Archives January 2022

Wordle, a cross between Mastermind and Hangman, seems to be the rage these days. Also, implementing it in as few lines as possible. In Logo we get to cheat a little about the second bit, as we can stack multiple commands on the same line. But we still need to keep things within a reasonable line length.

We’re happy to say we succeeded in our efforts, and even expanded on the model somewhat, adding progressively longer words and hints, among other things. This is a pretty good example of string and list management in Logo, which is what it was initially created for, even before the turtle!

Check out the source code below, or open in the web IDE…

TO wordle
  reset hideturtle make [score level stage] [0 1 1] maximize settextsize 1
  cleartext overlayscreen settextwindow [0 30 99 47] settextforeground 14 ;short form: settf
  print |TurtleWordle: Get one point for each letter in solution, lose one point for each guess.|
  print |You have word-length + 1 chances to guess the word. Level acts as score multiplier.|
  print |Get 6 4-letter words correct to advance, 5 5-letter words, 4 6-letter words and so-on.|
  print |Game ends when you run out of guesses, or guess the 9-letter word! (You brain you!)|
  print |Uppercase indicates correct letter and position, lowercase only that letter is in word.|
  cursordown playsound "drop ;we use simple encryption not to make this too easy!
  make "words1  [bsai dpme ql?n kgli hskn ap?@ jmai qj?k afsk ngli mtcp jmem dgpc @cr? @jsc ctcl]
  make "words2  [xc@p? nsnnw kmsqc ?@msr slbcp fmpqc qmslb jmaiq @p?gl ilmai lmprf ?jnf? glbcv]
  make "words3  [q?j?kg ngaijc afccqc igrrcl ngejcr rsprjc rmgjcr @mtglc amddcc ecp@gj bctglc]
  make "words4  [mar?nsq qg@jgle mnsjclr ejsrrml n?wkclr asqfgml n?p?qmj jcrrcpq gltmjtc @j?licr]
  make "words5  [bp?k?rga nclr?eml kmrmpa?p qmjsrgml slbcpqc? mtcpam?r sk@pcjj? l?rrpcqq qslqfglc]
  make "words6  [qs@k?pglc u?rcpd?jj qrpccra?p slbcpuc?p bcqrpmwcp ?n?prkclr bmaskclrq pm?bam?af]
  label "select ;return here using 'go'
  if :level = 7 [settf 3 print |Congratulations! You win!| playsound "applause go "playagain]
  make "selection random count thing word "words :level
  make "enword uppercase item :selection thing word "words :level
  make word "words :level remove :selection thing word "words :level
  make "word empty foreach "char :enword [make "word word :word char (ascii :char) + 34]
  make "chances 1 + count :word make "tries 0 clearscreen penup setfillcolor 12 ht
  settypesize 20 setxy -200 80 typeset "Turtle setxy 80 80 typeset "Wordle settypesize 10 home st
  foreach "letter "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz [make :letter instances :letter :word]
  forever [
    foreach "letter "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz [make word "p :letter 0]
    settf 6 (print |Tries remaining:| :chances - :tries) settf 15
    dountil (count :guess) = (count :word) [
      (type |Word is | count :word | letters: |) make "guess lowercase readword]
    inc "tries make "correct 0 make "hits []
    setxy 0 - (5 * count :word) 100 - (:tries * 20)
    foreach "letter :guess [
      if :letter = item loopcount :word [inc word "p :letter] ]
    foreach "letter :guess [
      if :letter = item loopcount :word [
        settf 4 type uppercase :letter
        setfc 4 typeset uppercase :letter
        inc "correct playsound "drop queue loopcount "hits
      ] [if containsp :letter :word [inc word "p :letter
          if (thing word "p :letter) <= thing :letter [ settf 13 type lowercase :letter setfc 13 typeset lowercase :letter playsound "drip] [ settf 15 setfc 15 type "- typeset "- playsound "dunk] ] [settf 15 setfc 15 type "- typeset "- playsound "dunk] ] ] print empty slideright 10 if :correct = count :word [ settf 12 type |You got it! | playsound pick [sheep sheep2 sheep3] make "score :score + ((1 + ((count :word) - :tries)) * :level) if (:chances - :tries) > 0 [
        inc "stage if :stage = 8 - :level [
          make "stage 1 inc "level settf 9 print |Level up!| playsound "please] ] [
        settf 1 print |No points. Try again.| playsound "crow]
      settf 13 print sentence |Your score is: | :score go "select]
    if :tries = :chances [settf 3 (print |Word was:| :word)
      settf 7 (print |Too bad! Final score: | :score) playsound "evil go "playagain]
    if 0 = remainder :tries 3 [
      dountil not containsp :pick :hits [make "pick 1 + random count :word] settf 8
      (print |Psst: the letter in position | :pick | is | uppercase item :pick :word |!|)] ]
  label "playagain settc 13 question |Play again? (Y/N)|
  if "N = uppercase answer [restore resetall finish] [wordle]
END

