Hello!

I had an idea for a project yesterday and wrote a short description and a=
 list=20
of possible features:

My idea is based on a old DOS-program I liked very much when I was about =
12=20
years old. We played it in the mathematic-lessons in school.
It was kind of a mathematic-trainer. First you had to choose the type of=20
calculation you wanted to practise (additions, substractions,=20
multiplications, divisions,....) and then the difficulty (how many=20
digits,...).
The reason why this was fun to play was that you had very limited time to=
 type=20
in the results - it was a race against the clock. After you typed in the=20
result, there was a short message saying "right" or "wrong" and immediate=
ly=20
after that, the next equation appeared.
If you typed no answer within the time limit, the program continued to th=
row=20
the next equation on you. The time you had for each equation, got=20
continuously shorter while playing.

Looking around on the kde-edu-website, I found "ktimes", which seems to b=
e=20
similar to my idea. Beside the fact that ktimes operates only on=20
multiplications while I think of integrating all kinds of basic arithmeti=
cal=20
operations, there seem to be a few conceptual differences:

I haven't tried KTimes yet, but it appears to be for younger children (6 =
to=20
10), which learn multiplication for the first time (correct me if i'm wro=
ng).=20
The program I had in mind would be for "children" from 10 to 99 (at least=
 I=20
still like playing something like this :-)
I see it more as a "mental arithmetic trainer" than as an "educational ai=
d".
I want to emphasize the competition-aspect - it should feel more like a g=
ame=20
in which you try to beat the "highscore".

Possible features I have in mind include:
- different difficulty levels
- different combinations of arithmetic operations
- point-system (dependent on speed, accuracy, difficulty,...)
- highscore-lists
- 2player-mode (on one pc / network?)

What do you think about all those ideas?
I don't know if it would be better to integrate all this in ktimes or to =
start=20
a seperate project.
If integrated in ktimes, there could be two different modes (as mentioned=
 in=20
the plans for the kcontrol-module):
- a "child mode" for learning (with all the fancy graphics, images,...)
- and an "adult mode" for competition (maybe with a more "conventional"=20
interface?)

I have some experience with software design and development under dos/win=
dows,=20
but haven't done a unix/kde/qt-project so far. So any help is highly=20
appreciated....

Btw: Where in CVS is KTimes? I couldn't find it in the POST_KDE_3_0_BRANC=
H (as=20
stated on the homepage), nor in kdenonbeta.

thank you and servus,
Michael
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