Compiling leJOS programs



Compiling leJOS programs is relatively simple. It just involves running a special program that calls the Java compiler with some special parameters. This can be set up to run on public PCs but in our experience this has been a cause of many problems due to difficulty setting environment variables. There is also a second problem in that, once compiled, the programs have to be downloaded onto the Robot's RCX via an infra-red transmitter. In large classes, multiple infra-red transmitters and RCXs tend to interfere with one another. In order to overcome these problems we have produced a server tool that manages the compiling and downloading of code with the minimum of effort.

All each student needs to do is run a client program and specify which files to compile. The server program then compiles the code and will report back whether or not the compilation was successful. If the code contained errors these will be displayed in the client window. The source files can then be modified and sent back to the server for recompilation.

Once compiled, then the code is downloaded to the RCX via a server PC that is attached to a single infra-red tower.


Downloading via the server PC
The system keeps track of programs based on the user's login and the name of their main class.