program compiles but does not work

[alara]

Hello I am new to Java and am taking it this semseter for school I have an assignment to create a tic tac toe program for the most part it worked fine but when I added the user information and the AI for the computer decision I began to have problems I pasted my code below any assistance would be helpful. I have been racking my brains on this program for hours and most likely the issue is staring at me in the face but for some reason I can't find it.

import java.io.*;
import java.util.Random;

public class Tic_Tac_Toe {

	private static boolean count;

	public static <showMoves> void main(String args []) throws IOException{
	
		char [] moves = {'0','1','2','3','4','5','6','7','8'};
		char [] plays = {' ',' ',' ',' ',' ',' ',' ',' ',' '};
		
		int pTurn, players = 0, inputMove, rNumber, computer;
		String pCount;
		String playerMoves;
		count = false;
		boolean numberEntered = false;
		boolean endGame = false;
		BufferedReader dataIn = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
		
		pTurn = 1;
		Random randomizer = new Random();
		
		
			System.out.println("How many players are there?\nEnter 1 or 2:\n");
			
			pCount = dataIn.readLine(); // read input from the player
			pTurn = Integer.parseInt(pCount);
		
		//Game Movements
		
		while (endGame == false) 
		{
			if (pTurn == 1 && endGame == false)
			{
				inputMove = playerMoves (moves, plays);
				moves[inputMove] = ' ';
				plays[inputMove] = 'X';
				pTurn = 2;
				endGame = check(plays);
			}
			if (pTurn == 2 && endGame == false)
			{
				if (players == 2)
				{
					inputMove = playerMoves(moves, plays);
					moves[inputMove] = ' ';
					plays[inputMove] = 'O';
					pTurn = 2;
					endGame = check(plays);
				}

				else
				{
					rNumber = randomizer.nextInt(9);
					computer = compM(moves, plays, rNumber);
					moves[computer] = ' ';
					plays[computer] = 'O';
					pTurn = 1;
					endGame = check(plays);
				}
			}
		}
	}
	private static boolean check(char[] plays) {
		return false;
	}
	private static int playerMoves(char[] moves, char[] plays) {
		return 0;
	}
	public static int compM(char moves[], char plays[], int rNumber)
	{
		int computerMove;
		Random sRandomizer = new Random();
		
		while (plays[rNumber] != ' ')	
		{
			rNumber = sRandomizer.nextInt(9);
		}
			computerMove = rNumber;
			return computerMove;
	}
		private static void addMove(int pTurn, char[] moves) {	
	}
		public static int showMoves(char moves [], char plays[]) throws IOException
		{
			int input = 0, place = 0;
			String inputChoice;
			int keyPressed = 0;
	
			BufferedReader inputData = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
			
		while (input == 0)
			{
			System.out.println("Choose a number where you want to place your X\n");
			System.out.println(" ");
			System.out.println(moves [0] + " | " + moves [1] + " | " + moves [2]);
			System.out.println("- - - - -");
			System.out.println(moves [3] + " | " + moves [4] + " | " + moves [5]);
			System.out.println("- - - - -");
			System.out.println(moves [6] + " | " + moves [7] + " | " + moves [8]);
			System.out.println("- - - - -");
			System.out.println(" ");
			System.out.println(plays [0] + " | " + plays [1] + " | " + plays [2]);
			System.out.println("- - - - -");
			System.out.println(plays [3] + " | " + plays [4] + " | " + plays [5]);
			System.out.println("- - - - -");
			System.out.println(plays [6] + " | " + plays [7] + " | " + plays [8]);
			System.out.println("- - - - -");
			System.out.println(" ");
			addMove(input,moves); //add the move
			showMoves(moves, plays); // shows the moves on the board and the spaces played
			
			inputChoice = inputData.readLine();
			place = Integer.parseInt(inputChoice);
			
		if (moves[place] == ' ')
			{
			 System.out.println("That is not a valid choice.  Please try again.");
			}
			else
			keyPressed = 1;
		}
		return place;
			}
}

[pbrockway2]

I assume from the title of your post that the code compiles. But what does "does not work" mean?

Specifically, what happens when you run the code? And what did you expect or intend to happen?

[alara]

Basicaly when compiling the code It asks the initial question of how many players there are then nothing after that you enter the integer and it does not go through the motions of showing the tic tac toe board and asking the next question where do you want to place your X.

[Norm]

Try debugging your code to see where it is executing, by adding many println statements to show the values of variables as they change and to show the execution flow. What is printed out should help you understand what your code is doing.

[pbrockway2]

it does not go through the motions of showing the tic tac toe board

The board is displayed in the showMoves() method. But if you look at the code that method is not called anywhere (except in the showMoves() method itself).

I agree with Norm's point. If you use System.out.println() at the start of each method to trace the execution flow it will reveal the point made above. Likewise printing the value of variables that control what the program is doing will provide valuable information.

A number of these variables are unused. It would be good to have a clear plan for what each variable you declare is going to be used for and ensure that it is used for that. Removing unused variables will reduce logical clutter.

-----

What is "<showMoves>" for in the declaration of main()?