2010-01-21
Sometimes, some things sort of get stuck in my head. The most recent concept to get stuck in my head was the number of elements in immediate proximity to a specific element in a grid. It started with two implementations of the Game of Life, one written in Vala using SDL and one written in Python using Clutter.

Do you know what else deals with the relationship of elements in a grid? MineSweeper!

MineSweeper happens to be one of my favorite computer games. At this point, it should be noted that there are few implementations of minesweeper for Linux. Of the two versions that I found, one requires Gnome and one Required KDE. Seriously? Why does a simple game need to require Gnome or KDE libs? Oh well, I guess I'll just have to write my own.

Enter the Vala:
/* Copyright 2010 jezra lickter licensed GPL version 3 http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html compile with: valac --pkg gtk+-2.0 main.vala -o sweeper */ using Gtk; using Gdk; public class Cell:EventBox  {     signal void flip_cell();     signal void flag_cell();     public int row;     public int col;     private Button button;     private Label label;     const string ONE"blue";     const string TWO"dark green";     const string THREE"red";     const string FOUR"purple";     const string FIVE"orange";     const string SIX"yellow";     private Color red;     construct     {         button new Button();         //box = new Box();     }     public Cell(int rint c)     {         Color.parse("red",out red);         row=r;         col=c;         //create the cell         button.set_relief(ReliefStyle.HALF);         button.event.connect( (obj,event)=> { parse_event(event); } );         //box.pack_start(button, true, true, 0);         add(button);         label=new Label(null);         set_size_request(30,30);         //add(box);     }     public bool parse_event(Gdk.Event event)     {                  if(event.button.type == Gdk.EventType.BUTTON_PRESS)         {             if (event.button.button==1// && event.button.button<=3)             {                 flip_cell();             }else ifevent.button.button==)             {                 flag_cell();              }             return true;         }else{             return false;         }     }     public void flag()     {         button.set_label("*");     }     public void end_flag()     {         if(button.get_label()!="*")         {             show_label("*");         }     }          public void show_label(string str)     {         string color;         switch(str)         {             case "1":                 color ONE;                 break;             case "2":                 color TWO;                 break;               case "3":                 color THREE;                 break;             case "4":                 color FOUR;                 break;             case "5":                 color FIVE;                 break;             case "6":                 color SIX;                 break;             /*case "7":                 color = SEVEN;                 break; */             default:                 color "black";                 break;         }         label.set_markup("<span foreground=\"%s\">%s</span>".printf(color,str)      );         remove(button);         add(label);         label.show();     }     public void show_baddy()     {         modify_bg(StateType.NORMALred );         label.set_markup("<span background=\"red\" font_weight=\"heavy\">*</span>");         remove(button);         add(label);         //box.pack_start(label,true,true,0);         label.show();     }          public void disable()     {         button.set_state(Gtk.StateType.INSENSITIVE);     } } public class Application:Gtk.Window {     MainLoop loop;     bool[,] mineArray;     bool[,] flippedArray;     private Button startButton;     private ComboBox levelCombo;     private Table cellTable;     private int rows {get;set;}     private int cols {get;set;}     private int mines;     private Cell[,] cells;     private VBox vbox;     private bool game_playing;     private bool game_needs_new_table;     //define the small/medium/large values     const int small_rows=6;     const int small_cols=10;     const int small_mines=10;     const int medium_rows=10;     const int medium_cols=16;     const int medium_mines=26;     const int large_rows=12;     const int large_cols=20;     const int large_mines=40;     private int required_flips;     private int flip_count;     construct     {         type=Gtk.WindowType.TOPLEVEL;         set_resizable(false);         game_playing=false;         game_needs_new_table=false;         //we default to small         rows small_rows;         cols small_cols;         mines small_mines;     }          public Application()     {         destroy.connect(quit);         vbox new VBox(false,0);         HBox hbox new HBox(false,0);         startButton new Button.with_label("Start");         levelCombo new ComboBox.text();         levelCombo.append_text("Small");         levelCombo.append_text("Medium");         levelCombo.append_text("Large");         //levelCombo.append_text("Custom");         levelCombo.set_active(0);         levelCombo.changed.connectlevel_changed );                  Label dif new Label("Size:");         startButton.clicked.connectstart_game );         hbox.pack_start(startButton,false,false,0);         hbox.pack_start(dif,false,false,0);         hbox.pack_start(levelCombo,false,false,0);         hbox.set_spacing(5);         vbox.pack_start(hbox,false,false,0);         add(vbox);         show_all();         //create the first table         new_table();         cellTable.set_sensitive(false);     }          private void level_changed()     {         string val levelCombo.get_active_text();         switch(val)         {             case "Small":                 rows small_rows;                 cols small_cols;                 mines small_mines;                 break;             case "Medium":                 rows medium_rows;                 cols medium_cols;                 mines medium_mines;                 break;             case "Large":                 rows large_rows;                 cols large_cols;                 mines large_mines;                 break;         }         game_needs_new_table=true;         start_game();         //we should probably resize the window     }          public void start_game()     {         if(game_needs_new_table)         {             new_table();         }         game_playing=true;         //disable the start button         startButton.set_sensitive(false);         cellTable.set_sensitive(true);     }     public void end_game()     {         //disable unflipped cells         for(int r=0r<rowsr++)         {             for(int c=0c<colsc++)             {                 if(!flippedArray[r,c])                 {                     //if this is a mine, mark it as such                     if(mineArray[r,c])                     {                         cells[r,c].end_flag();                     }                     cells[r,c].disable();                 }             }         }         game_needs_new_table=true;         //enable the start button         game_playing false;         startButton.set_sensitive(true);     }          public void new_table()     {         vbox.remove(cellTable);         cellTable make_table();         vbox.pack_startcellTable,true,true,);         cellTable.show_all();     }          private Table make_table()     {         //reset the required flips         required_flips rows*cols mines;         //reset the flip_count         flip_count=0;         mineArray new bool[rows,cols];         flippedArray new bool[rows,cols];         cells new Cell[rows,cols];         Table table new Table(rows,cols,true);         forint r=0;r<rows;r++ )         {             for int c=0c<colsc++ )             {                 flippedArray[r,c]=false;                 mineArray[r,c]=false;                 cells[r,c] = new Cell(r,c);                 cells[r,c].flip_cell.connect( (cell)=>{ flip_cell(cell); } );                 cells[r,c].flag_cell.connect( (cell)=>{ flag_cell(cell); } );                 //add the cell to the table lrtb                 table.attach(cells[r,c],c,c+1,r,r+1,AttachOptions.FILL ,AttachOptions.FILL ,0,0);                    }         }            //make the mines         int minecount=0;         int randomrow;         int randomcol;         Rand rand new Rand();         while(minecount<mines)         {             //pick a random row             randomrowrand.int_range(0,rows);             //pick a random col             randomcol rand.int_range(0,cols);             if(!mineArray[randomrow,randomcol])             {                     mineArray[randomrow,randomcol]=true;                     minecount++;             }         }         return table;     }          public void flag_cellCell )     {         c.flag();     }          private void flip_cell(Cell c)     {         //consider this flipped         flippedArray[c.row,c.col]=true;         if(mineArray[c.row,c.col])         {             c.show_baddy();             end_game();         }else{             detect_neighboring_mines(c.row,c.col);             flip_count+=1;             if(flip_count==required_flips)             {                 //we did it!                 end_game();             }         }     }     private void detect_neighboring_mines(int rint c)     {         string label="";         int mine_count 0;         int r_min r-1;         int r_max r+1;         int c_min c-1;         int c_max c+1;         if(r==0)         {             r_min=r;         }         else if (== rows-1)         {             r_max=r;         }         if c==)         {             c_min=c;         }         else if (== cols-1)         {             c_max=c;          }            int tr r_min;         int tc c_min;         while(tr <= r_max)         {             tc c_min;             while(tc <= c_max)             {                 if tr!=|| tc!=)                 {                     if mineArray[tr,tc])                     {                         mine_count+=1;                     }                 }                 tc+=1;             }             tr+=1;         }         if(mine_count>0)         {             label mine_count.to_string();         }else{             expand_from_empty_cell(r,c);         }         cells[r,c].show_labellabel );     }          private void expand_from_empty_cell(int rint c)     {         int r_min r-1;         int r_max r+1;         int c_min c-1;         int c_max c+1;         if(r==0)         {             r_min=r;         }         else if (== rows-1)         {             r_max=r;         }         if c==)         {             c_min=c;         }         else if (== cols-1)         {             c_max=c;          }            int tr r_min;         int tc c_min;         while(tr <= r_max)         {             tc c_min;             while(tc <= c_max)             {                 if tr!=|| tc!=)                 {                     if ( !flippedArray[tr,tc])                     {                         //check this cell                         flip_cell(cells[tr,tc]);                         //detect_neighboring_mines(tr,tc);                     }                 }                 tc+=1;             }             tr+=1;         }     }          public void run()     {         loop new MainLoop();         loop.run();     }     public void quit()     {         loop.quit();     } } public static void mainstring[] args) {     Gtk.init(ref args);     Application app new Application();     app.run(); }

