I've just implemented Tetris in PostScript, pushing the limits of a document-processing language to run a realtime game. It works in GhostView on macOS.
* 600 lines / 10 KB * 69 different PostScript operators, no external libs * Realtime input, direct drop, increasing speed levels * 7-tetrimino random bags * Nintendo-style scoring and high score tracking
This project builds on my earlier experiments with PSChess and PSSokoban.
It show that PostScript is a lightweight, expressive, and surprisingly interactive programming language. A perfect tool for hacking on unexpected platforms.
This is very cool! To run this on a modern Linux, install Ghostscript and run it like this:
gs -dNOSAFER tetris.ps
In another terminal in the same working directory, run the command it gives in the source file:
stty raw -echo; cat >> t.txt
Keep the second terminal focused for your keyboard inputs. I don't know if there's an elegant way to quit, but I just close the Ghostscript window and kill the second terminal.
I surely do, all my favourite UNIXes went the extra mile to not be yet another clone, embraced better GUI development approaches, and additional userspace stack.
Unfortunately only one of them survives to this day.
I've just implemented Tetris in PostScript, pushing the limits of a document-processing language to run a realtime game. It works in GhostView on macOS.
* 600 lines / 10 KB * 69 different PostScript operators, no external libs * Realtime input, direct drop, increasing speed levels * 7-tetrimino random bags * Nintendo-style scoring and high score tracking
This project builds on my earlier experiments with PSChess and PSSokoban.
It show that PostScript is a lightweight, expressive, and surprisingly interactive programming language. A perfect tool for hacking on unexpected platforms.
Cool! I didn't know that postscript supported interactive content. I thought the code would be generating the document and that's it.
PS was actually used for OS graphics multiple times (with more adaptions of course)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Display_PostScript
Yes but using raw postscript in this perverse way to get interactivity is truly inspired. My hat is off to the author.
Not really, that is exactly how it was used in Sun NeWS.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NeWS
You would write full blown GUI apps in Postscript with some C glue.
Well, it really doesn’t. This uses a clever hack where you write the input to a text file that the PS program is continuously reading. Very cool.
This is very cool! To run this on a modern Linux, install Ghostscript and run it like this:
In another terminal in the same working directory, run the command it gives in the source file: Keep the second terminal focused for your keyboard inputs. I don't know if there's an elegant way to quit, but I just close the Ghostscript window and kill the second terminal.In two weeks we'll see "Doom in PostScript" pop on the homepage.
Is there a C to PS transpiler?
Anyone remember NeWS - Network extensible Window System? It was built in Postscript.
http://dev.rsnous.com/dewdrop/executive/
I surely do, all my favourite UNIXes went the extra mile to not be yet another clone, embraced better GUI development approaches, and additional userspace stack.
Unfortunately only one of them survives to this day.
This is pretty neet. Tried running it with ghostscript under Linux and it crashes pretty much after the first tetromino falls a square.
It's actually a pretty cool language, a forthy lisp/lispy forth.