Java Battleship

Hello, I'm supposed to make a Battleship game. The problem is that, upon clicking play, the game freezes. If I comment out the following section(the place ships section), the program runs fine. Maybe someone could help or even point me in the right direction? Thanks

Code:

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        public void placeShips()
        {
                int randCol;
                int randRow;
                int direct;
                for(int ships = 0; ships < NUM_SHIPS; ships++)
                {
                        do
                        {
                                randCol = random.nextInt(10);
                                randRow = random.nextInt(10);
                                direct = random.nextInt(4);
                        }while(board[randRow][randCol] != 8 || isValid(ship[ships], randCol, randRow, direct) == false);
                }//end for
        }//end public void placeShips

        public boolean isValid(Ship ship, int col, int row, int direct)
        {
                int length = ship.getLength();
                int direction = direct;
                boolean valid = false;
                int r = 0, c = 0;
                int maxRow = 0, maxCol = 0, minRow = 0, minCol = 0;

                switch(direction)
                {
                        case 0:
                                r = row - length + 1;
                                minRow = r;
                                maxRow = r + length - 1;
                                break;
                        case 1:
                                r = row + length - 1;
                                maxRow = r;
                                minRow = r - length + 1;
                                break;
                        case 2:
                                c = col - length + 1;
                                minCol = c;
                                maxCol = c + length - 1;
                                break;
                        case 3:
                                c = col + length - 1;
                                maxCol = c;
                                minCol = c - length + 1;
                                break;
                }//end switch(direction)

                for(int rows = minRow; rows <= maxRow; rows++)
                {
                        for(int cols = minCol; cols <= maxCol; cols ++)
                        {
                                if(r < 0 || c < 0 || r > 10 || c > 10 || board[rows][cols] != 8)
                                {
                                        valid = false;
                                }//end if
                                else
                                {
                                        setShips(ship, minRow, maxRow, minCol, maxCol);
                                        valid = true;
                                }//end else
                        }//end for cols
                }//end for rows
                return valid;
        }//end isValid

        public void setShips(Ship sNum, int startRow, int endRow, int startCol, int endCol)
        {
                for(int r = startRow; r <= endRow; r++)
                {
                        for(int c = startCol; c <= endCol; c++)
                        {
                                board[r][c] = sNum.getType();
                        }//end for columns
                }//end for rows
                sNum.setStartRow(startRow);
                sNum.setEndRow(endRow);
                sNum.setStartCol(startCol);
                sNum.setEndCol(endCol);
        }//end setShips

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for { do-while { isValid.for { isValid.for { setShips.for { setShips.for {

thats a lot of nested loops..... no wonder it freezes! can't you structure this is such a way you get what you want from one loop, exit that loop, then take it to another.

also, this is mission-impossible to debug

For most of them, they're necessary. Thinks like for(rows){for(columns){}}
That's the best way to go about most of these. I can't think of another way to restructure it.

write it in psuedo-code for us, i'll start you off:

Code:

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for (each Ship) {
    do { something }
    while (board[x][y] not-equals 8  OR  what? isValid())
}

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i'm not sure what your code is meant to do but it looks like you've set your looping conditions horribly wrong, so if you could just write for us in english-words/psuedo-code what your script is meant to do that might help.