There are times when you need to upload a selected batch of files somewhere. In my case, as I am shipping React code to live after it has been built. Here is a .ps1 script which is for Windows PowerShell and can be run from the command line to quickly and painlessly upload a specific bunch of files to a specific upload directory.
You will need to install WinSCP but it’s free. Obviously you’ll need to change the location of the server, username, password, local file path, remove file path, files to exclude (in my case the local .config.json files) and the log file path, but after that you are ready to go! Enjoy!
# Define variables
$winscpPath = "C:\Program Files (x86)\WinSCP\WinSCP.com" # Update if WinSCP is installed in a different location
$sftpHost = "YOUR SERVER"
$sftpPort = 22
$sftpUsername = "YOUR USER NAME"
$sftpPassword = "YOUR PASSWORD"
# Local and remote paths
$localDistPath = "C:/PATH TO FILES/dist" # Use forward slashes even in windows
$remoteDistPath = "/home/PATH TO REMOTE FILES/"
$localApiPath = "E:/PATH TO FILES/api" # Use forward slashes even in windows
$remoteApiPath = "/home/PATH TO API REMOTE DIRECTORY/api/"
# Create other pairs of local/remote for each folder you want to upload
# Exclude file
$excludeFile = "upload.ps1"
# Temporary script file for WinSCP
$tempScriptFile = [System.IO.Path]::GetTempFileName()
# Create WinSCP script content
$scriptContent = @"
open sftp://$($sftpUsername):$($sftpPassword)@$($sftpHost):$($sftpPort) -hostkey=*
option batch abort
option confirm off
option transfer binary
# Upload API files
lcd $localApiPath
cd $remoteApiPath
put * -filemask=|.config.json
# Upload Dist files
lcd $localDistPath
cd $remoteDistPath
put * -filemask=|.upload.ps1
# Repeat as above for each folder you wish to upload
exit
"@
# Write script to temp file
Set-Content -Path $tempScriptFile -Value $scriptContent -Force
# Define log file path
$logFilePath = "C:/PATH TO LOG FILES/winscp.log" # Use forward slashes even in Windows
# Execute WinSCP script with logging
& $winscpPath /script=$tempScriptFile /log=$logFilePath
# Clean up
Remove-Item $tempScriptFile
Write-Host "SFTP upload completed. Log saved to $logFilePath."
Each year I produce a liturgical calendar of Bible readings based upon Common Worship and the Roman Lectionary which is compatible with Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook and Mac iCal. This means it will sync to your phone and you will have a daily non-busy appointment at the top of each day with all the readings, many of the Collects and Prayers and a host of other liturgical stuff.
It is FREE, because I use it myself. If you do use it, all I ask is for your prayers: call it PrayerWare if you like.
I have been undertaking a course on Python for some extra credit as part of my PGCE through ExCode. Part of this has been to create a text-based adventure game. I have history with this, as we used to play these on my first proper PC: a green screen IBM XT (look it up). Games like “The Leather Goddesses of Phobos”, “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” used to keep Lou and I up late at night trying to get the game to understand our commands. By 1992, my best friend Dave Masters was living with us in London and we discovered the Adventure Game Toolkit – a compiler for you to make your own adventure games, and so we wrote Flat! – An adventure game written around the London flat we lived in. It was incredibly stupid but loads of fun. We still have a copy, but it’s broken and it was 30 years ago, so fixing it will be a pain.
However, this task has rekindled my interest as the basic engine was not that hard to write, especially given some of the simpler parameters I set myself.
The map would be based upon a -5 to +5 (x,y) grid, starting in the middle at (0,0).
‘Treasure’ would be scattered randomly around the map.
The object of the game would be to pick up the items (some of which were harmful) and be entertained by my witty banter along the way
There was to be no violence.
The majority of the code was first drafted with the fantasy genre in mind, but later I thought ‘As this is for students, why not make it more relevant?’ So I made it about drinking.
You wander around this party picking up discarded drinks and downing them. Some of them are non-alcoholic so they have a negative score. That’s it.
The Coding
The largest section of the code is the data. These are held in Python arrays and dictionaries. The most obscure of these maps the (x,y) coordinates to a room number, and especially allocates room 0, the start in the middle. Other arrays give the text of the game. Frankly, you only need to change the descriptions, names of the rooms and the treasure descriptions and you can have any game you want.
The functions were surprisingly easy to code, especially when ChatGPT was able to correct some of my typos. To look at them, it’s probably best to walk through the main game loop.
############## MAIN GAME LOOP ################## titles() while True: print(f"#####################################################") print(f"\nThis is move {current_move}. You are currently at {room()}\n") print(generate_random_description()) # print(f"You are carrying {list_inventory()}") visible_items_text = items_visible() if visible_items_text != "...nothing much, really.": print(f"There is:\n{visible_items_text}\n") # Print only if there are items action = parse_command(input("Enter command: ").lower()) print(action) print(generate_random_comment())
The function room() returns the name of the current location, during movement we check to ensure the player can’t exceed the -5 to +5 border, but there is an extra check here.
generate_random_description() serves no gameplay purpose other than to add some colour with slightly quirky descriptions. There is an array of room descriptions and a random number is chosen. 25% of the time, the number will be one of the lines of text. That is why they are a little vague and nothing here has any effect on the game.
items_visible() looks to the dictionary inventory_items. It determines if that room location contains any treasure and lists them . If there isn’t any items in the room, then nothing is displayed.
