Arcade CLI

A command-line tool for initializing retro 2D game projects using the ARCADE (Awesome Rendering Control And Dynamics Engine) library, a lightweight, single-header C library for Windows (Win32) and Linux (X11). Compatible with Arcade IDE version 1.1.0 and above.

Features

• Initializes a game project with arcade.h and STB dependencies (stb_image.h, stb_image_write.h, stb_image_resize2.h).
• Creates a main.c with a beginner-friendly demo (move a red square with arrow keys, display text, play background music).
• Generates a cross-platform Makefile for Windows (gdi32, winmm) and Linux (X11, libm) with normalized paths.
• Includes a .gitignore for clean version control.
• Supports a -b/--blank flag for minimal projects with basic setup (library headers, empty main.c, Makefile).
• Features an interactive UI with ASCII art, colored output, progress spinners, and configuration prompts.
• Automatically downloads background_music.wav from the ARCADE repository for the demo project.
• Generates an arcade.config.json file to store project metadata (game name, version, etc.).
• Validates assets and provides clear error messages for network issues or missing dependencies.

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js: Version 16+ (recommended for compatibility).
• gcc: Required for compiling game projects.
• Windows: MinGW with gdi32 and winmm libraries (e.g., via MSYS2).
• Linux: X11 development libraries (libx11-dev, libm).
• Internet Connection: Required to fetch arcade.h, STB headers, and background_music.wav from GitHub.

Install Arcade CLI

Install globally via npm:

npm install -g arcade-cli

The CLI is installed to your global npm directory, typically:

• Linux: ~/.npm-global/bin/arcade
• Windows: %APPDATA%\npm\arcade

Verify the installation:

arcade --help

Additional Setup

1. Install Build Dependencies:

   • Windows: Install MinGW via MSYS2:

     pacman -S mingw-w64-x86_64-gcc mingw-w64-x86_64-make

     Add MinGW’s bin/ to your system PATH.
   • Linux (Ubuntu/Debian): Install build tools and X11 libraries:

     sudo apt-get install build-essential libx11-dev

2. Install Node.js Dependencies (if running locally): If you’re running the CLI from source (not globally installed), install dependencies:

   npm install commander axios fs-extra chalk ora figlet

Getting Started

1. Initialize a Project:

   • Create a full game project with a demo:

     arcade init my-game

   • Create a blank project (library headers, empty main.c, Makefile):

     arcade init my-lib -b

2. Answer Configuration Prompts:

   • The CLI will prompt for:
     • Game Name (default: project name)
     • Version (default: 1.0.0)
     • Binary Name (default: game)
     • Main Source File (default: main.c)
     • Icon Path (optional)
     • Author (optional)
     • Description (optional)
   • These details are saved in arcade.config.json.

3. Build and Run (for full projects):

   cd my-game
   make
   make run

4. Explore main.c:

   • The demo in main.c includes:
     • A red square movable with arrow keys.
     • A start screen with "Press Space to Start".
     • Background music (assets/background_music.wav) played during gameplay.
     • Detailed comments for beginners.
   • Modify main.c to add sprites, logic, or assets. See the ARCADE Wiki for documentation.

Usage

Initialize a new ARCADE project:

arcade init <app-name> [-b, --blank]

Options

• -b, --blank: Create a minimal project with library headers, an empty main.c, and a basic Makefile.

Examples

• Full game project:

  arcade init my-game
  cd my-game
  make
  make run

• Blank project:

  arcade init my-lib -b
  cd my-lib
  # Add your own game logic to main.c
  make

Project Structure

Full Project

my-game/
├── arcade/
│   ├── arcade.h
│   ├── stb_image.h
│   ├── stb_image_write.h
│   ├── stb_image_resize2.h
├── assets/
│   ├── background_music.wav
├── main.c
├── Makefile
├── .gitignore
├── arcade.config.json

Blank Project (-b)

my-lib/
├── arcade/
│   ├── arcade.h
│   ├── stb_image.h
│   ├── stb_image_write.h
│   ├── stb_image_resize2.h
├── assets
├── main.c
├── Makefile
├── .gitignore
├── arcade.config.json

Requirements

• Node.js: Version 16+.
• gcc: For compiling game projects.
• Windows: MinGW with gdi32 and winmm libraries.
• Linux: X11 development libraries (libx11-dev, libm).
• Node.js Dependencies:
  • commander, axios, fs-extra, chalk, ora, figlet.

Install dependencies if running locally:

npm install commander axios fs-extra chalk ora figlet

Troubleshooting

• "arcade: command not found":
  • Ensure the global npm bin directory is in your PATH:
    • Linux: export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH
    • Windows: Add %APPDATA%\npm to your system PATH.
• Network Errors:
  • Verify your internet connection, as the CLI fetches assets from GitHub.
  • Check GitHub status (https://www.githubstatus.com/) for outages.
• Build Errors:
  • Ensure gcc and platform-specific libraries (gdi32, winmm for Windows; libx11-dev, libm for Linux) are installed.
• Missing background_music.wav:
  • The CLI fetches this file from the ARCADE repository. Ensure the repository is accessible.

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines on contributing to Arcade CLI.

License

MIT License. See LICENSE for details.

Contact

Have questions or ideas? Open an issue on GitHub, join our GitHub Discussions, or email the maintainer at [email protected].