Bhoos | Build a Python Bot and rank on the Leaderboard in 7 minutes

What was your first thought about the Smart Bots?

Some might have been scared to start, as they immediately thought they could not rank in the Leaderboard. If that's the case, you are not alone; many participants are going through the same phase.

Some people may be confused on how to start or from where to start?

Some participants may still be waiting for the deadline to approach, but building the best bot in a two-days timeline is next to impossible.

So get started now.

Here we decoded 10 steps to help you build and rank your bot in the Leaderboard.

Step 1: Get the Starter Code

Clone the SmartBots starter-code repository

Here's how to do that:

Clone the github starter code — Clone the starter code

Type this in your terminal.

`git clone https://github.com/Bhoos/smartbots-2023-starter-code`

This is how it will look in your terminal:

Your terminal will show how it is running the starter code — Your terminal will run the starter code

Step 2: Setup Python Environment

Go to python directory inside the repository
Create an environment using `python -m venv env` in your terminal
Activate the virtual environment using `source env/bin/activate`
Install dependencies using `pip install -r requirements.txt`

Building the python environment in terminal — Building the python environment

Step 3: Start the Python Server

Start the server by typing this to the terminal: 'python src/app.py'

Start Python Server — Get Started with Python Server

Step 4: Interact with the Sandbox

Login to the dashboard and click “Sandbox”
Click “New Game” in the sandbox

Check your server log. You will see HTTP request and response.

Your sample bot is now playing the game.

Note: Your bid is 16 in the default code. Next we will update code to bid 17.

Your bot is playing games in Sandbox — The default bid is 16

Step 5: Make Changes to your Bot Code

Open “bot.py” file in the editor of your choice. You will see minimum bid is 16.

Make some little changes in the beginning

Change 16 to 17 as the minimum bid and save your file.

Change the bid — It's time to tweak your bot

Stop the python server and start it again.
Click “New Game” to see that your bid is now 17. Hurray.

Bot will play with updated bid — Your bid is now updated

Similarly, when you come back the second time, make some other changes.
You can think of applying another algorithm to your bot or just add some basic game rules.