The key function
Source Code
This is the source code, which can also be seen and downloaded (and played) from here
# <--- This button runs the game!
###################################################### # ##### # ##### ####### # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #### ####### #### # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # A Student Quest from a long past age when # # we still used to get free tuition. # # # # Coded by Simon Rundell (spr206@exeter.ac.uk) # ######################################################
import random # as in life, the only library I need.
####################### DEFINE GLOBAL VARIABLES ################################# current_location = 0 # starting position current_move = 1 # count number of moves
# define room names - all based around a terrible house I used to share in North London when I was a student nurse. room_names = [ "the beginning of your quest", # Center of the living room "the living room sofa", "the coffee table", "the bookshelf", "the television stand", "the armchair", "the door to the hallway", "the dining table", "the floor lamp", "the cluttered side table", "the rug corner", "the kitchen doorway", "the fridge", "the kitchen counter", "the pantry", "the sink", "the kitchen cabinets", "the stove", "the dishwasher", "the kitchen island", "the spice rack", "the back door", "the garden path", "the flower beds", "the compost bin", "the garden shed", "the fence corner", "the bird feeder", "the old tree stump", "the lawn chairs", "the vegetable patch", "the garden hose", "the barbecue", "the outdoor table", "the lawn edge", "the garden gate", "the hallway start", "the coat rack", "the shoe pile", "the umbrella stand", "the wall mirror", "the stairs", "the closet", "the hallway table", "the front door", "the door to the street", "the mailbox", "the driveway", "the parked bikes", "the sidewalk", "the nearby street lamp", "the neighbor's gate", "the street corner", "the recycling bins", "the alleyway", "the hedge row", "the old lamppost", "the bus stop", "the parking meter", "the cafe entrance", "the coffee shop interior", "the study desk", "the small bookshelf", "the crowded bulletin board", "the study lamp", "the student sofa", "the bean bag chair", "the coffee spill stain", "the laundry pile", "the laptop desk", "the whiteboard", "the storage closet", "the wall clock", "the campus map", "the pile of papers", "the snacks cupboard", "the study lounge", "the stairwell", "the elevator", "the basement lounge", "the vending machine", "the dorm hallway", "the dorm kitchen", "the dorm bathroom", "the shower stalls", "the towel rack", "the corridor exit", "the stairwell corner", "the lecture hall", "the lecture podium", "the professor's desk", "the lab entrance", "the computer lab", "the row of desks", "the trash can", "the microwave", "the vending machine corner", "the water fountain", "the campus quad", "the picnic bench", "the main entrance", "the student union", "the cafeteria line", "the dorm common area", "the old vending machine", "the study nook", "the main library", "the library shelves", "the library lounge", "the quiet study area", "the computer station", "the photocopy area", "the library front desk", "the library staircase", "the library entrance", "the study garden", "the parking lot entrance", "the bike rack", "the recycling bin", "the lawn near the quad", "the campus bench", "the main lecture hall", "the science building entrance", "the engineering lab", "the student lounge", "the hallway bench" ]
# room descriptions are not tied to any particular room but add a little colour to the quest room_descriptions = [ "You think you spot your girlfriend, but it turns out to be someone else.", "You think you spot your boyfriend, but it turns out to be someone else.", "There is a pile of coats lying on the floor, but as it contains no booze, you quickly lose interest in it.", "There are completely empty glasses discarded everywhere. The place is such a mess", "There is a noticeboard with an exam timetable on the wall. As expected, someone has drawn a cock and balls descretely in the corner.", "There is a pile of comatose students sleeping here. There must be Student Nurses at the party as they are all turned over into the recovery position.", "Underneath all the grime, you are disgusted to find... more grime", "An abandoned sock lies in the middle of the floor, its owner nowhere to be seen.", "The air is thick with the smell of stale beer and cheap perfume. Just like in the song lyric which you start humming to yourself.", "Someone has set up a makeshift DJ booth, but it’s just a phone plugged into some old speakers.", "A questionable pizza slice sits on the floor, half-eaten and very, very cold. Don't touch it.", "A single, sad disco ball hangs from the ceiling, rotating slowly.", "A pile of shoes is here, ranging from sneakers to a single stray flip-flop.", "A half-inflated balloon drifts aimlessly across the floor.", "The smell of stale chips fills the air. Someone spilled a whole bag on the floor and left it there.", "You spot a half-full bottle of suspicious-looking punch. It’s probably a mix of everything left in the fridge.", "The only clean spot in the room is under an overturned chair. Everywhere else is sticky.", "A broken chair lies in the corner, evidence of an overly enthusiastic dance-off.", "The floor is sticky with what you hope is spilled drink.", "A lone phone charger dangles from an outlet, forgotten by its owner.", "A suspicious stain on the carpet catches your eye. You decide it's best not to investigate further.", "Someone has attempted to start a game of beer pong, but only one cup remains standing and it is disappointly empty.", "A plastic Halloween skeleton hangs from the ceiling, out of place and out of season.", "A single sandal sits alone on the floor, its pair likely long gone.", "A well-meaning sign on the wall says, 'Please Clean Up After Yourself.' Clearly, no one read it.", "A potted plant sits in the corner, wilted and forgotten, a silent witness to the chaos.", "An old pizza box doubles as a