Floaty Turtle is a simple clone of Flappy Bird written in the Logo programming language that turtleSpaces uses.

Open in the integrated development environment (IDE)

NEWTURTLE "myrtle

TO floaty
  ;here is yet another example of a relatively complex
  ;game that can be rather simply implemented in Logo:
  ;a flappy bird clone!

  ;to make it work we use two turtles, one is the player
  ;and the other creates, moves and erases the pipes
  ;these are two seperate 'workers' or threads

  ;this procedure kicks off the game, displays a title
  ;screen, and then manages the player, processing
  ;input and moving the player appropriately

  ;the pipemaker turtle and its pipes procedure
  ;manages the pipes and checks for collisions

  ;the turtle does not move horizontally,
  ;instead the pipes do!

  reset
  cleartext
  setbackgroundcolor pick [6 7 14 5 10 11 14 15]
  ;select a random background color from the given list

  noaudiowait
  ;don't wait for audio to finish playing

  setmodel [penup back 7 stamp "myrtle]
  ;we need to offset Myrtle's actual position more
  ;toward her center for the purposes of this game

  setmodelscale 5
  ;make myrtle big!

  playsound "doodoo
  ;startup sound

  pipemaker:newworker [pipes]
  ;'kicks off' the pipemaker turtle, who
  ;creates and moves the pipes

  ;create the title screen:

  penup
  randomfillcolor
  slideleft 180 forward 5
  settypesize 60
  pushturtle
  ;'push' the turtle's state (position etc) on
  ;to a stack, from which it can be 'popped'
  ;off later

  typeset "Floaty
  popturtle
  ;restore the previously pushed state

  back 100
  randfc
  ;short for randomfillcolor

  pushturtle
  typeset "Turtle
  popturtle
  bk 10 sr 70
  ;back and slideright

  settypesize 10
  randfc
  typeset |Press any key to float!|
  ;title screen complete!

  home
  dn 90 rt 90
  ;down and right

  make "raise 0
  ;the :raise container holds the current
  ;value remaining to float Myrtle upwards

  forever [

    if loopcount = 1 [say "Ready!]
    if loopcount = 16 [say "Set!]
    if loopcount = 31 [say "Go!]
    ;the loopcount is the number of times the forever
    ;loop has executed. Based on that count, say the
    ;appropriate ready set go component

    if divisorp 100 loopcount [
      ;every 100 loops pick a random background
      setbg pick [6 7 14 5 10 11 14 15]
      ;from the given list
    ]
    ;setbg short for setbackground

    dosleep [50] [
      ;try to maintain an average of 50ms to do
      ;the following:

      if loopcount > 30 [
        ;if the loopcount is greater than 30:

        if :raise = 0 [
          ;if the value inside the :raise container
          ;is 0, then lower the turtle 2.5 turtle-units:

          lower 2.5
        ]
        [
          ;otherwise raise the turtle 2.5 turtle-units
          ;and decrease the value inside the :raise
          ;container by 2.5
          raise 2.5
          make "raise :raise - 2.5
        ]

        if keyp [
          ;if a key is pressed, play a sound,
          ;remove the key from the keyboard buffer
          ;and increase the value of the :raise
          ;container by 20:

          playsound "air
          clearchar
          make "raise :raise + 20
        ]

        clean
        ;remove the turtle's 'track' -- it's not
        ;drawing or creating anything so we don't
        ;need to have it piling up

