Hey everyone! I'm new to programming and I'm facing a bit of a challenge. I'm trying to recreate an old desktop program I used for TTRPG Monster Stat Blocks. This program has been quite buggy, crashes often, and is generally frustrating to use. It used to be available for free online, but now that the domain is gone, I can no longer get updates.
What I'm looking to do is rebuild this program using modern programming practices, adding features gradually as I learn. The original works by allowing you to input stat block information on the left side, while providing a preview on the right. You can also save this information as a .json file for easy loading and editing later, and export the preview as a png for use in games.
I've shared an imgur gallery that shows what the original program looks like and its functionality. My main questions are where to begin, which programming language would be best suited for this project, and where I can find relevant tutorials. I've done some initial research but feel really confused about the whole process. I appreciate any guidance you can provide!
2 Answers
Starting with Python and using Tkinter for the GUI is a great option. It's really beginner-friendly and there are tons of tutorials available. For exporting, you can use libraries like Pillow to handle png exports and the built-in json module for saving/loading your data. It should cover most of your needs while you're getting started!
Have you considered using an Excel spreadsheet? You may not be able to export to png, but you can print out the results, and it's not a bad workaround if you're just prototyping while you learn.
Thanks for the suggestion! But I think I want more control and features than Excel can provide. I'm really looking to learn and build something custom.