table centerpiece, though its contents are best left unmentioned and unfilched.", "Someone has drawn a smiley face on the wall with what you hope is ketchup.", "A coat rack sags under the weight of far too many jackets. It's a miracle it hasn’t fallen over.", "Someone has left a polite note on the fridge: 'Do Not Touch.' It’s been ignored entirely.", "You hear faint snores from a makeshift bed made of sofa cushions on the floor.", "A lone party hat sits on the floor, slightly crumpled but still festive.", "The remains of a birthday cake sit on the counter, now just a mess of crumbs and frosting.", "The trash bin is overflowing, and someone has started a second pile next to it.", "A game of Jenga lies in ruins on the coffee table. It didn’t survive the night.", "An empty bottle of wine balances precariously on the edge of a windowsill.", "A pair of sunglasses sits on the windowsill, though it’s the middle of the night.", "Someone has written 'Good Vibes Only' on the wall with a Sharpie. That'll be the deposit gone, then.", "A laundry basket filled with unmatched socks sits by the couch. Party mystery?", "A stack of takeaway menus sits nearby, all featuring the same pizza place.", "A flyer for a band you’ve never heard of is taped to the wall, promising 'the gig of the year.' It was last month.", "A mysterious sticky note on the fridge reads, 'Don't forget the cat!'...but no cat is in sight.", "A plastic cup pyramid towers on the kitchen counter, each cup stained a different color.", "Someone attempted to build a pillow fort, but it collapsed long ago.", "A pair of socks, clearly not matching, are on the floor.", "A discarded lanyard with a faded student ID dangles from the doorknob.", "There is a faint smell of burnt popcorn, though there’s no popcorn in sight.", "An old, crumpled flyer for a 'housewarming party' sits in the corner. The date reads three years ago.", "A single high heel lies abandoned. Cinderella story, or lost to the chaos?", "An empty mug is labeled 'Not Coffee.' Who knows what it contained.", "A nearby table bears mysterious marks, as if someone tried to use it as a drum kit.", "A large, red bean bag chair sags under the weight of its own existence.", "A stack of red solo cups is neatly piled on the table, ready for the next round.", "Someone has attempted to start a game of beer pong, but only one cup remains standing. And it is disappointly empty.", ]
# Define 75 items of treasure with descriptions and values. Dictionary proved to be far more efficient than any other data structure. treasure_dict = [ {"name": "a sip of wine", "description": "A half glass of red wine with lipstick around the edge", "value": 50}, {"name": "a can that probably contained beer", "description": "A dented can of lager, still slightly chilled", "value": 30}, {"name": "a cocktail of some kind", "description": "A quarter glass of a neon-colored cocktail with a straw", "value": 15}, {"name": "a cheeky champagne flute", "description": "A flute of champagne, mostly flat but still drinkable", "value": 20}, {"name": "a wee whiskey", "description": "A strong-smelling glass of whiskey with melting ice", "value": 40}, {"name": "some punch", "description": "A plastic cup with mystery punch, sticky to the touch", "value": 25}, {"name": "coffee", "description": "A cold coffee cup with a shot of espresso left", "value": -20}, {"name": "a mug of cider", "description": "A mug three-quarters full of warm, flat cider", "value": 30}, {"name": "the remains of a vodka shot", "description": "A half-empty vodka shot glass with a lemon wedge", "value": 15}, {"name": "an energy drink", "description": "An open can of energy drink, half remaining", "value": -30}, {"name": "a can of pop", "description": "A half-finished can of fizzy pop with no fizz", "value": 10}, {"name": "a bit of a bottle of rosé", "description": "A mostly empty bottle of rosé wine", "value": 35}, {"name": "a tequila shot", "description": "A tequila shot glass with salt on the rim", "value": 15}, {"name": "a slug from a rum bottle", "description": "A quarter-full bottle of dark rum", "value": 50}, {"name": "a glug from a gin bottle", "description": "A gin bottle with a slosh left", "value": 45}, {"name": "a half pint of ale", "description": "A half-full pint glass of ale, mostly flat", "value": 20}, {"name": "a swig from an almost empty champagne bottle", "description": "An empty champagne bottle with a few drops left", "value": 5}, {"name": "someone's discarded mojito", "description": "A glass with a few mint leaves and lime, and some melted ice", "value": 10}, {"name": "a mouthful of water, just to hydrate of course", "description": "A half-empty plastic water bottle", "value": -10}, {"name": "most of a bottle of beer", "description": "An almost full bottle of beer, slightly warm", "value": 35}, {"name": "some sparkling water", "description": "A sparkling water bottle with some bubbles left", "value": -10}, {"name": "a not-so-nice cup of tea", "description": "A nice cup of tea. Stone cold.", "value": 1}, {"name": "some spiked lemonade", "description": "A solo cup of lemonade with a strong smell of vodka", "value": 30}, {"name": "a slightly lumpy glass of milk", "description": "A glass of milk left out too long, slightly warm and frankly a bit lumpy", "value": -15}, {"name": "a sour cocktail someone didn't like", "description": "A cocktail with a few sips left and a strong citrus smell", "value": 15}, {"name": "half a bottle of cola", "description": "An open cola bottle, half-full and flat", "value": -10}, {"name": "a small shot of absinthe", "description": "A small shot glass with some green liquid in it. Strange smell.", "value": 30}, {"name": "some nondescript beer", "description": "A plastic cup with two fingers of beer left", "value": 10}, {"name": "a forgotten martini", "description": "A martini glass with a single olive and a sip left", "value": 15}, {"name": "a quarter of a pint of stout", "description": "A quarter of a pint of rich stout in a glass", "value": 12}, {"name": "something out of one of those cups you see in American College