1 "Examples" 1
15 .pp
16 Here we present a few examples
17 of how to use the package.
18 They attempt to be representative,
19 though not comprehensive.
20 .sh 1 "Screen Updating"
21 .pp
22 The following examples are intended to demonstrate
23 the basic structure of a program
24 using the screen updating sections of the package.
25 Several of the programs require calculational sections
26 which are irrelevant of to the example,
27 and are therefore usually not included.
28 It is hoped that the data structure definitions
29 give enough of an idea to allow understanding
30 of what the relevant portions do.
31 The rest is left as an exercise to the reader,
32 and will not be on the final.
33 .sh 2 "Twinkle"
34 .pp
35 This is a moderately simple program which prints
36 pretty patterns on the screen
37 that might even hold your interest for 30 seconds or more.
38 It switches between patterns of asterisks,
39 putting them on one by one in random order,
40 and then taking them off in the same fashion.
41 It is more efficient to write this
42 using only the motion optimization,
43 as is demonstrated below.
44 .(l I
45 .so twinkle1.gr
46 .)l
47 .sh 2 "Life"
48 .pp
49 This program plays the famous computer pattern game of life
50 (Scientific American, May, 1974).
51 The calculational routines create a linked list of structures
52 defining where each piece is.
53 Nothing here claims to be optimal,
54 merely demonstrative.
55 This program, however,
56 is a very good place to use the screen updating routines,
57 as it allows them to worry about what the last position looked like,
58 so you don't have to.
59 It also demonstrates some of the input routines.
60 .(l I
61 .so life.gr
62 .)l
63 .sh 1 "Motion optimization"
64 .pp
65 The following example shows how motion optimization
66 is written on its own.
67 Programs which flit from one place to another without
68 regard for what is already there
69 usually do not need the overhead of both space and time
70 associated with screen updating.
71 They should instead use motion optimization.
72 .sh 2 "Twinkle"
73 .pp
74 The
75 .b twinkle
76 program
77 is a good candidate for simple motion optimization.
78 Here is how it could be written
79 (only the routines that have been changed are shown):
80 .(l
81 .so twinkle2.gr
82 .)l
83