YUCK! That is some ugly code. Normally, when I write some code, I will first write the steps I want the code to take as comments and I will then write the actual code of the app. Obviously, that was not the case this time. The passion took me.

Requirements
GTK
GDK
Vala

Compiling
valac --pkg gtk+-2.0 main.vala -o sweeper


Screenshots




The game is over when all of the non-mine squares have been selected. Yes, I know that there is no timer, or flag counter and honestly, I don't care; I just want to play.

Now stop reading, and go sweep something.
Comments
2010-01-21 Julian Aloofi:
Your blog is slowly becoming one of the most valuable resources for Vala code examples ^^
At least for newbies like me. Thanks for sharing the code!
2010-01-21 jezra:
I wasn't aware that you are delving into the world of Vala. Good for you! How has the experience been so far?
2010-01-22 Julian Aloofi:
I was just messing around with it a bit, but it looks like it's developing really well.
I really like the language, but currently I'm more focussed on others. Vala still is in an early stage I think, and breaks source compability too often for me :(
2010-02-16 fadereu:
Also, check out the game of GO.
2011-07-10 ray:
Very useful code example. Perhaps the compiler is a little tighter now, but needed to make flip_cell() and flag_cell() public, then add "return" before parse_event() in Cell constructor, to get it to compile. It works, but get a container_remove assertion failed. Finally, had problems with lack of CRs, when copying your code. However, I am very grateful to you, for the example.
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