Coding as a quick fix

So here’s a situation I’m sure many people will be familiar with, especially if you’ve been on holiday in the UK. You’ve rented a nice cottage or maybe a caravan for a short break. You get settled in, unpack your swimwear to head to the beach and then the torrential downpour begins!

A quick hunt around in cupboards reveals an old board game – something to while away the hours until the rain stops. But guess what? The die is missing!

It’s one of those situations where having the ability to quickly throw together a few lines of code can make light work of such a sticky situation, provided you have a suitable device to hand.

I created this digital die for just such an eventuality. Now I know what you’re going to say: “Why bother? Digital dice are a dime a dozen on your phone’s app store.” Well that’s true, but:

1. That only works if you can get online – not always that easy if you’re in holiday accommodation in the middle of nowhere, and
2. Where’s the fun in that? Any excuse to practise your coding skills is a good excuse

The app is quick and dirty and hardly spectacular – no fancy visuals and it only simulates a single die – but you can set the range to anything you like, even negative numbers.

You can see the code here. You can try it out here.