Syntax Syndicate

Jona • Mathis • Julian • Lars

Table of Contents

• About the Project
• Repository Structure
• Prerequisites
• Development Timeline

About the Project

As part of the Programming Project course (CS108) for the semester FS26 at the University of Basel, we are developing a computer game implementation of the popular card game Poker.

The project's focus lies in networking and distributed systems design. Key aspect of our implementation being the development and integration of a custom protocol specifically designed for client-server communication. This protocol handles game state synchronization, player actions, lobby and global chat, and real-time updates across the network.

Repository Structure

├── src/                     # Source code directory
│   ├── main/                # Application code
│   └── test/                # Unit tests
├── documents/               # Project resources and documentation
│   ├── images/              # Images for README and documentation
│   ├── diary                # Diary files for each organizational meetup
│   ├── docs                 # Documentation
│   ├── milestones/          # Milestone deliverables (6 milestones)
│   └── (Other resources)    # Additional project materials
└── outreach/                # Public-facing content and marketing materials

Prerequisites

• Java Development Kit (JDK) 25
• Gradle (included via Gradle Wrapper)

Development Timeline

This project spans six milestones throughout the FS26 semester, with each milestone representing a major phase in development:

MS-1: Foundation & Design

• Game concept and rules presentation
• Networking architecture overview
• Project mockups and requirements analysis
• Detailed project plan and team organization

MS-2: Networking & Server Implementation

• Human-readable custom protocol definition and implementation
• Server implementation with multi-client support
• Client-server chat functionality
• Protocol documentation and validation
• JavaDoc code documentation and QA concepts

MS-3: Knowledge Checkpoints

• Assessment of individual technical understanding through evaluation

MS-4: Game Logic & Working Prototype

• Core game logic implementation
• Playable game demo (terminal or GUI)
• Command-line argument parsing
• Multiple lobby support with internal chats
• Whisper/private messaging functionality
• Build automation and executable JAR

MS-5: Polish & Complete User Interface

• Full GUI implementation with JavaFX
• Complete game playability through UI
• Persistent high score list
• Comprehensive unit tests
• Game rule enforcement

MS-6: Final Delivery & Public Presentation

• Bug-free final demo
• Complete GUI with all functionality
• Outreach materials and project documentation
• Game manual and usage instructions
• Team logo and promotional materials
• QA reports and lessons learned