Panther - What is it?!

Panther is going to be the tool I always wanted to have ever since I started Lynx programming. The tools availible were good, but not that easy to use. One needs to write the program in an editor, like Notepad for instance. Next, you'd have to start an MS-DOS window, set a lot of enviroment variables. To compile the lot, at least 3 other programs needed to be booted. You actually want to PLAY it as well? Then you need to start another app, and download it to your Lynx. Or you want to play it in an emulator? Then you need to start the emulator. But you also want your pictures in your game? Oh, start an external drawing program, edit a picture, save it, and quit the draw program. Next, convert it with the apropriate program to a usable sprite. You can't use it yet: it needs to undergo another conversion. And a larger project doesn't consist of a single file: soon you could easily loose track of what file you need when.

Ultimately, it's fun to do, but sometimes a little confusing. The goal of Panther is to remove the confusing stuff and leave you with the fun. Write your code, hit Compile&Send to Lynx, and all altered files will be compiled and when needed converted, then all needed files are linked to a final file, which can be downloaded to the Lynx automatically.

My ultimate design goals:

  • Create a multiple-document enviroment suite.
  • No need for external executables: all the needed programs included in easy-updateble DLL files.
  • But if you want, you can define and fire up external programs.
  • Integrate compiler, assambler, linker, Binary-to-Object convertor, PCX-convertor.
  • Build-in emulator, ROM-Imagebuilder and program downloader.
  • Include a sprite-editor, perhaps also a level- and soundeditor. These last two aren't likely, though.
    This page was created by Laurens Simonis using the latest beta of Panther and PaintShopPro 4.1.