films", "description": "A solo cup with a splash of something fruity and sticky", "value": -8}, {"name": "a bottle of tonic water but sadly no gin", "description": "A mostly flat bottle of tonic water", "value": -6}, {"name": "a sip from an apple juice box", "description": "A juice box with a bit of apple juice left", "value": -8}, {"name": "some stale lemonade", "description": "A glass of lemonade, missing fizz and appeal", "value": -7}, {"name": "a mouthful of red wine", "description": "A red wine bottle with a mouthful remaining", "value": 12}, {"name": "a glass of iced water", "description": "A glass of water with half-melted ice", "value": -5}, {"name": "most of a pint of lager", "description": "A pint glass three-quarters full of fizzy lager", "value": 30}, {"name": "a bourbon on the rocks", "description": "A rocks glass with - yes! - some bourbon left", "value": 28}, {"name": "a gin and tonic", "description": "A lowball glass with gin and tonic and a lime wedge", "value": 32}, {"name": "some mimosa", "description": "A champagne flute with a splash of mimosa", "value": 15}, {"name": "a rum and cola", "description": "A cola bottle with a dash of rum", "value": 25}, {"name": "the dregs of an empty beer can", "description": "An empty can of beer with a few drops left", "value": 5}, {"name": "some hot chocolate", "description": "A mug of cold hot chocolate with whipped cream residue", "value": -8}, {"name": "a strawberry daiquiri", "description": "A plastic cup with a bit of melted strawberry daiquiri", "value": 15}, {"name": "a vodka and orange", "description": "A highball glass with a splash of vodka and orange", "value": 20}, {"name": "a glass of rosé", "description": "A wine glass with some rosé at the bottom", "value": 15}, {"name": "a cup of iced coffee", "description": "A plastic cup of iced coffee with melted ice", "value": -12}, {"name": "a swallow of red wine", "description": "A wine glass with a hint of red left", "value": 5}, {"name": "a slushy", "description": "A plastic cup with melted slushy and a hint of blue raspberry", "value": -10}, {"name": "a cranberry vodka", "description": "A highball glass with cranberry vodka dregs", "value": 15}, {"name": "a lemon water", "description": "A glass of water with a lemon wedge", "value": -16}, {"name": "an iced tea", "description": "A half-empty glass of sweet iced tea", "value": -15}, {"name": "a margarita", "description": "A margarita glass with a salted rim and a sip left", "value": 15}, {"name": "a bottle of hard seltzer", "description": "A bottle of hard seltzer with a little fizz left", "value": 20}, {"name": "a half pint of lager", "description": "A half-full pint glass of flat lager", "value": 15}, {"name": "a bottle of flat cola", "description": "An open bottle of cola with some flat soda", "value": -10}, {"name": "a glass of sangria", "description": "A glass with a bit of sangria and a lonely orange slice", "value": 18}, {"name": "a glass of chardonnay", "description": "A wine glass with a last sip of chardonnay", "value": 12}, {"name": "a bitter shandy", "description": "A pint glass with a splash of bitter shandy", "value": 10}, {"name": "a glass of mulled wine", "description": "A glass of warm, spiced wine with a cinnamon stick", "value": 15}, {"name": "a pint can of cider which turned out to have a stubbed out cigarette in it", "description": "A half full pint can of cider", "value": -50}, {"name": "student's soda", "description": "A plastic cup with some mixed soda flavors", "value": 10}, {"name": "a stein of beer", "description": "A stein with a splash of flat lager", "value": 8}, {"name": "a quarter cup of punch", "description": "A red solo cup with a bit of fruit punch", "value": -7}, {"name": "a glass of milk stout", "description": "A glass with a bit of smooth milk stout", "value": 10} ]
# Assign treasures to random locations so different each game inventory_items = [] for i, treasure in enumerate(treasure_dict): # dict equivilent of len() location = random.randint(0, 120) inventory_items.append({**treasure, "id": i, "location": location}) # append to end of each dictionary item
# stupid comments to amuse and inform, many of which was first used in our Text Adventure Game Flat! from 1992. ChatGPT helped with some of the others. Back then we had to read. comment_list = [ "Edward II of England was disembowelled by a red hot poker in 1327.", "George I of England died of apoplexy after eating too many melons in 1727", "there are 775,692 words in the King James Edition of the Bible", "on the day that President Kennedy was assassinated (November 22nd 1963), Aldous Huxley died, and the Beatles were at number one with 'She Loves You'", "Alfred, Lord Tennyson composed a 6,000 word poem when he was 10", "Frederick, Prince of Wales, was killed after being hit on the head with a cricket ball in 1751.", "Testicles, out of the scrotum look exactly like King Prawns as served up at Won Kei's Chinese Restaurant on Wardour Street. This puts you off the thought of lunch just now.", "if you could weigh all the electrons in the internet, they would total about 50 grams—roughly the weight of a strawberry.", "the blink tag in HTML was banned by the W3C (the body that manages web standards) because it was deemed too annoying for users.", "NASA once lost a space probe to Mars because of a single typo—someone used a comma instead of a full stop, which threw the whole mission off!", "King John died after eating vast quanities of peaches and cider in 1216", "Charles VIII of France died after hitting his head on a low doorway in 1498", "The Duke of Clarence drowned in a casket of sweet wine in 1478", "the first successful dentures were patented 200 years ago by Nicholas de Chemant.", "up to 60,000 dust mites lurk in each square yard of carpet", "there are 336 dimples on a golf ball. Are you sure you're not bored with this game already?", "James Callaghan (former Labour Party leader and Prime Minister) is the only former Chancellor of the Exchequor to have also worked for the Inland Revenue", "Fleecie Moore (no, me neither) once recorded a song