CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javauser-interface
user3448821
user3448821

Reputation: 249

How do I bring a GUI into an existing object-oriented project?

My question is more about general design and code flow, rather than a specific issue like syntax. How can I take an existing game (a fighting game, kind of like Pokemon) and add a GUI to it? I've done very simple GUIs before, so I understand the concepts of adding a frame, selecting a layout, and adding panels, buttons, images, etc. I'm not stuck on the details. Rather, I don't know where to implement the GUI.

Is it best to create a class or classes for the GUI, and then create instances of those classes within my existing code? Or do I go the other way around, and have the code within the GUI drive the game forward?

I also haven't used event driven programming before. How does this fit into the structure?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 117

Answers (1)

antlersoft
antlersoft

Reputation: 14786

You might want to read up on the Model-View-Controller pattern.

Take your existing game and turn it into a library of objects that maintain the game state through the various actions the players can make. This will be your "Model".

Then create some graphical elements that will display the game state to the user. This will be your "View".

Finally, you will need some user interface elements that allow the user to update the game state (buttons and such). These will have callback or events in which you will put the code that calls the methods in your "Model" object to update the game state, and to update the "View" objects as necessary. That's the Controller.

Upvotes: 1

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