Real Brainer question, looking for a simpler answer.

[m3the01]

Hello just working on a little game, with the setup

1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9


Each of the numbers are actually colored squares in the programs with string literals in the for of numbers on them as listed. Now what what i am trying to do is find a formula which i could use in an if/ else statement which would validate moves correctly. Not looking for the obvious solution already do a long if/else statement. Looking more for a math formula. Best i can figure is that we could break them into 3 columns, each number has a difference of 3 vertically in the first/second/third columns, and difference of 1 horizontally. Can anyone think of a formula that i could use, which would only allow moves in horizontal or vertical, crossing moves are illegal. For instancs square 5 can only move too 2,4,6,8.

Any help would be great, already done a long if/else statement. Notlooking for that type of answer. If/else will still be used in the validation of moves just not 20 or so lines of it.


thanks again

 

[m3the01]

sorry just read over my thread, typing real bad today

 

[demner]

Can you assign a row/column to each position (so the upper left would be 1,1 and the lower right be 3,3), then you could use something like

validMove = (Math.abs(thisRow - nextRow) + Math.abs(thisCol - next Col) = 1)

This is assuming that you can't click on a cell that moves you off the board.

 

[m3the01]

would really know how to do that, but thanks for the input.


anyone else?

 

[dddutcher]

This is based on some mathematical information regarding your problem, but it is still in the form of an if-else, but it is fairly short.

x is your current position, and y is the move in question

if (x%2 == y%2)
   System.out.println("illegal move  " + x + " to " + y);
else if (((x-1)%3 == 0 && y == (x-1)) ||
          (x%3 == 0 && y == (x+1)))
   System.out.println("illegal move  " + x + " to " + y);
else if (y < (x-3) || y > (x+3))
   System.out.println(&quot;illegal move  &quot; + x + &quot; to &quot; + y);
else
   System.out.println(&quot;LEGAL MOVE  &quot; + x + &quot; to &quot; + y);

 

[m3the01]

import java.util.*;
import java.io.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.applet.Applet;

public class Board extends Applet {

// Constants
private static final Color emptySquareColor = Color.white;
private static final int defaultEmpty = 5;
private static final int boardSize = 3;
private static final String int1 = "1";
private static final String int2 = "2";
private static final String int3 = "3";
private static final String int4 = "4";
private static final String int5 = "5";
private static final String int6 = "6";
private static final String int7 = "7";
private static final String int8 = "8";
private static final String int9 = "9";
private static final int intNumber2 = 2;
private static final int intNumber4 = 4;
// instance variables
private Panel row1, row2, row3, boardPanel;
private Button square1, square2, square3, square4, square5;
private Button square6, square7, square8, square9;
private Color topRowColor, middleRowColor, bottomRowColor;
private int emptySquare;


// Constructor
public Board(Color top, Color middle, Color bottom) {

this.topRowColor = top;
this.middleRowColor = middle;
this.bottomRowColor = bottom;







}

// Instance methods
private Panel makeRowPanel( LayoutManager lm) {
//Create a Panel. Set the LayoutManager to FlowLayout (centered). Return a reference to the Panel.

Panel p = new Panel();
p.setLayout(new FlowLayout(FlowLayout.CENTER,0,0));
return p;





}

private Button makeSquare(String squareNumber) {
// Create and return a button with the given String as its Label

Button buttons = new Button(squareNumber);
buttons.setFont(new Font("Courier",Font.BOLD,15));
return buttons;






}

public void paintSquares( ) {
// Set the colours of the squares according to their row colours and set variable emptySquare to default

this.square1.setBackground(this.topRowColor);
this.square2.setBackground(this.topRowColor);
this.square3.setBackground(this.topRowColor);
this.square4.setBackground(this.middleRowColor);
this.square5.setBackground(this.emptySquareColor);
this.square6.setBackground(this.middleRowColor);
this.square7.setBackground(this.bottomRowColor);
this.square8.setBackground(this.bottomRowColor);
this.square9.setBackground(this.bottomRowColor);