entitled 'Caldonia, what makes your Big Head so Hard?'", "Prokofiev wrote the opera 'The Giant' when he was only seven", "brontophobia is the fear of thunder", "Ron Moody was originally asked to be the third Doctor Who...", "the average Brit spends 12 years of their life watching TV", "the average man goes through 675 pairs of underpants", "Australian Cricketer Merv Hughes had his moustache insured for 2 thousand quid!", "David Bowie's father was the owner of a Soho wrestling club", "the average snails travels at a steady 0.031 miles per hour", "you still can't remember where you were when Ronald Reagan was shot", "singer/songwriter Elvis Costello's real name is Declan Aloitius Patrick MacManus", "Ian Hendry was the original star of 'The Avengers'", "Paul Gascoigne known better as 'Gazza', originally came to fame exhorting a diet of Newcastle Brown Ale and Mars Bars.", "try as you might, you still think the opening lyrics to The Smiths 'This Charming Man' are 'An unchewed bicycle'", "Sir Michael Hordern declined an offer to become the second Dr Who", "French punk-rocker Plastic Bertrand had a UK hit in 1978 with 'Ca Plane Pour Moi', and that you still don't know what is was about...", "it's just over hundred years since the first tins of baked beans in tomato sauce were manufactured", "Walter Hunt invented the safety pin in 1849", "US Cartoon character Mr Magoo's first name is Quincy", "if one in every three people is Chinese...why are Bananarama all English?", "lightning travels at a speed between 100 and 1,000 miles per second", "the population of a hive of bees have to fly 50,000 miles and visit Four Million flowers to make just one pound of honey.", "The Guinness World Record for the longest hiccuping spree is 68 years.", "Cleopatra lived closer in time to the invention of the iPhone than to the construction of the Great Pyramid.", "Bananas are berries, but strawberries aren't.", "Queen Elizabeth II was a trained mechanic during World War II.", "More people die from vending machines than shark attacks each year.", "Honey never spoils. Archaeologists have found pots of honey in ancient Egyptian tombs that are over 3,000 years old and still edible.", "Bubble wrap was originally intended to be used as wallpaper.", "Cows have best friends and get stressed when they are separated.", "In Switzerland, it’s illegal to own just one guinea pig because they get lonely.", "When a male penguin falls in love with a female penguin, he searches the entire beach to find the perfect pebble to present to her.", "A duck’s quack doesn’t echo, and no one knows why.", "Oxford University is older than the Aztec Empire.", "In 1999, hackers broke into NASA’s website and changed the front page to 'We’ll stop invading spaceships if you stop making them.'", "There’s a basketball court above the Supreme Court of the United States. It's known as the 'Highest Court in the Land.'", "Vending machines kill more people each year than sharks.", "Movie trailers were originally shown after the movie, which is why they’re called 'trailers.'", "'Party' is written in Python by the Rev Simon Rundell who is on twixxer as @frsimon" "A group of flamingos is called a 'flamboyance.'", "Sea otters hold hands when they sleep to keep from drifting apart.", "Albert Einstein's brain was stolen after his death.", "An octopus has three hearts.", "The inventor of the Pringles can is now buried in one.", "You cannot hum while holding your nose - and I bet you are trying it now.", "The blob of toothpaste on a toothbrush is called a 'nurdle.'", "In France, it’s illegal to name a pig 'Napoleon.'", "There’s a McDonald's on every continent except Antarctica.", "The shortest complete sentence in the English language is 'Go.'", "There’s a species of jellyfish that is biologically immortal.", "The shortest war in history lasted just 38 minutes, between Britain and Zanzibar in 1896.", "Cats have fewer toes on their back paws than their front paws. Yes, you can check if you like.", "The voice of Yoda was also the voice of Miss Piggy.", "Scotland’s national animal is the unicorn.", "A day on Venus is longer than a year on Venus.", "Tomato Ketchup was sold in the 1830s as medicine.", "In Japan, there’s a train station that has no entrance or exit, just a platform for enjoying the scenery.", "The dot over a lowercase 'i' or 'j' is called a 'tittle.'", "Wombat poop is cube-shaped.", "High heels were originally worn by men in the 10th century.", "A snail can sleep for three years at a time.", "The name for the shape of Pringles is called a 'hyperbolic paraboloid.' That's appropriate for a Student-Party themed game", "A single spaghetti noodle is called a 'spaghetto.'", "Some cats are allergic to humans.", "Every continent has at least one city called Rome.", "Lobsters communicate by peeing at each other.", "Carrots used to be purple before the 17th century.", "Your nose can remember 50,000 different scents.", "Sharks are older than trees.", "The first alarm clock could only ring at 4am which counts as cruelty to students", "Mosquitoes are the most dangerous animals in the world.", "Bees can fly higher than Mount Everest.", "Polar bears are nearly invisible under infrared cameras.", "Butterflies taste with their feet.", "All the ants on Earth weigh about the same as all the humans." ]
def items_visible(): global current_location global inventory_items visible_items = [item["description"] for item in inventory_items if item["location"] == current_location] if visible_items: return f"{', '.join(visible_items)}." else: return "...nothing much, really."
def list_inventory(): global inventory_items global inventory if inventory: inventory_list = [inventory_items[item_id]["name"] for item_id in inventory] inventory_value = sum(inventory_items[item_id]["value"] for item_id in inventory) inventory_string = ", ".join(inventory_list[:-1]) + " and " + inventory_list[-1] if len(inventory_list) > 1 else inventory_list[0] return inventory_string + f". That comes to about {inventory_value}mls worth of booze." else: return "Nothing. Not a sausage. Naff all. Zilch. Nada."
