Fun with Java: Playing with IBM's Robocode

Build the best. Destroy the rest. In Robocode, you'll program a robotic battletank in Java for a fight to the finish. The game is designed to help you learn Java, and have fun doing it… from a simple 10-line robot to a very sophisticated, intelligent robot that destroys the competition! While it is all fun and games, it can also everything from introductory Java through advanced principles of framework design, inter-process communication, and more.

Robocode is an application and code framework in which you deploy 'robots'… classes you write with behavior for hunting other robots, shooting them, evading their bullets, responding to messages from teammates, and other events related to the game play.

It is a fun way to learn everything from simple programming concepts to intermediate concepts such as threads, inter-process communication and serialization, all the way up to advanced concepts for artificially intelligent algorithms.

Robocode also makes a great contest for your local Java User Group - battle it out with your peers and prove who's the best coder!

About David Bock

David Bock is a Principal Consultant at CodeSherpas, a company he founded in 2007. Mr. Bock is also the President of the Northern Virginia Java Users Group, the Editor of O'Reilly's OnJava.com website, and a frequent speaker on technology in venues such as the No Fluff Just Stuff Software Symposiums.

In January 2006, Mr. Bock was honored by being awarded the title of Java Champion by a panel of esteemed leaders in the Java Community in a program sponsored by Sun. There are approximately 100 active Java Champions worldwide.

David has also served on several JCP panels, including the Specification of the Java 6 Platform and the upcoming Java Module System.

In addition to his public speaking and training activities, Mr. Bock actively consults as a software engineer, project manager, and team mentor for commercial and government clients.

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