Pico Fermi Bagels

Describe | Using | Example | Versions | Distribution | Author

Describe PFB

PFB (Pico, Fermi, Bagels) is a number guessing game, similar to MasterMind or Jotto. For each guess, you will be told:

Fermi

a correct digit placed correctly

Pico

a correct digit placed incorrectly

Bagels

no digits are correct

Using PFB

New Game

start a new game

Allow Zero

is zero a possible digit?

# Digits

select number of digits (2-6)

Give Up

see answer

Guess

type a number guess

Result

<tab> from Guess, or select Result field for feedback; on Newton, Result displayed when Guess reaches correct number of digits

Example

If Allow Zero = checked, Digits = 3, and PFB's number = 029

Guess	Result	comment
376	Bagels	no digits correct
914	Pico	1 digit correct but in wrong place
820	Fermi Pico	2 digits correct, but 1 in wrong place
...		(keep guessing)
092	Fermi Pico Pico	all digits correct, 2 in wrong places
029	Fermi Fermi Fermi !!!	you won

Versions

This version of Pico Fermi Bagels requires a browser with either NewtonScript support (Newt's Cape on 2.x Newton with i:General:NewtonScript:Compile preference) or "recent" JavaScript/JScript support; besides Newt's Cape, it has been tested with

• Macintosh: NN 4.7(+), NN 4.5(+), NN 4.0.8(+), NN 4.0.5(+), MSIE 4.5(+), AOL 4.0(+), AOL 3.0(-), NN 3.0.4(+), NN 2.0(?)
• Windows: NN 4.0.8(+), MSIE 5.0(+), MSIE 4.0(+), AOL 4.0(+), NN 3.0(+), MSIE 3.0(?)

PFB is similar in concept and strategy to MasterMind and Jotto (but PFB does not allow duplicate digits). After I first saw "Pico Fermi Bagels" (PFB) as a Basic program at the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley in the early '70s, I wrote several Logo versions. My kids convinced me it was easier to remember "Fermi" by "firm" (though some programs may reverse roles of Fermi and Pico). Here are a few other versions (PFB is a nice simple app to try in each new programming language/environment):

• Newton MessagePad (application in NewtonScript created with NewtDevEnv, help book in HTML created with Newt's Cape)
• Windows CE (SH, MIPS)
• JavaScript/NewtonScript (this page; PFB home URL)

Distribution

This version is free, and can be downloaded locally and mirrored in its entirety. If you copy/modify/improve the code, I would appreciate an acknowledgment of this version and link to this page.

© 1999-2000, S. Weyer. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Contacting Author

• Steve's Other JavaScript apps
• Steve's Personal Page
• weyer@kagi.com