[Tux4kids-tuxtype-dev] Tuxmath and tuxtype bugs

[David Bruce]

Hi Brad,

Thanks for the feedback:

>____TuxMath version 1.7.2____

>(1)
"A very large bug is the game cutting off part of the right side of
equations in commando when the number is more than 2 digits."

Playing it for several minutes with our current svn build, I don't see
this.  Do the strings get cut off by the right side of the screen, or
do they just end?  The string length for the formulas was changed over
the summer, so this one may be fixed.

>(2)
"Another very large bug is the inability to give negative answers in
Stage 2 of the Commando Mission. This makes the mission impossible to
finish."

I just fixed that one in svn.

>(3)
"I don't have too big a problem with my ability to bring my score as
high as I want (given enough time) on the Space Cadet and Commando
arcade games because TuxMath is for kids, but, in factoroids, there
are approximately 10 waves and then the waves keep cycling through
because they are empty."

I'll have to look into that one some more - didn't see an obvious
place to fix that, but maybe the programmer who wrote factoroids
(Jesus M.) can take a look.

>(4)
"In the fractions mode of factoroids, weird things happen when you
type the value of the numerator and then shoot the asteroid... A
similar thing happens in factors mode: you are allowed to type the
value of prime numbers allowing you to get a HUGE score and therefor
many lives."

I see.  The fractions mode is definitely a bug, the factoroids
handling of prime numbers is maybe just an unintended quirk of our
scoring system.  We may want to reconsider how scores are calculated.

(5)
"I have a standard US keyboard, and only the + key on my numpad can
change an answer from negative to positive. Hitting the + key (with
the required shift key of course) on the normal part of the keyboard
does not work."

I confirmed that and committed a fix to svn, although it may mess up
this key for non-US keyboards.  I'll investigate how to do this
better.

(6)
"The missions do not display a score for obvious reasons, but, just
after playing the missions, the arcades do not display your score
either, even though the score is tracked."

Fixed that one in svn just now.


____TuxType version 1.7.5____

(1)
"<waitforchar/> prevents next page from displaying (<waitforinput/>
does not). I personally think that the <waitforchar/> command should
be removed since pressing the space key seems far more natural."

Is this in the xml lessons?  We are overhauling that extensively for
the 1.8.x series.

(2)
"fish cascade: Tux is too slow so you lose lives!"

That one showed up when we started supporting screens larger than
640x480.  I think if Tux has to run more than 640 pixels, he doesn't
get there in time.  The code that controls this hasn't been touched in
years and predates all the current members of the project.  At some
point I will have to dig through it and figure it out.  Kids get
really mad if they get "cheated" by the game even though they typed
the word correctly,

Thanks for all the feedback - most of these were easy fixes

Best,

David Bruce