      ]
    ]
  ]
END

NEWTURTLE "pipemaker

TO pipes
  ;the pipemaker turtle's job is to
  ;create the pipes, shift them to the left
  ;and check if they've hit the turtle

  clearscreen
  noaudiowait
  penup
  home
  slideright 250
  back 120
  up 90
  ;position the turtle appropriately for
  ;creating the pipes offscreen to the right

  begintag "move
  endtag
  ;this tag is used to shift the pipes,
  ;by replacing its contents with an ever-
  ;increasing slideleft directive

  make "height 100
  ;this is the starting height of the pipes

  make "heights [0 0 0 0 0]
  ;initialize an 'zeroes' list of pipe heights

  make "score 0
  make "count 0
  ;initialize the score and the pipe count

  settypesize 20
  ;set the type size. Type is the text you
  ;create inside the 3D world

  forever [
    ;do this forever:

    sleep [50]
    ;try to do this stuff in an average of
    ;50ms -- less or more as needed to keep
    ;that average:

    if divisorp 20 loopcount [
      ;every 20 loops:

      inc "count
      ;increase the contents of the :count container
      ;by one

      if loopcount > 60 [
        ;if the loopcount is greater than 60:
        playsound "clang
        inc "score
        say :score
        ;make a sound, increment :score and say it
      ]

      slideright 100

      begintag loopcount
      ;create a new 'tag' for the pipe
      ;so we can remove it after it passes the
      ;left side of the screen

      randomfillshade
      ;select a random fill shade

      make "col 1 + random 5
      ;select a random number and put it in :col

      setfillcolor item :col [12 9 7 6 11 14 10 13]
      ;set that color based on :col's index in the
      ;provided list

      make "height :height + (-60 + random 120)
      ;increase or decrease :height based on a
      ;random number

      if :height < 20 [make "height 30 + random 20] if :height > 120 [make "height 110 - random 20]
      ;if too high or low, pick a new value higher
      ;or lower as needed

      queue :height "heights
      ;add the new height to the list of heights

      ;create the lower pipe:
      cylinder 20 :height 50
      lower :height
      setfillcolor item :col [4 8 6 2 1 12 5 3]
      ;select the complementary color for the pipe

      cylinder 25 20 50
      lower 50

      ;type the pipe number:
      down 90 right 90 back 10
      if :count > 9 [bk 10]
      inscribe :count
      if :count > 9 [fd 10]
      forward 10 left 90 up 90
      ;if gameplay is too slow, comment out
      ;the above five lines

      ;create the upper pipe:
      lower 50
      ;remember, the turtle is upside down!
      cylinder 25 20 50
      lower 20
      setfillcolor item :col [12 9 7 6 11 14 10 13]
      cylinder 20 120 - ypos 50
      raise :height + 120

      endtag
      ;close the pipe 'tag'

      if loopcount > 119 [erasetag loopcount - 100]
      ;erase the pipe that has left the screen

      ignore pop "heights
      ;remove its height from the :heights container
      ;and just throw it away (ignore it)
    ]

    if loopcount > 60 [
      ;check for crash:
      if (or
        myrtle:ypos > (-120 + (90 + item 3 :heights))
        myrtle:ypos < (-120 + (20 + item 3 :heights))
        ;the third item in the :heights list is the
        ;height of the pipe around where the turtle
        ;is, so we can use that to see if we've hit
        ;anything
      ) [
        (print |Crash! Final Score: | :score)
        print |Press flag icon to play again!|

