How do I make Alice communicate with other apps?

[lpjdegraaf]

Is there a way in Alice to communicate to other applications running on the same PC. The main purpose is to let alice respond interactively on things happening in the other app.

I actually would like to realize a 2 way communication mechanism: From another application to alice, but also from alice to the other application.

So suppose I build a plain C# app with a GUI with a button 'spin' on it, can I use this button to make the ice skater spin in the Alice app? If so ... how does this work. And also ... can i let Alice inform the other world about events happening, for example, the ice skater falling into a hole in the ice?

I actually was thinking that it might be possible to do the first thing by letting my C# app generate a button pressed event and sending that to the Alice window. I think this migth work. However, for communication the other way around I do not have a clou. Some help would be greatly appreciated.

[ottosparks]

Well Acctuly...
1. You Can Make It As A Multiplayer Online Game :)

2. Let <,>,^,& v Control P1
And
W,A,S,& D For 2P.
But It's Kinda Hard The First Way. "shrugs"
So, I'd Go With The Second ;)

[gabe]

Alice is written in Java, so theoretically it is possible for you to write a Java app and then modify the Alice source code to have them interact.

You can download the source code here (http://www.alice.org/downloads/authoringtool/)(scroll to the bottom).

The team is unable to provide assistance as we are short on resources and need to focus as much as we can on development of 3.0.

Good luck!

[DrJim]

One other option might be to enable Java scripting and see what you can do with that - although as Gabe documents in another posting, that option isn't fully implemented or actively supported in Alice 2.0.

One program that does work (or at least did in the past - don't know if the default web site is still there) is at: http://www.westga.edu/~drocco/alice/networking.html The site also has notes on enableing scripting.

Personally, I haven't had much luck with this but that may be due to my own lack of programming skill in this area as much as to the program limitations.