BINGO
GPL'd bingo game copyright Jeff Davies (Wales, UK, Europe february 2002). jeff@llandre.freeserve.co.uk
** change "konqueror" in "bingo_letters" "bingo_numeric" "bingo_pictures" to the browser of your choice before running "./install" **
C version tested on Linux mandrake 8.1 Java Version tested on Apple Mac OS X 10.0 win32 EXE version tested win98 2nd Ed.
This game generates bingo cards and "calling sequences" as a html file which can be printed from your browser. (a calling sequence is called out by a person who might also be a player in place of having a large, numbered ball filled barrel. As such it is easier to play with a bunch of kids while passengers in a bus and so forth).
There are 3 games supplied (now 4 with java version),
The install script is set up for unix installation, anyone porting to Windows or another OS should have little trouble, as the program is based on posix system calls.
The bash script files "bingo_numeric" "bingo_pictures" "bingo_letters" call "bingo" with different parameters to generate :
- numeric bingo. Note this might not look like your regular bingo basically as the numbers are called, you circle the number. The first person with a line of 5 horizontally or vertically wins.
- bingo letters. uses hand drawn graphic letters. Similar to the above.
- a kids pictoral bingo the pictures are not very good - see "pictures_index.htm" to find out what they are supposed to be.
- ** word bingo ** -> java version only (so far) ** note for cgi bin use you can compile this to an executable using gcj **
Variations - call out the numbers/names in foreign languages to help a group learn other languages. (this is what I'm doing with my kids)
You can very easily create a new set of graphics - say photos of wildlife and use those instead. The program is fairly simple to figure out. "./mkbingo" to compile the single file!
(or type "./jmkbingo" to compile the java version - tested on Mac OSX). (the java source file is bingo.java, and although rough and ready //everything is static// (it runs fine on Mac OSX using the equivalent "jbingo_pictures", "jbingo_letters", "jbingo_numeric").
Bingo can also be converted pretty easily to run as a cgi bin program from a website. (see cgi-bingonumeric as an example. you can make graphic bingo web pages). To install cgi-bingonumeric on mandrake linux system, copy files to /var/www/cgi-bin (you need to think about dependencies, I'd suggest bingo executable itself, your cgibin batch file (cgi-bingonumeric) and perhaps graphics files.
You could also use this to make a cheap book of bingo games. I hereby recind any right to royalties over anyone making a book of bingo games by the way.
FAQ: Why the XML option? (currently untested). This can output the same data in XML format (I haven't defined a DTD, but it's pretty obvious from the output). This can be styled and converted into eg: AbiWord XML, the intention being at some stage to remove the web browser from the equation.
Jeff Davies
this program is covered by the GNU Public Licence - see www.gnu.org for further details.