        calm "myrtle
        myrtle:run [setfillcolor 1 icosphere 30]
        ;red ball

        audiowait
        playsound "crack
        playsound "aw

        myrtle:clean
        ;gets rid of the red ball

        noaudiowait
        playsound "fall
        say |too bad|

        myrtle:repeat 90 [
          forward 3 lower 3 wait 1
        ]
        ;fall to the ground

        audiowait
        playsound "crash
        finish
        ;that's all folks

      ]
    ]

    replacetag "move [slideleft loopcount * 5]
    ;increase the value of the slideleft
    ;command in the move tag, shifting the
    ;pipes to the left

  ]

  ;and that's it! Not really much code, is it?

END

Consider the below game of ‘pub darts’:

You can open it in our Javascript-based IDE by clicking here

If you hover over the various primitives in the editor, a popup will tell you what they do.

The game consists of three main parts: the dartboard, the darts and the game itself.

The dartboard is constructed primarily using the ringarc primitive and a number of repeat loops. It uses the oddp boolean to decide which color each segment of each ring should be, allowing us to match the colors of a standard dartboard.

TO board
  ;create the dart board
  
  hideturtle
  rt 9 setfc 1 polyspot 5 20
  ;bullseye
  
  lo 0.1 setfc 4 polyspot 10 20
  ;outer bullseye
  
  repeat 20 [if oddp repcount [setfc 13] [setfc 0] ringarc 25 10 20 1 rt 18]
  repeat 20 [if oddp repcount [setfc 4] [setfc 1] ringarc 5 35 20 1 rt 18]
  repeat 20 [if oddp repcount [setfc 13] [setfc 0] ringarc 20 40 20 1 rt 18]
  repeat 20 [if oddp repcount [setfc 4] [setfc 1] ringarc 5 60 20 1 rt 18]
  ;rings
  
  lo 0.1 setfc 0 cylinder 80 10 20 lt 9 penup setfc 15 rt 180
  ;backboard

The numbers around the outside of the dartboard are created using the inscribe and orbitleft primitives. We offset the numbers as required to center them on their relevant wedges. We also use the orbit / pullin / pullout functionality to create the wire frame overlaid on the dartboard.

 dropanchor pullout 65 ra 2
  foreach "i [20 1 18 4 13 6 10 15 2 17 3 19 7 16 8 11 14 9 12 5] [
    lt 90 if :i > 9 [bk 10] [bk 5] inscribe :i
    if :i > 9 [fd 10] [fd 5] rt 90 orbitleft 18
  ]
  ;numbers
  
  home setpw 1.2 setpc 5 setfc 5
  dropanchor tether pullout 5 orbitleft 9
  repeat 6 [
    pd
    repeat 20 [orbitright 18 ico 0.6]
    pu switch {repcount}
    case 1 [pullout 5] case 2 [pullout 25]
    case 3 [pullout 5] case 4 [pullout 20]
    case 5 [pullout 5]
  ]
  ;metal rings
  
  home pullout 10 orbitleft 9
  repeat 20 [pd pullout 55 pu pullin 55 orbitright 18]
  ;metal lines
  
  home
  
END

The darts are assembled using cylinders, cones, cutcones and poilyspots (for the fletchings).

TO dart :color
  ;create the dart models
  
  lower 50 setfillcolor 10 cone 1 4 20
  raise 20 cylinder 1 20 20
  ra 10 setfc 5 cutcone 3.5 2 10 20
  ra 20 setfc 10 cylinder 3 20 20
  ra 5 setfc 5 cylinder 3.5 5 20
  setfc item :color [11 6]
  ra 20 cutcone 2.5 3 20 20
  ra 5 setfc 10 cutcone 2 2.5 5 20
  setfc 5 ra 5 cutcone 1.5 2 5 20
  ra 10 setfc 0 cutcone 1 1.5 10 20
  ra 20 cutcone 1 1 20 20 up 180
  cone 1 15 20 rr 90
  
  repeat 3 [
    up 60 setfc 10 twosided
    polyspot 13 6 setfc :color
    ring 2 13 6
  ]
  ;fletchings
END

The game itself consists of a setup section and the main game loop. Inside the game loop we have the aiming section and the scoring section. Every three darts we switch between players. If one of the players score exceeds 301 then they are declared the winner and the game ends.

