🛠️ Setting Up Your Google Colab Project

To get started on this project, you and your partner will need to set up your working environment carefully. Each of you must first create your own personal code file in Google Colab by going to colab.research.google.com, signing in with your school account, and clicking "New Notebook." 

In your personal notebook, you should immediately add a comment with the project title, your name, and your partner's name, and save the file using your own name (for example, Mini_RPG_Alex.ipynb). 

Alongside this, one of you will create a second notebook — the "parent project file" — which will eventually bring both of your work together. This parent file should also include a comment at the top listing both partners' names and be saved with both names in the title (for example, Mini_RPG_Alex_Sam.ipynb). 

Both your personal file and the parent project file must be shared properly: give Editor access to your partner and to Mr McFarlane so that your progress can be checked. 

Throughout the project, you will each work separately in your personal files, developing your own sections of code — such as the Player class, Enemy class, Friend class, and personal functions — before later combining everything into the parent project. This approach follows real-world modular programming practices, making it easier to manage your work, debug problems, and avoid accidentally overwriting each other's progress. 

Once both partners are ready, you will manually copy your best, finished code into the parent project file, being very careful not to duplicate classes or miss out important functions. Your final project submission will be the completed parent file, with clean, modular, and organised code that represents the work of both partners.

1. Create Your Own Personal Code File

• Go to colab.research.google.com.

• Sign in with your school Google account.

• Click New Notebook to create your own Python file (not shared yet).

• At the top of your notebook, add a comment:
  # Mini RPG Adventure Game - Personal Code

• # Your Name: (your name)

• # Partner's Name: (your partner's name)

• Save your file with your own name. Example:
  Mini_RPG_Alex.ipynb

2. Create the Shared "Parent" Project File

• One partner must also create a second notebook.
  This will be the parent project file that brings all your code together.

• At the top of this parent file, add a comment:
  # Mini RPG Adventure Game - Parent Project

• # Student 1: (name)

• # Student 2: (name)

• Save this parent file with both names. Example:
  Mini_RPG_Alex_Sam.ipynb
  
  

3. Share Both Files Correctly

• In your personal file, click Share:

  • Add your partner’s email (Editor access).

  • Add Mr McFarlane as an Editor (so he can check your work).

• Do the same for the parent project file.

✅ Now both you, your partner, and Mr McFarlane will be able to see and edit everything.

4. Why Are We Working Like This?

• You will each build and test your own code separately (Player class, Enemy class, Friend class, personal functions).

• Later, you will combine your work inside the parent project file.

• This is a real-world coding method called modular programming.

• It makes your project:

  • Easier to manage

  • Faster to debug

  • Safer to develop (no overwriting each other's work)
    
    

5. How Will We Combine the Files?

• You will copy-paste your personal code into the parent project file when ready.

• You must check everything carefully when combining:

  • No repeated code (e.g., only one Player class).

  • No missing functions.

  • No broken references between files.

(If needed, Mr McFarlane will show you exactly how to do this during the project.)