}

private void fillRows( ) {
// Create the squares and their labels, add them to the appropriate rows 1, 2 or 3

this.row1 = makeRowPanel(new FlowLayout(FlowLayout.LEFT,Board.intNumber4,Board.intNumber2));
this.row1.add(this.square1 = makeSquare(Board.int1));
this.row1.add(this.square2 = makeSquare(Board.int2));
this.row1.add(this.square3 = makeSquare(Board.int3));

this.row2 = makeRowPanel(new FlowLayout(FlowLayout.LEFT,Board.intNumber4,Board.intNumber2));
this.row2.add(this.square4 = makeSquare(Board.int4));
this.row2.add(this.square5 = makeSquare(Board.int5));
this.row2.add(this.square6 = makeSquare(Board.int6));

this.row3 = makeRowPanel(new FlowLayout(FlowLayout.LEFT,Board.intNumber4,Board.intNumber2));
this.row3.add(this.square7 = makeSquare(Board.int7));
this.row3.add(this.square8 = makeSquare(Board.int8));
this.row3.add(this.square9 = makeSquare(Board.int9));

paintSquares();




}

private void assembleRows( ) {
// Arranges the rows into a single Panel (using GridLayout)

fillRows();
this.boardPanel = new Panel(new GridLayout(3,1));
this.boardPanel.add(this.row1);
this.boardPanel.add(this.row2);
this.boardPanel.add(this.row3);


}

public Button getSquare(String number) {
// Returns the square (i.e. Button) with the given label

Button getButton = new Button(number);
return getButton;



}

public void changeRowColor(int rowNumber, Color newColor) {
// Change the current colour of the row with the given number 1, 2, 3....

if(rowNumber == 1){
this.square1.setBackground(newColor);
this.square2.setBackground(newColor);
this.square3.setBackground(newColor);
}
if(rowNumber == 2){
this.square4.setBackground(newColor);
this.square5.setBackground(emptySquareColor);
this.square6.setBackground(newColor);

}
if(rowNumber == 3){
this.square7.setBackground(newColor);
this.square8.setBackground(newColor);
this.square9.setBackground(newColor);

}



}

private void changeSquares(Button coloredSquare, Button emptySquare) {
// Interchanges the colours of the given squares

Color storage = coloredSquare.getBackground();
coloredSquare.setBackground(emptySquare.getBackground());
emptySquare.setBackground(storage);








}

public void move(String squareLabel) {
// If the move is valid, move the square with the given label into the empty space

int intString = Integer.parseInt(squareLabel.trim());




THIS IS WHERE I WOULD NEED TO PUT IT PLEASE AN IDEA WHERE TO START WOULD BE GREAT



}

public Panel getBoard( ){
// Return a reference to the Panel into which all 3 rows have been assembled.

assembleRows();
return this.boardPanel;



}

} // end of Board class

 

[m3the01]

Here is the actual code which i will be using, the move() method is where i need to carry ou this task. An idea where to start would be great. Havent used the % either, does it mean 2/3 remainder 2 or 3/2 remainder 1. Not really sure, the output is not illegal move but know move will take place. Thanks for the help.
When a legal move is made the square switch color.
thans again




import java.util.*;
import java.io.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.applet.Applet;

public class Board extends Applet {

// Constants
private static final Color emptySquareColor = Color.white;
private static final int defaultEmpty = 5;
private static final int boardSize = 3;
private static final String int1 = "1";
private static final String int2 = "2";
private static final String int3 = "3";
private static final String int4 = "4";
private static final String int5 = "5";
private static final String int6 = "6";
private static final String int7 = "7";
private static final String int8 = "8";
private static final String int9 = "9";
private static final int intNumber2 = 2;
private static final int intNumber4 = 4;
// instance variables
private Panel row1, row2, row3, boardPanel;
private Button square1, square2, square3, square4, square5;
private Button square6, square7, square8, square9;
private Color topRowColor, middleRowColor, bottomRowColor;
private int emptySquare;


// Constructor
public Board(Color top, Color middle, Color bottom) {

this.topRowColor = top;
this.middleRowColor = middle;
this.bottomRowColor = bottom;







}

// Instance methods
private Panel makeRowPanel( LayoutManager lm) {
//Create a Panel. Set the LayoutManager to FlowLayout (centered). Return a reference to the Panel.

