Sept 30:  The executable code for the "Scientific Grapher" program  is available for download from the Teachers page (link at left).   A page titled "Validating Numeric Input" has been added to Programs/Delphi Techniques section.  It includes a small example  program  that also uses a sound file to replace the normal "beep" on errors.  Doh!

Sept 28:  Triangular stacks of marbles form a shape called a tetrahedron.  The two smallest possible stacks have 1 marble and 4 marbles, both perfect squares (1=1² and 4=2²).   There is only one other size in the universe that has a total number of marbles that is the square of an integer.  Can you find it?  

Sept 27:  A new entry in the DFF logo contest!  It's kind of clever, take a look by clicking on the orange-ish(?) billboard above  and vote for your favorite.   Newsletter #2 is out.  Click on the Newsletter link above if you missed it.

Sept 25:  Today's question is "What are the chances that a century begins on a Sunday?"    Maybe not what you think.  Check it out.

Sept 23:   Is  X⁴ - X²  a multiple of 12 for any  integer?  Here's the discussion page for X4X2,  a program that checks for X up to 55,182 in a fraction of a second.  To prove it experimentally for all integers would take quite a while longer.  Or we could use a little mathematical reasoning.  

Sept. 20:  A new program, SimpleCalc , a simple 4 function calculator, is available for study and download.  It has an interesting story associated.

Sept. 17:  This week's addition is another simple graphics program - RoboTracker.  Draw a squiggly line on the screen with your mouse and the robot it follows it.  I guess the most amazing thing about it is that it only took 30 lines of code to get a working version!   If you're new to Delphi and want to learn a little about event handling (OnMouseDown, OnMouseMove, etc.), check it out.   

Sept 11:   We posted the Roman Numerals program this week.  It converts Arabic numbers  to Roman by picking the correct 3 out of 7 letters  that we might need for each digit.  

For my personal dose of fun,  I wrote a Big Factorials program that can display large numbers by simulating ordinary pencil and paper long multiplication.  You'll be one of the few to know that the product of  numbers from 1 to 999 contains 2565 digits!  (Maybe that's why it's written 999!)   Not posted yet, but it's in the Future Postings section if you want to vote for it.

September 04, 2000

- Welcome - 

 Version 1 of our Delphi for Fun web site is up!   The first set of  programs  is available for study and download now with plans to add more stuff weekly.    

The short introduction: Our objective is introduce the fun of programming to kids.  Our primary target audience is middle and high school students.  Our approach is  "learn by example".    

That said, learners of any age (whether in school or not) are welcome here.  If you love programming, puzzles, algorithms, Delphi, or are just curious - come on in!       

In addition to the programs, be sure to check out the Introduction page and, before you leave,  sign up for our occasional newsletter.   Also, please use the feedback link to let us know what we are doing right and wrong. 

Gary Darby