Help with random letters.

[jenxin]

If I was able to use an array, I wouldhv learned it in these past 14 hours.. =[
Comeback Gary~ lol!

[gcalvin]

That preposterous blob of code won't fit on one screen. I personally find it completely lunatic not to use a simple array for this little problem.

kind regards,

Jos

I agree completely. I don't know how I got myself hooked into this thread.

-Gary-

[JosAH]

I agree completely. I don't know how I got myself hooked into this thread.

For one thing I would've created to ugly methods:

int getS(int i) {
   switch (i) {
      case 1: return s1;
      case 2: return s2;
      ...
      default: throw IllegalArgumentExcept("s"+i+" doesn't exist);
   }
}

void setS(int i, int value) {
   switch(i) {
      case 1: s1= v; return;
      case 2: s2= v; return;
      ...
      default: throw IllegalArgumentExcept("s"+i+" doesn't exist);
   }
}

And have this total lack of arrays or other data structures concentrated in those two little monsters above.

kind regards,

Jos

[gcalvin]

Yeah, he basically has that now, but he's yet to clean out some cruft he accumulated before he started doing it right.

@jenxin -- how about that moveLetter() method? And the moveValid() method to go with it?

-Gary-

[jenxin]

not sure if this is correct but, moveLetter() method:

    private void moveLetter(char c) {
    	setBoardValueAtSquare(c, ' '); 
    	setBoardValueAtSquare(' ', c);

	}

I'm unsure of how to write the moveValid() method.

when i try to just bypass the moveValid, and instead use the moveLetter, it's just gives me an error code with the corresponding int value of a letter... ie. when i put in a ;

*** Invalid index value of: 97 in setBoardValueAtSquare(). Exiting program...

[gcalvin]

That's not going to work. You're trying to put a space in square 'a' which Java understands is square 97 (the ASCII value of 'a'). You don't have 97 squares -- you only have 25.

You need to get the number of the square where your char is first. You also need to get the number of the square where the space is. Then you need to put the char where the space was, and put the space where the char was. Try again.

-Gary-

[jenxin]

I tried but I'm not sure how to do it. I understand what you mean, but I don't know how to accomplish it, :\

[jenxin]

also how do I make it not randomize everytime the method is called upon? should i take out the initialize from the while script?

edit:

took it out and its constant now. phew

[jenxin]

Thanks guys, I got it working, kinda :[.
It checks for invalid moves, but some moves are.. getting through, idk why.
I ended up using my old moveLetter code(yes the messy one), and also my old moveValid code. Well at least my code isn't 2000 lines anymore. :] Thanks gary!!

[KevinWorkman]

Thanks guys, I got it working, kinda :[.
It checks for invalid moves, but some moves are.. getting through, idk why.
I ended up using my old moveLetter code(yes the messy one), and also my old moveValid code. Well at least my code isn't 2000 lines anymore. :] Thanks gary!!

I'm glad you got it working, but you caused yourself much more trouble than you needed to by not taking the time to understand the Magic Squares program. A big part of computer science classes is taking one assignment and building on it to do a more complicated assignment. Get used to that process. Take the time to understand previous assignments before moving on to the next one. You'll save yourself a lot of time and a lot of headaches that way.

Recommended reading: Starting Writing a Program

[jenxin]

for those who wanted the solution; here it is.

http://logos.cs.uic.edu/107/assignme.../SquareUp.java