Getting started

This page will guide you through downloading, installing and using Pikt.

Download

...the Pikt archive and extract its content anywhere.
The archive contains:

• pikt.jar: the executable;
• colors.properties: the default color scheme;
• colors.png the default color scheme as a palette image;
• kotlin-compiler-[version].zip: the Kotlin compiler needed to compile/interpret sources;
• lib/: external libraries, including the stdlib.

Unzip

...the Kotlin compiler anywhere to extract the kotlinc folder.

Create

...a very small (e.g. 5x5 pixels) white image with any editor you like and save it as a PNG file.
I personally use Photoshop, but any pixel art editor will be fine.
The Piskel web app is also a good choice.

Test

...if everything is set: run
java -Dsource=<your_image.png> -Dcolors=colors -Dtargets=jvm -Djvmcompiler=<path_to_kotlinc>/bin/kotlinc -jar pikt.jar
This should compile a JAR executable into the out/ folder that will do nothing since your source image is empty.

Note: append .bat to the -Djvmcompiler property if you are on Windows.

-Dcolors points to the .properties color scheme that your program uses, which is the default one in this case.

On-the-fly interpretation is also available:
java -Dsource=<your_image.png> -Dcolors=colors -Djvmcompiler=<path_to_kotlinc>/bin/kotlinc -jar pikt.jar -interpret