TO game
  ;world's smallest dart game
  
  reset
  clearfrozen
  cleartext
  print |Welcome to darts! Two players take turns until one scores more than 301.|
  cursordown
  print |Try to aim the dart with the mouse and press the mouse button to throw...|

The setup section creates the dart ‘room’, draws and ‘freezes’ the board (breaks it off into its own ‘turtle track’) and creates the dart models using the dart procedure. Default containers (variables) are created using surnames (container classes), one for each player. Surnames enable us to use the same code for each player without needing to use lists or tables.

  pu sl 300 bk 300 ra 600
  setfc pick [3 5 8 9] setfs 10
  setbs fillshade setbg fillcolor
  voxel -607 setfs 0 home
  ;create dart room
  
  board
  ;create board
  
  cam:pullout 180
  freeze "board
  
  newmodel "dart1 [dart 1]
  newmodel "dart2 [dart 2]
  ;create dart models
  
  setmodel "dart1
  setmodelscale 0.7
  setanchor [0 0 0]
  
  foreach "i [red blue] [setsurname :i
    rt 180 make "down forwarddir rt 180
    make "updown random 2 make "leftright random 2
    make "dart 0 make "frame 0 make "total 0
    make "oldx mousex make "oldy mousey
  ]
  setsurname "red
  ;define player containers
  
  print word surname |'s turn...|
  showturtle
  
  setposition [0 0 250]

The main game loop moves the dart according to the mouse position. The dart moves up and down and side to side to simulate shaky hands, in an exaggerated fashion to make the game more challenging. The player pushes the left mouse button to launch the dart. The camera follows the dart in a method dictated by a random number.

  forever [
    ;main game loop
    if or :oldx != mousex :oldy != mousey [
      make "oldx mousex make "oldy mousey
      setposition {-100 + 200 * mousex / 100 50 - 100 * mousey / 100 250}
      cam:sety myrtle:ypos
      ;move the dart with the mouse
    ]
    move 1 random 360

    if :updown = 0 [up 1 if and pitch < 350 pitch > 20 [make "updown 1]]
    if :updown = 1 [dn 1 if and pitch < 350 pitch > 20 [make "updown 0]]
    if :leftright = 0 [rl 0.5 if and roll < 350 roll > 10 [make "leftright 1]]
    if :leftright = 1 [rr 0.5 if and roll < 350 roll > 10 [make "leftright 0]]
    ;shaky hands, maybe try drinking herbal tea?

    wait 1
    ;delay

    if buttonp 0 [
      ;if button clicked:

      make "camdir random 4
      ;pick random camera action

      dountil (item 3 extrapolate position vectorsub updir [0 0 0] 35) < 0 [
        ;until the tip of the dart hits the board (basically):

        setpremodel {"lt loopcount}
        ;spin the dart model
        lo 1 dn 0.1 cam:pullin 1
        ;toward the board and down a little

        if :camdir != 3 [cam:sety myrtle:ypos]
        if :camdir = 1 [cam:orbitleft 0.3]
        if :camdir = 2 [cam:orbitright 0.3]
        if :camdir = 3 [cam:orbitup 0.3]
        ;camera actions
      ]

Once the dart reaches the wall / board, we calculate if the dart hit the board or the wall by checking its distance from the center of the dart board [0 0 0]. If it actually hit the board then we 'stamp' the model in place.

      norender
      ;stop rendering graphics while we deal with things

      ht lo 34
      make "vec vectors
      setvectors originvectors
      updatestate
      ;need to update the state for towards to work
      ;with rendering disabled

      make "dir towards [0 0]
      ;where did we land relative to the center?

