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Unread 18-01-2005, 21:11
Dave Flowerday Dave Flowerday is offline
Software Engineer
VRC #0111 (Wildstang)
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Re: 'Fix It Window' and Programming....

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kris Verdeyen
It might sound hackneyed, but in software, unlike mechanical parts, the process is the product. Say your team troubleshoots drive code on your practice robot, and spends 100 hours trying different things that just... won't... work. Until, sometime around hour 110, someone sees the light, and realizes that you need to use Newtons instead of pounds, they already know the answer. So next week, when you go to competition, you're already 111 hours into the software development process, and you have the answer in your pocket. That's outside of both the spirit and the letter of the rule.
You think this is unlike mechanical parts? Try this:
Quote:
Say your team troubleshoots {the drivetrain which keeps falling apart} on your practice robot, and spends 100 hours trying different things that just... won't... work. Until, sometime around hour 110, someone sees the light, and realizes that you need to use {a longer screw}, they already know the answer. So next week, when you go to competition, you're already 111 hours into the {mechanical} development process, and you have the answer in your pocket.
Do you think it would illegal for a team to troubleshoot a mechanical design and show up at competition knowing how to fix their competition robot? I don't.

Since the rules about the physical parts of the robot have been around longer, I guess I look to them for inspiration. As I said, I think you need to leave any new software you've written at home. But if you brought notes on how to change your software, I think that's fine, just like you could bring blueprints of a new design to build at competition or a list of modifications you need to make to your robot's frame or whatever. To me the line is very clear - don't bring new code. Notes, ideas, thoughts in your head are fine.