My Stinky Doodle

Here are the steps to making your Stinky doodle:

1. You have to know how to make your own web page with HTML in order to make a Stinky doodle. If you don't already know how, go learn it, and them come back here ready to doodle!
2. Copy the HTML source code of this web page into your directory. If you are on Columbia University's AcIS computers, you can also access this page directly by copying it from ~es66/public_html/demo.html (into your public_html directory).
3. Use Netscape to make sure your copy of this web page works for you. That is, change the URL in Netscape to point to your copy of this web page in your own directory. If you are on Columbia AcIS, and you copy it and keep the name "demo.html", then the address is www.columbia.edu/~USERNAME/demo.html
4. Modify the Stinky source code, i.e., the list of commands given to Stinky to create the little drawing above. These commands are actually embedded in the HTML source code of this web page! So, all you have to do is edit your copy of this web page with an editor such as pico or emacs.
   • The commands are found after VALUE=, and they are in double quotes.
   • You must put spaces between commands, not other "white space" such as tabs or carriage returns (these are known as "white space" since it is white if you are writing on a white piece of paper). If you want, you can put in carriage returns so the commands are on seperate rows, but you have to also put spaces -- if you don't it won't work! Even if you put mostly spaces but at one place you a carriage return, put a space there.
   • I can't over-emphasize this thing about spaces. Think of it this way: PUT A SPACE AT THE BEGINING OF EVERY NEW LINE, please. Note that many editors put line breaks (i.e., carriage returns) in automatically when you get to the end of the line, just like a nice word processor would. Pico probably does. So when this happens, put in the space yourself -- a line break is different than a space. This means if you see a doodle you like and cut-and-paste the commands into Pico, it may get ruined by forgetting some of the spaces at the line breaks -- put a space at the beginning of each line to fix this.
   • The deal here is, Stinky is actually a program written in Java, in particular, a Java applet. The "program" you are modifying is actually just an input parameter to the Java applet.
   • First, make a minor modification to the doodle above, and then reload the page with your web browser (e.g., Netscape), to see this modification activated. If it doesn't make a change there is a problem:
     • If your doodle protrudes beyond the range of Stinky's little space on your web page, you won't be able to see anything he is drawing.
     • Make certain your web browser is pointed towards your own copy of this web page, not the original copy in Eric's directory.
     • Don't forget to save your changes with your text editor (e.g., Pico) before hitting the reload button on your browser.
     • Try holding shift while you click the reload button.
     • Try going back to a different page, then forward to the one with your doodle.
     • Try a different web browser, e.g., if you are on an HP at Columbia's AcIS, type "netscape" from the Unix dollar sign prompt to get a different version of Netscape running. Or, move to a Mac.
     • Don't forget to put spaces (not just line breaks) between each command.
     • Quit and restart your web browser.
   • Then, start building your picture from scratch. Start with a couple reduces, and a step. Then add a couple more steps and/or turning commands. Add a little at a time, checking the results each time. Your job is much easier if you check the results often, after each couple additional commands.
   • If you look carefully, you'll see there's a place to change the height and width of the space Stinky can draw in (optional).
5. Modify the HTML source of your copy of the web page to eliminate these instructions, and put in any comments you want, e.g., a link back to your home page. Please leave in the link to the main Stinky page, as above.