def generate_random_comment(): # A random collection of thoughts to entertain the player global comment_list
comment = random.randint(1, (len(comment_list) * 4)) # 1 in 4 chance of a stupid comment if comment < len(comment_list): response = f"\nFor some inexplicable reason you are reminded that {comment_list[comment]}\n" else: response = ""
def set_coords(x, y): global directions for location in directions: if x == location[0] and y == location[1]: return location[2] # returns the room given by x and y
def process_direction(direction): global current_location # Declare global to modify the global variable # Get x, y based on the current location position = get_coords() #print("DEBUG: position before = ", position)
# Apply boundary checks for each direction if direction == 'north' and position[1] < 5: position = [position[0], position[1] + 1] elif direction == 'south' and position[1] > -5: position = [position[0], position[1] - 1] elif direction == 'east' and position[0] < 5: position = [position[0] + 1, position[1]] elif direction == 'west' and position[0] > -5: position = [position[0] - 1, position[1]]
# print("DEBUG: position after = ", position)
# Get new location based on x, y if within bounds new_location = set_coords(position[0], position[1]) if new_location is not None: current_location = new_location else: print("You can't move further in that direction.")
def check_item_here(item_name): global inventory_items global inventory global current_location item_name = item_name.lower()
for item in inventory_items: if item["location"] == current_location and (item_name in item["name"].lower() or item_name in item["description"].lower()): inventory.append(item["id"]) item["location"] = -1 # Mark as taken return True # Exit the function after taking the item return False # Return False if the item is not found
global current_move # Convert command to lowercase for easier matching command = command.lower().strip()
# Split command into words words = command.split()
# prepare response with a neutral phrase in case it falls through # the parser response = "Come again?"
# check for help if len(words) == 1 and words[0] == "help": response = f"\n\nHELP: To move in a direction GO <direction> ie GO NORTH.\n" response += f"INVENTORY will give you a list of items you have drunk.\n" response +=f"You can TAKE, GET, or DRINK the items in your location\n\n" return response
if len(words) == 1 and words[0] =="inventory": drunk_synonym = random.choice(["You have so far imbibed", "So far, you have got away with chugging", "No one so far has seen you knock back", "No wonder you're swaying, you've had"])
# Check for direction commands (e.g., "go north") if len(words) == 2 and words[0] == "go": direction = words[1] if direction in ["north", "south", "east", "west"]: process_direction(direction) extra_response = random.choice(["", "", "", "", "", "", "It looks a bit nicer there.", "I reckon it's safer.", "Less sticky.", "You leave that mess behind you."]) response = f"Moving {direction}. {extra_response}\n" current_move += 1 return response else: # decided not to punish player for not getting the parser to understand # current_move += 1 return "I have no idea what you are talking about."
elif len(words) == 2 and (words[0] == "eat" or words[0] == "nibble" or words[0] == "scoff"): response = f"I really wouldn't risk it, if I were you.\n" return response
# Check for "take" commands (e.g., "take axe" or now "drink beer") elif len(words) == 2 and (words[0] == "take" or words[0] == "get" or words[0] == "drink"): item = words[1] if check_item_here(item): extra_response = random.choice(["", "", "", "", "", "Nice.", "Gulp.", "Weeee like to drink with ---", "It tastes a bit gritty and nicotine-y.", "Bleugh.", "That was clearly another one of life's regrets...", "Parts of you are beginning to get refreshed.", "It goes down quickly, even though it makes you wince a bit." "","", "", "", ""]) response = f"\nDrinking {item}. {extra_response}\n" current_move += 1 else: extra_response = random.choice(["", "Are you hallucinating?", ""]) response = f"\nThe {item} is not here. {extra_response}\n" return response
# If the command doesn't match any known patterns else: # decided not to punish player for not getting the parser to understand # current_move += 1 return "I have no idea what you are talking about."
''' Before my genius idea to make this about my old student days I was going to make this a general fantasy adventure, but for the purposes of this game, these commands are not going to be needed...
# If the command doesn't match any known patterns else: # decided not to punish player for not getting the parser to understand # current_move += 1 return "I have no idea what you are talking about" '''
def titles(): response = "#####################################################\n" response += "# ##### # ##### ####### # # #\n" response += "# # # # # # # # # # #\n" response += "# # # # # # # # # #\n" response += "# #### ####### #### # # #\n" response += "# # # # # # # # #\n" response += "# # # # # # # # #\n" response += "# #\n" response += "# A Student Quest from a long past age when #\n" response += "# we still used to get free tuition. #\n" response += "# #\n" response += "# Coded by Simon Rundell (spr206@exeter.ac.uk) #\n" response += "#####################################################\n\n" response += "Long, long ago, before being a student required sobriety,\n" response += "parties used to be long and debauched. At the end of them\n" response += "reprobate students short on money would hoover up any\n" response += "left over drinks in the vain hope of maintaining the buzz.\n\n" response += "We all know that this was irresponsible and silly and\n" response += "should never be done, but Students these days are much more\n" response += "responsible, so you get to relive my past by wandering\n" response += "around this party drinking yourself silly. Beware, not all\n" response += "that sounds like liquid is a nice drink...\n\n" response += "For help, type HELP\n\n" print(response)
############## MAIN GAME LOOP ################## titles() while True: print(f"#####################################################") print(f"\nThis is move {current_move}. You are currently at {room()}\n") print(generate_random_description()) # print(f"You are carrying {list_inventory()}") visible_items_text = items_visible() if visible_items_text != "...nothing much, really.": print(f"There is:\n{visible_items_text}\n") # Print only if there are items action = parse_command(input("Enter command: ").lower()) print(action) print(generate_random_comment())
This little revision aid comes out of a less ambitious idea: I wanted to illustrate the matching of statements to headings using a little drag and drop. It was originally going to be within PowerPoint, but VBA and PowerPoint is a little weak in this area: a lot of shapes simply wouldn’t be dragged around for the purposes of education or entertainment. So I decided to flip the web and write it in React. Don’t worry: if none of that made sense and you just want to know how to do the questions because you don’t teach Computing, it’s okay – here is my solution!
