Help! how do I get started....

[waialua359]

Hi all,
New programmer to our team. We lost our old programmer for the time being.
I searched the IFI website and spent 1 hour trying to find docs on step by step instructions on what to do.
1. I downloaded the MPlab program, compiler and IFIloader. However,where is the default code? I checked the sticky on getting started and the links dont work.

[Jake M]

The Default Code is on the Robot Controller page of the IFI Robotics website. It's labeled 2007 Default Code, near the bottom of the page.

As for getting started in programming...it depends how much you know. If you've never programmed before, I hate to say it, but you won't be able to just start programming the robot immediately. Just like learning an actual language, you have to learn a fair bit, before you can start speaking and writing, and even then you won't be able to do much.

If you know the basics of programming logic, but not C, you can probably be able to use C enough with a day or two of reading, and some reference material of syntax and such. If you already know C, it's just a matter of learning how the FIRST RC system works, which wouldn't take more than a few hours of reading. I don't know if there are any documents that explain the basics of the system, in laymen's terms, but I could probably write one in an hour or so. Unless anyone else knows of one?

[waialua359]

thanks.
i cant believe they make it so hard to find.

[waialua359]

allright.
now that i downloaded the folder, which one is it?? there are tons of files.
which is which, .h, .hex and after loaded?

[waialua359]

whats the difference between the .mcw and .mcp file extension?

[Jake M]

Well, the actual code files are all of the .c, .h, .lib, and .lkr files. You'll most likely only be working with one or two of the .c and .h files, so you don't have to worry too much about the rest. MPLAB does all the work of putting thes files together for you, in compilation. Just open up MPLAB and then, under the project tab, click open and look for the .mcp file in that folder. It'll list all of the files that are part of the "Project" in a side panel, and you can open them at your leisure.

Now, again, how much do you know about programming.

The .mcp file contains information about the project, such as what files to compile, how they are linked, additional arguments to be supplied to the compiler and linker, etc. The .mcw file is your workspace. It's this file that enables you to close MPLAB and open it up again later, with all the files you were working with still open, and in the same place. But don't worry about that, cause you never even touch these files. The only files you CAN edit are the .c and .h files. And even then, you'll only be working with two or three of them.