Just for Fun C++ and Java Programming - Watson's hot Programming Pages (C++ programs)

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These are all 32bit Windows 95/98

programs, made with Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 (except for the Kaleidoscope program and the Metronome Timer, which were made with Borland C++ Builder 1.0, just like all the programs on the page "Learn it") and FREEWARE, so if you like, be welcome to download one or the other. Most programs consist of only one file and there is no installation required. Just extract the zip-file to any place you like. If you need an Unzip Utility, get FreeZip here (only 291 kB).

Applications
Calculator Password Generator * * *	Expense Manager RGB-Mixer Unit Converter	Font Viewer Scheduler Multi Clipboard	Metronome Timer Test Screens Program Launcher	Multi Timer World Time Clock * * *
Games and Fun Stuff
1001 Card Game Kaleidoscope	Block Game Melody Memory	Concentration Game Pac World	Dazzling Screens Simple Paint	Game Template Multiple Choice

As a learning aid for programmers using Microsoft Visual C++, I decided to give away the sourcode of all my programs now, since I'm not making money with these programs anyway, and I know how valuable other people's sourcecodes are for a programmer. You can download the complete Visual C++ 6.0 project files and resources below the link to each program. I publish the code under Public Domain license, so feel free to do use it in whatever way you like. If you find any bugfixes, I would be grateful if you would send them to me. Have fun!

		launcher.zip (164 kB)
Program Launcher If you need to start several programs simultanously, this program can be useful to you. It can start 5 groups of programs with up to 5 programs in each group, either manually or timer controlled. You can start .exe files or document files, for which the standard program is started then. You can also specify arguments for the programs to start with. Choose from 50 icons to assign with your groups. Program can be iconized to the system tray*. Optional sound signal on timer start.


		multclip.zip (91 kB)
Multi Clipboard With Multi Clipboard you have access to nine clipboard texts (slots), which you can select either via mouseclick when the program window is active, or via Hotkey "Ctrl + NUMPAD 1.. 9", even if the program is inactive or minimized to the system tray. This copies the selected slot to the Windows clipboard, from which you can paste it into your active application (for instance with Ctrl + V). The hotkey "Ctrl + NUMPAD 0" hides or shows the program window, depending on the previous state. If nine slots are not enough and you need more, you can change to another of three available files.

Week Scheduler
Very useful to remind you of the lots of appointments you might have to keep during the working day on your computer. You can set 16 timers independently for each day of the week. When an alarm time has come, a blinking popup window comes up, with a message you can assign beforehand. Sound signal optional. Program window can be moved to the system tray, so it won't get in the way and it can be started iconized. If you leave your PC running overnight, the tab switches correctly to the next day.

This is version 1.3. In case you experience a one-hour time lag of the alarm time during summer time, please activate the item "DST Bugfix" inside the system menue.

schedule.zip (113 kB)

		Multi Timer Ten independent Timers in one program, to count down to zero or up to max. 100 hours, with 1 second accuracy. Timers can be viewed one by one or all at once and can resume on a later computer session, all settings are remembered from the previous time ran. Sound signal (optional) and blinking message window (cannot be hidden with other windows) with user-defined message on alarm. Each timer can be assigned an individual identifier string. Always on top mode and hide in System Tray mode.
		timer.zip (119 kB)
		When count down has run off, a window like this appears:

World Time Clock
This program shows the time of five different timezones, with analog and digital clocks. Choose from a list of 150 countries and 400 cities or define up to 5 countries and cities of your own. Implemented daylight savings time rules, 8 available time formats (12/24 hours, with weekday, date, month, seconds), configurable colors. Alarm clock with user defined message and sound signal plus a little calendar. Always on top mode and hide in system tray mode.

worldtm.zip (145 kB)

Examples for color combinations and time formats:

This is the settings dialog
World Time Clock Settings Dialog

Disclaimer: I'm not able to guarantee the correctness of all the implemented data and I'm afraid I don't have time to make updates on short notice, so please expect bugs!
I implemented a work-around to compensate the DST bug, showing up during summer time on some PC's. In case you experience it, please activate the checkbox "DST Bugfix" in the Time Format dialog tab.

		Metronome Timer A special timer program, developed for speed reading training. Counts up or down, with customizable metronome tick (emphasized or not, variable speed), plus extra sound every x seconds (when you count up) or x seconds before timer runs off, and when timer has reached zero. All settings are saved to disk. This program is made with Borland C++Builder 1.0.
		metrotim.zip (233 kB)

		Unit Converter Simple and intuitive to use tool for conversion of the most frequently used units of Length, Weight, Volume, Area and Temperature in both U.S. and metric types. Enter any value and convert it to the desired result unit. Result can be copied to clipboard.
		unitconv.zip (77 kB)

		PacWorld Play the old classic arcade game in my new interpretation, with several worlds and levels, beautiful graphics and sound effects, bonus items, offscreen tunnels, locked rooms and highscore. Requires DirectX and a reasonable fast PC. The program contains all 12 levels now for free, no more shareware registration fee! Click here for more information about the game and screenshots of all 6 worlds.
		pacworld.zip (423 kB)

Card Game: 1001
A very nice card game I used to play with my mom and my sister. The rules are not hard to learn and there are some nice extras in the game, so it won't get boring. With sound and evaluation. Card colors and player names can be changed, settings are saved.

card1001.zip
(159 kB)
[Click here for the German Version]

Granted 5 Golden Doves at CFS

style 2

style 3

Block Game:
A nice, addictive game in the Color Tetris/Dr Mario style. Move four in a row with the same color to make them disappear. Use the cursor UP key to change the order of the colors within the falling block, and the cursor DOWN key to make it fall faster. There are 3 different block styles to choose from and you can choose a fixed level or increasing levels from the options menue. With sound. Settings and highscore are saved to disk and loaded the next time you play.
Wow, a new Highscore! I just managed to hit the PRINT key before the game was over. Played in Level 5 without automatic increase. Try to beat that!

blockgam.zip
(117 kB)

Melody Memory:
Not only for kids. If you have a musical ear, repeat the chancy melodies if you can. Use the right mousebuttton to hear the note before pressing a wrong key, but try to do without it. False notes are marked with the worried smiley. Change features in the options menue.

melomemo.zip
(222 kB)

Concentration Game
You need concentration and a good short-term memory to play it. There are 9 different themes (sets of pictures) to choose from.

