FRC Programming Bootcamp¶
Welcome! This six-session bootcamp bootstraps new FRC programmers. By the end, you will have written, tested, simulated, and deployed Java robot code - and you will know how to collaborate on that code with your team using GitHub.
Bootstrap
In computing, bootstrapping means starting a system with a small amount of code that then loads everything else. That is the goal here: a small, solid foundation you will keep building on all season.
🎯 What you will be able to do¶
- Use the FRC software stack - VS Code, WPILib, Driver Station, AdvantageScope, and the networks that connect your laptop to the robot.
- Read and write robot code - understand the robot code lifecycle and the structure of a command-based robot.
- Test before you touch the robot - run unit tests in a GitHub Codespace, then simulate on a laptop, then deploy to the Romi.
- Work like a team - branch, commit, push, and open pull requests from your own GitHub account.
🧠How the bootcamp works¶
Each session is 60 to 90 minutes and hands-on. You leave every session having made something run, starting on day one.
- This site holds the agenda, instructions, and reference material for each session.
- The
2026-bootcamprepository holds the code. You will open it in a GitHub Codespace, work on your own branch, and open pull requests. - One Romi robot is the shared target for your code - just like the competition robot will be during the season.
📅 Sessions¶
| Session | Topic |
|---|---|
| Session 1 | The FRC Stack and Your First Commit - hardware, software, networks, GitHub, Codespaces, branch, commit, push |
| Session 2 | Your First Robot Code - robot code lifecycle, Java basics, unit tests, first pull request |
| Session 3 | Subsystems and Commands - command-based structure, buttons and triggers, Java classes and lambdas |
| Session 4 | Simulate It - drive code, WPILib simulation, AdvantageScope and dashboards |
| Session 5 | Networks, Driver Station, and the Romi - how the laptop talks to the robot, deploy to the Romi and drive it |
| Session 6 | Capstone - autonomous routine, pull request review, run it on the Romi, next steps |
💡 How to get the most out of it¶
- Type the code yourself. Copy and paste teaches your clipboard, not you.
- Break things on purpose. You learn the most when something does not work and you find out why.
- Ask questions early. If you are stuck for more than a few minutes, ask a mentor or a teammate.
- Commit often. Small commits with clear messages are how professionals work, and they make it easy to recover from mistakes.
Chris Lunsford
"Things are only complicated until they are understood, then they are simple."