What you have done here is what I used to call "brute-force" programming, since it was easier for me to begin with a "hard map" of repetitive data that I could use to hammer out working code, however inelegant. Later, I would identify the patterns, and commit the raw data statements to configurable loops which I would then integrate with the rest of my spaghetti. It took YEARS for me to learn to plan ahead, and when I least expected it, here comes OOP, Abstraction, Polymorphism, Inheritance, and all that that implies...So back to square one, and I found myself forced to embrace the Evil that is Microsoft. Your little program is FAR ahead of what I was doing at your age, because the tools you are using simply didn't exist back then. Graphics? We didn't need no stinkin' graphics!!! We had 6x9 hardware-generated character sets, all upper case, 40 columns, and two damn lines, if we were lucky. Ever tried to play Donky Kong on a line-printer? So forgive the harsh criticism doled out by some of these coders, keeping in mind that these forums host some of the best and most experienced software engineers on the planet, and that as a general rule engineers are not commonly known for their tact, social skills, or personal hygiene. Add to that the fact that many of these people make their living undoing the nightmares passed down to them from, shall we say, "less than marginally competent" programmers, and you can understand why some of them might seem unkind. Just listen to them, and avoid doing things that will get you banned, and before you know it your programming skills will increase exponentially, earning you a coveted spot where you can expect to receive unkind criticism for even the most brilliant code. They are, at least, responding with suggestions; in my opinion it is far worse to have your posts go entirely ignored. As long as you keep learning, refusing to be discouraged, and are capable of grasping the abstractions involved in advanced coding, while being able to tell the difference between unexpected behavior caused by your code vs. unexpected behavior induced by Microsoft bugs, YOUR generation will construct the applications that MY generation NEVER dreamed possible.
