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Programs for Buddhists?

StephenStephen
edited April 2010 in General Banter
Used to program in BASIC way back in the day, and later C/C++ for a MUD. Been brushing up on my Visual C# and thinking what kind of simple Windows application I could make for Buddhists.

One idea would be a study tool for the core concepts, which could also be expanded to the schools and what makes them different from each other, with the amount of detail being a user preference. It could be done as a webpage, but a small program that would be self-contained would be a nice project. Could also have links and information about online resources, such as this forum, and a built-in web browser to go to those sites with a single click.

Any other ideas? Nothing too complex.

Comments

  • PietroPumokinPietroPumokin
    edited April 2010
    rub some sticks together for awhile
  • MountainsMountains Veteran
    edited April 2010
    Stephen wrote: »
    Any other ideas?

    Write something for the Mac :)

    Mtns
  • IrrisIrris Explorer
    edited April 2010
    "Buddhist Buddy - the program that helps you keep track of Buddhist holidays, while learning more and more about the Path every day! With daily vocab words and a weekly quote to focus on, your nirvana is only a click away!"
  • RenGalskapRenGalskap Veteran
    edited April 2010
    Stephen wrote: »
    Used to program in BASIC way back in the day, and later C/C++ for a MUD. Been brushing up on my Visual C# and thinking what kind of simple Windows application I could make for Buddhists.
    Why limit yourself to Windows? If you program in Java, it will run on most of the existing platforms. If you stick to C++, it will at least be possible to port it to other platforms. If you program C# in Mono, you'll be able to run your program on many other platforms, although not as many as you would if you programmed in Java.

    Unless you need to learn C# for your job, or some other situation where it is required, I don't understand why you would limit yourself to one OS.
    Stephen wrote: »
    One idea would be a study tool for the core concepts, which could also be expanded to the schools and what makes them different from each other, with the amount of detail being a user preference. It could be done as a webpage, but a small program that would be self-contained would be a nice project. Could also have links and information about online resources, such as this forum, and a built-in web browser to go to those sites with a single click.
    If I understand you correctly, I've already got all of this with any existing web browser and the Wikipedia Buddhism pages. And with Google and the major Buddhism sites, like accesstoinsight.org, I've got a lot more. Since it's possible to tell Google to search only a specified site, Google provides me with an on-the-fly index that applies to any online collection of texts that I want to search.

    A couple of years ago, there was a lot of noise about Linux distros that were orriented toward the study of a particular religion. I heard about distros for Christianity and Buddhism. I haven't heard anything lately, and I assume it's because study tools are usually search tools, and the search tools that are available now are extremely powerful. I don't see an advantage to creating study tools specifically for one subject. I can collect subject-related links and do searches with Google on any subject I like. If I go through the learning curve with a single-topic tool, I can only use if for that one topic.

    If you want to create a study tool that runs only on Windows, you might create a Buddhism database for SuperMemo. You can download an older version of SuperMemo for free, and it offers more than search capabilities. But then you wouldn't be writing code. :-)
  • ZenBadgerZenBadger Derbyshire, UK Veteran
    edited April 2010
    Late to the party but one thing I have been thinking of doing for myself is a meditation log/timer/journal thing. I would be able to access a calendar with a set of meditation themes or topics which I would be able to set up with references to useful books, webpages or relevant readings from sutras etc. I would then set a duration for my meditation, click a button and then be roused from my cushion by a soothing chime in half an hour or whatever I selected. I could then write up my journal and save it in the calendar along with all the other stuff.
  • absolutesmileabsolutesmile
    edited April 2010
    you can use it to develop applications for mobile cause almost all the major platform support it.
  • absolutesmileabsolutesmile
    edited April 2010
    ZenBadger wrote: »
    Late to the party but one thing I have been thinking of doing for myself is a meditation log/timer/journal thing. I would be able to access a calendar with a set of meditation themes or topics which I would be able to set up with references to useful books, webpages or relevant readings from sutras etc. I would then set a duration for my meditation, click a button and then be roused from my cushion by a soothing chime in half an hour or whatever I selected. I could then write up my journal and save it in the calendar along with all the other stuff.

    Nice plan
  • absolutesmileabsolutesmile
    edited April 2010
    Mountains wrote: »
    Write something for the Mac :)

    Mtns

    it's a lot harder than write stuff for windows...:(
  • absolutesmileabsolutesmile
    edited April 2010
    Pietro Pumokin wrote: »
    rub some sticks together for awhile

    LOL :crazy:
  • MarkMeMarkMe
    edited April 2010
    Stephen,
    You might be just the person I'm looking for. (Not Stephen Webb?)

    I posted about a modern mastermind koan. Where do I post it?

    To you!

    It could really use a program (lots). As others have suggested, Java is a nice alternative for being cross-platform. C# doesn't run on Mac or Linux does it?

    Let me know if you're interested. Its a game-puzzle.

    It can only be loved and played. It cannot be solved or known. It just causes curiosity to keep on keeping on and on and on and on, trying, trying, trying some more.

    And more, and more, and more, and more. I've played so many thousands of times.

    And more and more and more. When done, not done. More.

    And with programming to make it even more (accessible) and more.
  • MarkMeMarkMe
    edited April 2010
    Something people could use for tracking med disbursal. I've dealt with mom and now dad having to be doled out meds two or three times each day.

    I talked to a few nurses and doctors about it, and they thought it would be a great idea. When they list meds, they don't do it chronologically, they do it by med. So you see med 1, at morning noon and night, and then med 2 at noon, and then med 3 at morning and night. Its confusing.

    It also needs dosages. There is an entire database you can get a copy of for all med names (already existing). There are also various brand names for the same med (but what's in a name? Its the same med)

    There are times when the intervals are not consistent. Once one day, twice the next. That also happens. Then, there needs to be a way to print some kind of checklist sheet for what was taken. Then, categories for other kinds of meds, like juice and berries and nuts - you name it!

    With the elderly, there will be issues of font size, and the size of the little boxes on paper, and the visibility of everything. It seems to me that this application is in need of being done by someone.

    Anything is better when platform independent. Does MS do that?

    Cheers -
    MarkMe
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