Conway's Life

[Nick Perkins]

"Doug Newhouse" <n at .com> wrote in message news:3B57AF54.F909FD36 at .com...
..
> I should be able to figure out the algorithms and stuff, it's just that
> I have no idea how to do graphics....
..

Yes, Tk would be a good place to start.
The python interface is called tkinter, and there is good tutorial..
Tkinter is easy to program, compared to other toolkits.
http://www.pythonware.com/library/tkinter/introduction/

WxPython is a little faster, more windows-looking, has more sophisticated
building blocks, but is a bit harder to program in python, for a beginner.
http://www.wxpython.org/

Of course, you could do the whole thing in Jython and use the native AWT or
Swing GUI stuff, which is actually a lot easier than it sounds.
http://www.jython.org/


All that being said, I can't resist adding my two cents worth about the data
structures to use for the algorithm, a subject which seems to be sparking
the imagination of several previous respondents.  I have done a similar type
of program, (but more of maze-thing), which i switched from using numeric
arrays to using a sort of linked graph structure, where each cell keeps a
list of references to it's immediate neighbors.  Then you can write the
whole algorithm without messing around with (x,y) coordinates.  It was a bit
faster that way, but of course, results will vary.  Try doing it a couple of
different ways.

Have fun, good luck.