A-Star Learning

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Inspiration

As an avid learner, I myself have used multiple online learning sites, but when it comes to Computer Science, there seems to be a lack of motivation in learning more CS concepts for younger students. Therefore, I want to create a new platform that make high level courses more engaging, interactive, and fun.

What it does

The application covers 4 main search algorithms right now, and the goal is for the student to write the search algorithms in the context of a Pacman game. The Pacman simulation on the right will run based on what code you type on the left. This way, the user can easily interact between the code, the output, and the simulation.

How I built it

You can see in the IDE portion, the editor highlights, indents, and has line numbers like a regular IDE, and this is implemented using the Scintilla library and it’s Python wraparound QScintilla, which is also used in popular coding text editors such as Notepad++. The GUI for the application uses PyQT and the QScintilla library works with PyQT to create the IDE.

Challenges I ran into

I faced some time constraint problem because learning a new framework and designing UI took quite a long time.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

Being able to apply search algorithms into a fun game like Pacman is extremely fun. The thing that I’m most proud of is my whole hackathon journey. I was able to push to my limit to surpass a lot of struggles while making this application.

What I learned

I learned how to work under pressure and the way to learning new framework fast. Therefore, it will be beneficial for me in the long run.

What's next for A-Star Learning

I plan to turn this project into a startup, where I can scale up A-Star and collaborate with other partners, companies, designers to improve the interface, course selection, and platform.

Built With

• pyqt
• python
• qsciscintilla