The If Thing Equals chip is a decision-making tool that allows your ChipWit to check if the object currently stored on the stack matches a specific type of object (such as a Pie, Wall, or Electrocrab). It acts as a condition that lets your ChipWit decide what to do based on the type of object it’s dealing with.
Specifications #
- Argument: Pie, Coffee, Electrocrab, Bomb, Bouncer, Oil, Memory Disk, Wall, Floor, Door, Nil (Nil represents that there is nothing on the stack)
- Creates a True or False Branch?: Yes, it does create a T/F branch
- Number of Cycles Used: 2
- Fuel: 1
Why the If Thing Equals Chip Matters #
- Conditional Logic: This chip allows your ChipWit to execute different actions based on what it has encountered. For example, you can program your ChipWit to behave differently when it detects a Pie versus an Electrocrab.
- Stack Integration: It works in tandem with the Push Thing chip, using the Thing type stored on the stack to make decisions. This allows for more complex and responsive behavior in your ChipWit’s programming.
- Efficient Decision Making: Instead of performing actions blindly, your ChipWit can make smarter decisions by first checking what kind of object it’s interacting with, improving its efficiency and effectiveness in completing tasks.
How to Use the If Thing Equals Chip #
- First, use the Push Thing chip to store the type of object your ChipWit has detected onto the stack.
- Then, place the If Thing Equals chip in your program to check if that object matches a specific type (e.g., Pie).
- If the object on the stack matches the specified type (True branch), the program will continue to the next instruction. If it doesn’t match, the program will skip the next instruction via the False branch, allowing your ChipWit to handle different objects accordingly.
Example of Use #
- Suppose your ChipWit detects an object and stores it using the Push Thing chip.
- You can then use the If Thing Equals chip to check if the object is a Pie. If it is, your ChipWit might execute the Pickup chip to grab the Pie. If it’s not a Pie, it could continue moving or perform a different action through the False branch.
The If Thing Equals chip is essential for adding flexibility and adaptability to your ChipWit’s programming, helping it make decisions based on its surroundings and interact more effectively with the environment.
History #
“If Thing Equals” as it appears in various historic incarnations of ChipWits!
COMMODORE 64:
MANUAL:
“Using the Compare Thing Operator, a CHIPWIT can check an argument against the top of any Stack, and branch (TRUE) if they are identical (i.e., Equal To).”
APPLE II:
MANUAL:
“COMPARE THING commands the ChipWit to examine the Thing on the top of the Thing Stack and compare it to a specified Thing. If the Things are the same, the program branches through the COMPARE THING chip’s true wire. If the Things are different, the program branches through the COMPARE THING chip’s false wire.
The Argument of the COMPARE THING chip represents the Thing you want the ChipWit to compare to the item at the top of the Thing Stack. The bottom of the Thing stack is represented the same way as the bottom of the Move Stack.”
MAC:
MANUAL:
“COMPARE THING commands the ChipWit to examine the Thing on the top of the Thing Stack and compare it to a specified Thing. If the Things are the same, the program branches through the true wire of the COMPARE THING chip. If the Things are different, the program branches through the false wire of the COMPARE THING chip. The Arguments represent the THING that you want the ChipWit to compare to the Thing at the top of the Thing stack. They are the same Things that arc the Arguments for LOOK (minus the call to the Thing Stack itself). The bottom of the Thing Stack is represented the same way as the bottom of the Move Stack.”
CHIPWITS II (WIN 95):