Simply drag and drop the answer over the question and if that is correct then it turns green, red if you are wrong. You can correct your answer by dragging the right answer onto the answer and the wrong one will reappear. You can go straight to any given question by identifying the question number (0 is the first one, I’m a Computer Scientist, of course it is zero-indexed!) and copying the url. This is good when you want to just use it as a Knowledge Retrieval demonstration with the whole class.
The data is stored in a file called config.json and is quite easy to configure:
{
"QuestionSets": [
{
"Header": "Match the computer science term with its definition",
"QuestionAnswerPairs": [
{ "Question": "Algorithm", "Answer": "A step-by-step procedure to solve a problem or perform a task." },
{ "Question": "Binary", "Answer": "The base-2 number system used by computers, consisting of 0s and 1s." },
{ "Question": "CPU", "Answer": "The central processing unit, responsible for executing instructions." },
{ "Question": "Cache", "Answer": "A small amount of high-speed memory located inside or close to the CPU." },
{ "Question": "RAM", "Answer": "Volatile memory used to temporarily store data and instructions." }
]
},
{
"Header": "Match the computer science term with its definition (Part 2)",
"QuestionAnswerPairs": [
{ "Question": "ROM", "Answer": "Non-volatile memory that contains essential instructions, such as the boot process." },
{ "Question": "Bit", "Answer": "The smallest unit of data in a computer." },
{ "Question": "Byte", "Answer": "A group of 8 bits, often representing a single character." },
{ "Question": "Software", "Answer": "Programs and operating information used by a computer." },
{ "Question": "Hardware", "Answer": "The physical components of a computer." }
]
}
]
I’m happy to let you have the source code for you to implement it on your own server, or you can have it on my revision domain as <name>.examrevision.online where <name> is whatever you want, for only £10.00 a year. Contact me on simon@rundell.org.uk
<div class="blur">
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. In nec justo aliquet, porta nisi quis, sollicitudin nisl. Nunc ac molestie odio. Phasellus vitae commodo leo, quis accumsan eros. Curabitur at nisi pulvinar, tempus odio vel, ullamcorper neque. Ut scelerisque semper rutrum. Etiam odio elit, malesuada eget lobortis id, efficitur id metus. Praesent suscipit efficitur faucibus.
</div>
I tried to install regular JupyterHub about a dozen times. Each time I found myself in a morass of configuration and authentication problems, and when it came to the crunch, I could not get Python Kernel to initialize on it. Given that this was the key point of running a Jupyter Notebooks Server, it was all a bit disappointing.
Then I discovered The Little Jupyter Hub (aka TLJH) and it simply worked. It’s configuration is a little less straightforward, but my Python teaching site: https://www.pythonlessons.io is now fully up and running.
You can find the site for it here: https://tljh.jupyter.org/en/latest/ but below I will document my process and how I learned to customise the templates to give it my own (or your organization’s) look and feel.
Pre-requisites
Some familiarity with the command line.
A server running Ubuntu 20.04+ where you have root or sudo access (Ubuntu 22.04 LTS recommended).
At least 1GB of RAM on your server.
Ability to ssh into the server & run commands from the prompt.
An IP address where the server can be reached from the browsers of your target audience.
Step 1: Installing The Littlest JupyterHub
Using a terminal program, SSH into your server. This should give you a prompt where you can type commands.
Make sure you have python3, python3-dev, curl and git installed.
sudo apt install python3 python3-dev git curl
3. Copy the text below, and paste it into the terminal. Replace <admin-user-name> with the name of the first admin user for this JupyterHub. Choose any name you like (don’t forget to remove the brackets!). This admin user can log in after the JupyterHub is set up, and can configure it to their needs. Remember to add your username!
4. Press Enter to start the installation process. This will take 5-10 minutes, and will say Done! when the installation process is complete.
5. Copy the Public IP of your server, and try accessing http://<public-ip> from your browser. If everything went well, this should give you a JupyterHub login page.
6. Login using the admin user name you used in step 3. You can choose any password that you wish. Use a strong password & note it down somewhere, since this will be the password for the admin user account from now on.
7. Congratulations, you have a running working JupyterHub!
Step 2: Adding more users
Most administration & configuration of the JupyterHub can be done from the web UI directly. Let’s add a few users who can log in!
In the File menu select the entry for the Hub Control Panel.
2. In the control panel, open the Admin link in the top left.
3. Click the Add Users button.
4. Type the names of users you want to add to this JupyterHub in the dialog box, one per line.
You can tick the Admin checkbox if you want to give admin rights to all these users too.
5. Click the Add Users button in the dialog box. Your users are now added to the JupyterHub! When they log in for the first time, they can set their password – and use it to log in again in the future.
