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https://github.com/abates/windtalker

Java project to show real world interaction to AP Computer Science students
https://github.com/abates/windtalker

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Java project to show real world interaction to AP Computer Science students

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README 

        
# Windtalker



This Java library was written to allow AP Computer Science students to exercise their

Java skills in a way that is similar to a real world scenario.  Windtalkers is a movie

that depicts the story of [Navajo code talkers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_talker#Navajo_code_talkers) during WWII.  The Navajo code talkers

used their native language in addition to a secret code to communicate positions, orders

and other messages over a radio broadcast.  In this way, our Windtalker Java project

allows students to communicate with each other by broadcasting messages over a network.



The Windtalker project demonstrates real-world scenarious by requiring students to

clearly understand the requirements and implementation of the secret code.  The secret

code is implemented as a [codec](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codec) (COder DECoder) class

and the Windtalker will use the codec to encode and decode messages on the network.

If students have implemented their codecs the same way, then everyone should be able

to view and understand messages.  If students have implementations that manipulate the

message slightly different then the information will be unintelligible.  This 

demonstrates how everyone involved in a software project needs to be on the same page

as everyone else in order to complete a successful project.



## Example Usage



A codec is any class that implements the co.andrewbates.windtalker.Codec interface.  This

interface specifies two methods: code and decode.  Each method takes a string and returns

a string.  Here is an example codec that uses rot47 (similar to 

[rot13](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROT13))  as the coding/decoding mechanism:



```java



class ExampleCodec implements Codec {

    private char min = 31;

    private int max = 127;



    private String rot47(String message) {

        StringBuilder s = new StringBuilder();

        for (int i = 0; i < message.length(); i++) {

            int c = message.charAt(i) + 48;

            if (c > max) {

                c = min + (c - max);

            }

            s.append((char) c);

        }

        return s.toString();

    }



    @Override

    public String encode(String message) {

        return rot47(message);

    }



    @Override

    public String decode(String message) {

        return rot47(message);

    }



}



```



Once the codec class is created, simply start up the Windtalker:



```java



public class Example {

    public static void main(String[] argv) {

        Codec codec = new ExampleCodec();

        String username = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Input a username");

        Talk talk = new Talk(username, codec);



        talk.run();

    }

}



```



This complete example is located in the examples directory of this project.



## Using with JGrasp



JGrasp is similar to other IDEs when using external libraries.  Simply obtain the

libraries' jar files and import them into JGrasp's classpath.  Download the windtalker.jar

file and then follow these instrcutions:



In JGrasp, select Settings -> PATH/CLASSPATH -> Workspace from the menu:

![JGrasp Screenshot](img/jgrasp1.png)



Select the CLASSPATH tab in the dialog box and click the New button:



![JGrasp Screenshot](img/jgrasp2.png)



Navigate to the windtalker.jar file that has been downloaded and click the Choose button.



![JGrasp Screenshot](img/jgrasp3.png)



Now the Windtalker code can be imported into your projects:



```Java

import co.andrewbates.windtalker.Codec;

import co.andrewbates.windtalker.Talk;

```