Small Basic December 2013 Challenges!!!

These challenges are intended for people who are learning to program for the first time or for those returning to programming who want to start using SmallBasic.  Some will be easy, some will be hard - but they will all make you think, and more importantly be GREAT FUN!

Please post your solutions / partial solutions / questions / feedback etc. into this thread that will remain 'sticky' for the month.  The only rule is that your solution must use standard SmallBasic methods (no extensions).

It would be good if people could post their problems with these challenges so that a discussion can start so that everyone can learn from each other.

Also post feedback on the kind of challenges that you want to see more of in the future.

Curriculum Challenges 2.6

1. Write a program to display 9 Flickr images in a 3 by 3 grid scaled to fit in a grid within the GraphicsWindow.
2. Load the 9 Flickr images into an array of ImageList objects and then show one of the images to fill the GraphicsWindow when the user clicks one of the 9 images.
3. Make a program that continuously scrolls Flickr images from left to right continuously downloading images - make it as smooth as possible.

Text Challenges

1. Draw a face in the TextWindow.  Consider using colours (TextWIndow.ForegroundColor and TextWindow.BackgroundColor), suitable characters (Text.GetCharacter) and careful positioning (TextWindow.CursorLeft and TextWindow.CursorRight).

Graphical Challenges

1. Write a program that show a reflection of a picture you draw.
2. Draw a snowflake with 6 sided symmetry.

Maths Challenges

1. Write a program to calculate the largest number of prime numbers in 1 minute.

Physics Challenges

1. Write a program to simulate a hot air balloon.  Perhaps include a burner. 

• The balloon goes up when the total displaced mass of air is greater than the mass of the balloon+basket (Buoyancy).  See here, here or here for some ideas.
• The mass of air in the balloon goes down when it is heated (Thermal expansion).
• The air in the balloon slowly cools with time (Conduction, Convection).
• As we go higher the air thins and the mass of air displaced goes down (The balloon has an altitude limit).

Game Challenge

1. Write a clone of the Simon game.

Community Suggestions (by Anthony Yarrell)

1. Implement the ROT-13 substitution cypher using Small Basic. For those who are interested, check out the Wikipedia page for ROT-13 which gives lots of details for how it works.