Demo Programs

The installation package for EXPL contains more than 33 demonstration programs that give working examples of EXPL's capabilities. The programs can be found in the Demos directory of the installation. Many of the programs were written by Loren Blaney, a major driving force in the development of the XPL0 programming language and a prolific contributor of clever games and animation programs that demonstrate mathematical and scientific principles.

1. Curves.xpl - An animation demonstrating spline curves.

2. Dragon.xpl - A Loren Blaney program demonstrating the classic fractal dragon curve.

3. Ellipse.xpl - A Loren Blaney program showing how an ellipse can be generated with a beam and two pivot points sliding in groves.

4. Ellipse2.xpl - A Loren Blaney program that is a more sophisticated version of the Ellipse.xpl program that more clearly shows the beam and the groves.

5. Ellipse3.xpl - An elaboration of Ellipse.xpl that varies the beam length and leaves the lines on the screen to form pretty patterns.

6. FIL.XPL - A Loren Blaney program demonstrating filtering with a magnifying glass. This program runs slow because EXPL is interpreted and because the program manipulates individual pixles.

7. FracTree.xpl - A Loren Blaney program demonstrating a classic fractal tree.

8. Hanoid.xpl - A simple text-based program that solves the Towers of Hanoi problem.

9. MINESWPR.XPL - A Loren Blaney version of the classic Windows Minesweeper game.

10. MJ.XPL - A Loren Blaney version of the Mahjongg game.

11. NIXIECLK.XPL - A Loren Blaney program that displays the current system time using old-style neon Nixie tubes.

12. PLOT3D.XPL - A sample program that draws 3D surfaces.

13. PULLEY.XPL - A Loren Blaney program that displays a pulley, rope and weight simulation.

14. Pulley2.XPL - A Loren Blaney program that displays an even more complex pulley, rope and weight simulation.

15. PUZZLE.XPL - A Loren Blaney version of the classic sliding-block puzzle, with very realistic 3D tiles.

16. Ripples.xpl - A Loren Blaney program that displays a complex pattern of ripples for a deceptively simple algorithm.

17. SCROLLER.XPL - A Loren Blaney program that displays a text scroller with a flashing fractal background.

18. SOKOBAN.XPL - A Loren Blaney isometric version of the Sokoban game.

19. TEXTRIS.XPL - A Loren Blaney game that is a cross between Scrabble and Tetris.

20. Triangle.xpl - A Delaunay Triangulation, convex and concave hull demonstration.

21. WINDEMO.XPL - A program demonstrating the block character set and the windowing features of EXPL to produce menus and pop-up windows.

22. WINDOZE.XPL - A Loren Blaney program that uses Windows Icons in a Tetris-like game.

23. WW.XPL - A Loren Blaney program that uses computer animation to demonstrate the chaotic behavior of the Lorenzian Waterwheel.

24. xpong.xpl - A Loren Blaney program that shows a shiny 3D ball rolling on a surface that is generated entirely in software. This program runs slow because EXPL is interpreted and because the program manipulates individual pixels.

25. 2048.xpl - Another Loren Blaney game that works by using the arrow keys to slide numbered tiles around on the game board. If tiles with matching numbers run into each other, the tiles combine and the numbers add. The goal is have one of the tiles reach 2048.

26. Matrix.xpl - This program demonstrates the use of homogenous coordinate matrices to manipulate 3D objects.

3D Demo Programs - Nine programs are included in the installation that demonstrate the accelerated 3D graphics options in EXPL. Click here for more a detailed description of 3D example programs.