The image-strip on the right of the screenshot shows pictures from 5 of the 9 available themes.

concentr.zip
(201 kB)

Monitor Test Screens.
Eight different testmodes, some with submodes. Test your monitor for sharpness, moiré, geometry, convergence, high voltage supply stability, brightness, color quality and more. Adjusts to any given resolution (even odd ones, like 1280x1024). Comes with a tutorial text. You can step through the screens with ENTER and "hold" the auto changing screens in the submodes with SPACE.

tscreens.zip
(71 kB)

Featured at

Password Generator A useful tool for creating passwords that nobody can guess. Use a mixture of characters and/or capitals, numbers and a selection of user-defined special characters. Generate up to 1000 passwords and save them to a file.		password.zip (86 kB)

				RGB-Mixer v 1.7 When you build homepages or any other kind of graphic artworks, a tool like this comes in handy. Mix any desired color with the three sliders. The program saves its last used color and all the settings to disk. Press ENTER or click button to put colorstring into the clipboard. You can make the program window stay "always on top" by clicking the pin button.
		Set the stepping to 1, 5 or 51 (216 color palette) in the options menu		rgbmixer.zip (83 kB)

A new Multiple Choice file sent to me by Per Madsen, Denmark: Words.mul
These to: Planet's Quiz and Word Quiz are from Martin Goodall, Australia
This 40-question file about StarWars is in French (who is able to translate it?), the author is Kyle Katarn

Multiple Choice v 1.5
Make your own Quiz Show! Answer questions while picking the correct one among three or four available answers. The program comes with several files, but you can easily create your own! Text and background colors can be changed for every file. In the end you can review which questions you answered correctly and which you didn't. Easy and intuitive to use. Send me your quiz files if you like!

m_choice.zip
(143 kB)

Simple Paint
This little painting program is intended to teach small kids to handle the mouse and have fun with colors and shapes. Use 40 different colors and 10 different sized brushes or use the 15 available clipart pictures as stamps. It is even possible to 'smear' lots of identical images while holding the mousebutton pressed. The drawing surface can be deleted by filling it with any available color. No saving or printing option (yet)!

s_paint.zip
(128 kB)

Scientific Calculator with fancy looks! You can use the mouse or the keyboard to operate it. The special keys are operated with F1..F12.

calcul.zip
(96 kB)

Font Viewer
Shows all the installed True Type Fonts on your system. The sample text output can be changed in type, size and style. If you leave the option in the system menue checked, changes you make (textstring, size, font) are saved into an INI-file.

fontview.zip
(66 kB)

Expense Manager
(Housekeeping Book)
This program can help you to balance your earnings with your fix costs. You can add, delete and change items easily. The sums are updated right away. A scrollbar appears when the item list is longer than the program window. Data are saved. hkbook.zip
(80 kB)

Dazzling Screens. Eight dazzling animated Screens, beautiful to look at. I programmed them mainly for experimental reasons, but if you like things like this, take a look. Use any key to switch between them, ESC to exit.

dazzle.zip
(163 kB)

Enjoy beautiful mandala-style ornaments with this Kaleidoscope program. You can let the shapes rotate, draw only outlines, change the angle and more. It's amazing how many different scenes you can get from just 5 different shapes. This program is made with Borland C++Builder 1.0.

kaleidos.zip
(170 kB)

SourceCode not available

Game Templates. If you want to make your own game-like programs with Visual C++ and are having difficulties to get a working example up and running, then this may be just right for you. The code shows transparant drawing, fast animation, playing sounds from the resource and more in a not too complicated framework.

The first example uses the OnIdle function of the application and a separate high precision timer class. If the system is busy though, animation can get slower here.

example1.zip
(497 kB)

The second example uses the complicated MultiMedia Timer API for even more precise animation timing, even when the system is busy or the window is dragged.

example2.zip
(500 kB)

What drives me to write these freeware programs? Apart from the fun I have and the opportunity to learn one of the most interesting crafts and share the results with people from all over the world, it is the belief that what can be done, must be done (hey, God gave you the gift to do this, so let your light shine)!

And what is important to me, with regard to my programs?

Try to make them as small as possible. Who needs all those big, x MB files on the internet? Why put a fat DLL into the distribution, when you only need a few functions or classes of it? And: installation programs can multiply a program's size, and you never know what is done during the installation process.

Put everything that belongs to the program (pictures, sounds, text) inside the EXE-file, if possible. One program - one file, nice and clean. Let the zip file contain a folder, don't let the user create the folder for you.

Make them easy and intuitive to use. Nobody likes to read a few pages of tutorials before he/she can use a program. It should be obvious to use, if possible, and not cluttered with too many features.

Make the interface modern and pretty, but don't give away the advantage of the well known, intuitive, standard Windows interface.

Although it is discouraged by the Microsoft guidelines, using the good old INI-files is much cleaner, friendlier and safer for small programs than cluttering the registry file. All my programs use INI-files for saving their settings.