      if and :dir >= 171 :dir < 189 [make "score 20]
      if and :dir >= 189 :dir < 207 [make "score 1]
      if and :dir >= 207 :dir < 225 [make "score 18]
      if and :dir >= 225 :dir < 243 [make "score 4]
      if and :dir >= 243 :dir < 261 [make "score 13]
      if and :dir >= 261 :dir < 279 [make "score 6]
      if and :dir >= 279 :dir < 297 [make "score 10]
      if and :dir >= 297 :dir < 315 [make "score 15]
      if and :dir >= 315 :dir < 333 [make "score 2]
      if and :dir >= 333 :dir < 351 [make "score 17]
      if or :dir >= 351 :dir < 9 [make "score 3]
      if and :dir >= 9 :dir < 27 [make "score 19]
      if and :dir >= 27 :dir < 45 [make "score 7]
      if and :dir >= 45 :dir < 63 [make "score 16]
      if and :dir >= 63 :dir < 81 [make "score 8]
      if and :dir >= 81 :dir < 99 [make "score 11]
      if and :dir >= 99 :dir < 117 [make "score 14]
      if and :dir >= 117 :dir < 135 [make "score 9]
      if and :dir >= 135 :dir < 153 [make "score 12]
      if and :dir >= 153 :dir < 171 [make "score 5]
      ;calculate dart position and assign score

      make "dist distance extrapolate position vectorsub updir [0 0 0] zpos [0 0 0]
      ;how far away from the center is the tip of the dart?
      if :dist <= 5 [make "score 50]
      ;bullseye!
      if and :dist > 5 :dist < 10 [make "score 25]
      ;half bullseye
      if and :dist >= 35 :dist <= 40 [make "score :score * 3]
      ;triple ring
      if and :dist >= 60 :dist <= 65 [make "score :score * 2]
      ;double ring
      if :dist > 65 [make "score 0]
      ;missed!

We use the towards primitive (an original Apple Logo II primitive!) to determine the number of degrees the landed dart (which is in reality pointed upwards toward the ceiling, the dart 'descending' towards the board along the Z axis) would have to turn to face [0 0]. This, combined with the distance from the center allows us to calculate the dart's score.

      (print |Dart| word :dart + 1 |:| :score) make "frame :frame + :score
      setvectors :vec
      if :dist < 79 [
        ;'stick' a dart to the board using stamp
        playsound "click2
        ra 34
        run premodel
        if surname = "red [stamp "dart1] [stamp "dart2]
        render wait 120
      ]

      else [
        playsound "knock
        pr "Missed! ra 34 st render
        repeat (ypos + 300) / 4 [drift 4 :down cam:lo 4 wait 1]
      ]
      ;drop the dart to the floor

      cam:cs
      ;reset the camera

      setheading 0 setpitch 0 setroll 0
      setvectors originvectors
      ;reset state

      make "updown random 2
      make "leftright random 2
      ;pick random starting wobble directions
      ;for the next dart

      inc "dart
      ;add one to :dart

      if :dart = 3 [
        ;if we've thrown three darts:

        (print |Frame Score: | :frame)
        make "total :total + :frame
        (print word surname |'s Total Score: | :total)
        make "dart 0 make "frame 0
        cam:pushturtle
        cam:run pick [[repeat 30 [orbitleft 1 wait 1]] [repeat 30 [orbitright 1 wait 1]]]
        wait 120 cs cam:popturtle

        if :total > 301 [(print surname "wins!) finish]
        ;the end

        if surname = "red [setsurname "blue setmodel "dart2]
        else [setsurname "red setmodel "dart1]
        print word surname |'s turn...|
        ;switch players
      ]

      setpremodel [] cam:pullout 180 setposition [0 0 250] showturtle
      ;position camera, reset 'spin', show the next dart

    ]
    ;end of throw

  ]
  ;end of main game loop

END

Logo code is like poetry! It's easy to read and describes what the computer is doing in fairly broad terms. This is why it has always been great as a first text-based coding language.