Step 3: Adding a Secure Certificate
Where it says <your domain> add your domain name and <your email> add your own email
Test by trying to access the site with https://<your domain> and it should be ready to run!
Step 3: Change the look and feel
The files for TLJH are stored in /opt/tljh which is different to a standard JupyterHub installation, but the principles remain the same. I found that the config folder wasn’t available to me even when I tried to enter it with sudo
The solution was to take ownership of that folder (either permanently or temporarily) with
sudo chown -R <your user name>:<your user group> /opt/tljh/config
You don’t have to do this, but I like to see what’s in there…
Inside the config folder is the config.yaml we edited earlier. There is also a folder called jupyterhub_config.d which at this point is probably empty. It can contain a number of python configuration files which are processed in alphabetical order as the server operates. We need to create a file (of any name) in there. I chose templates.py
The first command sets a new folder for the templates so I am able to modify them. The last two commands forces the default theme of the site to be the light theme (which matched my design much better). The user can toggle between light and dark.
You now need to copy the templates to /home/templates so you can work on them. You could put it anywhere, but I found it easier to be able to access them in a directory which was shared by Samba to my PC.
and in login.html my changes/additions look like this:
{% else %} <div class="pythontitle"><img src='{{ base_url }}logo' alt='JupyterHub logo' class='jpy-logo' title='pythonlessons.io' /></div> <div class="borderedtext">FREE Secure Python Development Environment</div> <form action="{{ authenticator_login_url | safe }}" method="post" role="form"> <div class="auth-form-header"> <h1>Sign in</h1> </div> <div class='auth-form-body m-auto'> <p id='insecure-login-warning' class='hidden'> Warning: JupyterHub seems to be served over an unsecured HTTP connection. We strongly recommend enabling HTTPS for JupyterHub. </p> {% if login_error %}<p class="login_error">{{ login_error }}</p>{% endif %} <input type="hidden" name="_xsrf" value="{{ xsrf }}" /> <label for="username_input">Username:</label> <input id="username_input" type="text" autocapitalize="off" autocorrect="off" autocomplete="username" class="form-control" name="username" val="{{ username }}" autofocus="autofocus" /> <label for='password_input'>Password:</label> <input type="password" class="form-control" autocomplete="current-password" name="password" id="password_input" /> {% if authenticator.request_otp %} <label for='otp_input'>{{ authenticator.otp_prompt }}</label> <input class="form-control" autocomplete="one-time-password" name="otp" id="otp_input" /> {% endif %} <div class="feedback-container"> <input id="login_submit" type="submit" class='btn btn-jupyter form-control' value='Sign in' tabindex="3" /> <div class="feedback-widget hidden"> <i class="fa fa-spinner"></i> </div> </div> {% block login_terms %} {% if login_term_url %} <div id="login_terms" class="login_terms"> <input type="checkbox" id="login_terms_checkbox" name="login_terms_checkbox" required /> {% block login_terms_text %} {# allow overriding the text #} By logging into the platform you accept the <a href="{{ login_term_url }}">terms and conditions</a>. {% endblock login_terms_text %} </div> {% endif %} {% endblock login_terms %} </div> </form> {% endif %} {% endblock login_container %} <div class="borderedtext">If you have forgotten your password, please contact your teacher or lecturer.</div> <div class="borderedtext">Academic institutions wishing to take advantage of this FREE resource can contact the administrator: <a href="mai> </div> {% endblock login %}
I suppose I cheated with the logo. I could have uploaded a fresh logo and changed the call to it, but instead I edited the original and stored it in the main static files: /opt/tljh/hub/share/jupyterhub/static/images. It works, so I’m not unhappy.
I’ve been working on JupyterHub Notebooks recently – a collaborative document format which can run Python code in small code windows. It’s excellent for teaching and developing skills in programming.
To this end I have been working on draft 1 of an adventure where you need to solve a series of puzzles using various Python skills such as conditional statements, iteration, arrays and the like. At the moment it needs some work because I think it starts with something quite complex, and I would like to begin with puzzles which start at the basics of coding and then build up culminating in the challenge of creating a little game.
The code is:
message = ".ebordraw em ni xob eht dniF .87 eb rebmun ykcul em dna 8171 eb htrib ym fo raey ehT" # decode the message in the line below decoded_message = message[::-1] print("The decoded message is", decoded_message)
That’s a bit hard to start with, so I’m working on other clues with something more basic. I also have little sections which have the answer hidden – if it’s text the answer is encoded in an md5 string and if it’s a number there is a complex calculation and these tell you if you are on the right track.
At the end, as I said, there is an opportunity to build a little game. It could go anyway, but it would give you the opportunity to see how far a student has got with his/her programming skills.
Code (this would be my solution:
import random turns = 0 injuries = 0
for turns in range(1,10): walk_direction=input(f"Step {turns} Current injuries {injuries}: Turn Left or Right?").lower() print(f"You turn to the {walk_direction}") injury = random.randint(0,1) if injury==1: injuries = injuries + 1 print(f"Oh, no a trap causes you an injury. You now have {injuries} injuries on your body!") if injuries>2: print(f"You have died from an excessive amount of injuries.") break
if injuries<3: print("You have survived the dangerous path through the cave of the skull!")
This is an animated GIF of it running:
I think the method could be applied to a number of genres: spy stories, crime detection and the like. I just need to get the puzzles a little more refined. It’s a good start.
CC-BY-NC 2025 ChalkFaceKilla
All stuff here can be used freely as long as you don't use it commercially & as as long as you credit the link you got it from.