Panel p = new Panel();
p.setLayout(new FlowLayout(FlowLayout.CENTER,0,0));
return p;





}

private Button makeSquare(String squareNumber) {
// Create and return a button with the given String as its Label

Button buttons = new Button(squareNumber);
buttons.setFont(new Font("Courier",Font.BOLD,15));
return buttons;






}

public void paintSquares( ) {
// Set the colours of the squares according to their row colours and set variable emptySquare to default

this.square1.setBackground(this.topRowColor);
this.square2.setBackground(this.topRowColor);
this.square3.setBackground(this.topRowColor);
this.square4.setBackground(this.middleRowColor);
this.square5.setBackground(this.emptySquareColor);
this.square6.setBackground(this.middleRowColor);
this.square7.setBackground(this.bottomRowColor);
this.square8.setBackground(this.bottomRowColor);
this.square9.setBackground(this.bottomRowColor);

}

private void fillRows( ) {
// Create the squares and their labels, add them to the appropriate rows 1, 2 or 3

this.row1 = makeRowPanel(new FlowLayout(FlowLayout.LEFT,Board.intNumber4,Board.intNumber2));
this.row1.add(this.square1 = makeSquare(Board.int1));
this.row1.add(this.square2 = makeSquare(Board.int2));
this.row1.add(this.square3 = makeSquare(Board.int3));

this.row2 = makeRowPanel(new FlowLayout(FlowLayout.LEFT,Board.intNumber4,Board.intNumber2));
this.row2.add(this.square4 = makeSquare(Board.int4));
this.row2.add(this.square5 = makeSquare(Board.int5));
this.row2.add(this.square6 = makeSquare(Board.int6));

this.row3 = makeRowPanel(new FlowLayout(FlowLayout.LEFT,Board.intNumber4,Board.intNumber2));
this.row3.add(this.square7 = makeSquare(Board.int7));
this.row3.add(this.square8 = makeSquare(Board.int8));
this.row3.add(this.square9 = makeSquare(Board.int9));

paintSquares();




}

private void assembleRows( ) {
// Arranges the rows into a single Panel (using GridLayout)

fillRows();
this.boardPanel = new Panel(new GridLayout(3,1));
this.boardPanel.add(this.row1);
this.boardPanel.add(this.row2);
this.boardPanel.add(this.row3);


}

public Button getSquare(String number) {
// Returns the square (i.e. Button) with the given label

Button getButton = new Button(number);
return getButton;



}

public void changeRowColor(int rowNumber, Color newColor) {
// Change the current colour of the row with the given number 1, 2, 3....

if(rowNumber == 1){
this.square1.setBackground(newColor);
this.square2.setBackground(newColor);
this.square3.setBackground(newColor);
}
if(rowNumber == 2){
this.square4.setBackground(newColor);
this.square5.setBackground(emptySquareColor);
this.square6.setBackground(newColor);

}
if(rowNumber == 3){
this.square7.setBackground(newColor);
this.square8.setBackground(newColor);
this.square9.setBackground(newColor);

}



}

private void changeSquares(Button coloredSquare, Button emptySquare) {
// Interchanges the colours of the given squares

Color storage = coloredSquare.getBackground();
coloredSquare.setBackground(emptySquare.getBackground());
emptySquare.setBackground(storage);








}

public void move(String squareLabel) {
// If the move is valid, move the square with the given label into the empty space

int intString = Integer.parseInt(squareLabel.trim());




THIS IS WHERE I WOULD NEED TO PUT IT PLEASE AN IDEA WHERE TO START WOULD BE GREAT



}

public Panel getBoard( ){
// Return a reference to the Panel into which all 3 rows have been assembled.

assembleRows();
return this.boardPanel;



}

} // end of Board class

 

[m3the01]

dont worry about it i think i got it, thanks again for all your help/



bye for now