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Thread: (Beginner/Intermediate) Tic Tac Toe game issues

  1. #1
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    Default (Beginner/Intermediate) Tic Tac Toe game issues

    Hello all, been having some issues with this tic-tac-toe game as the title stated. For some reason it seems that a player cannot place an X or O in any but three of the positions. I had this working before, but then I went to code a 'checkwin' method and suddenly it no longer works. I'm completely baffled because this method is in no way required by the game to function.

    Also, it seems as if the checkwin method does not want to be called in the driver class. It displays a "cannot find symbol" error even though I made sure to make the method public.

    This is the driver file:

    import java.util.Scanner;
    import javax.swing.JOptionPane; 
    /**
       This program runs a TicTacToe game. It prompts the
       user to set positions on the board and prints out the
       result.
    */
    public class TicTacToeRunner
    {
       public static void main(String[] args)
       {
          Scanner in = new Scanner(System.in);
          String player = "x";
          int row = 0;
          int column = 0; 
          String s1;
          String s2;
          int turn = 1;
          TicTacToe game = new TicTacToe();
          boolean done = false;
          while (!done)
          {
             System.out.print(game.toString()); 
     
             s1 = JOptionPane.showInputDialog(null, player + " Please input a row from 1 - 3 or 0 to quit");
             row = Integer.parseInt(s1);
             if (row == 0) done = true;
             else{
             while(row < 1 || row > 3)
             {
                 if (row == 0) done = true;
             else{
                     s1 = JOptionPane.showInputDialog(null, player + " Please input a row from 1 - 3 or 0 to quit");
             row = Integer.parseInt(s1);
             }
             }
             }
     
                s2 = JOptionPane.showInputDialog(null, player + " Please input a column from 1 - 3 or 0 to quit");
             column = Integer.parseInt(s1);
             if (column == 0) done = true;
             else{
             while(column < 1 || row > 3)
             {
                 if (column == 0) done = true;
             else{
                     s2 = JOptionPane.showInputDialog(null, player + " Please input a column from 1 - 3 or 0 to quit");
             column = Integer.parseInt(s1);
                 }
             }
             }
                 System.out.println("-----");
                 turn++;
                 game.set(row - 1, column - 1, player);
                 checkWin(turn);
                if (player.equals("x")) 
                   player = "o"; 
                else 
                   player = "x";    
     
          }
       }
    }

    This is the game file:

    import javax.swing.JOptionPane;
    /**
       A 3 x 3 tic-tac-toe board.
    */
    public class TicTacToe
    {
       private String[][] board;
       private static final int ROWS = 3;
       private static final int COLUMNS = 3;
     
       /**
          Constructs an empty board.
       */
       public TicTacToe()
       {
          board = new String[ROWS][COLUMNS];
          // Fill with spaces
          for (int i = 0; i < ROWS; i++)
             for (int j = 0; j < COLUMNS; j++)
                board[i][j] = " ";
       }
     
       /**
          Sets a field in the board. The field must be unoccupied.
          @param i the row index 
          @param j the column index 
          @param player the player ("x" or "o")
       */
       public void set(int i, int j, String player)
       {
     
          if (board[i][j].equals(" "))
             board[i][j] = player;
       }
     
       public void checkWin(int turn)	{
           boolean win = false;
           String message;
     
     
    		if (turn > 4)	{
    			if(board[1][1] == "x"){
                                if (board[1][2] == "x"){
                                    if (board[1][3] == "x"){
                                        win = true;
     
    		}
                                    else{
                                        if(board[1][1] == "o"){
                                            if (board[1][2] == "o"){
                                                if (board[1][3] == "o"){
                                        win = true;
                                    }
                                                else{
     
     
                                                if(board[2][1] == "x"){
                                if (board[2][2] == "x"){
                                    if (board[2][3] == "x"){
                                        win = true;
     
    		}
                                    else{
                                        if(board[2][2] == "o"){
                                            if (board[2][1] == "o"){
                                                if (board[2][3] == "o"){
                                        win = true;
                                    }
                                                else{
     
     
                                                if(board[3][1] == "x"){
                                if (board[3][2] == "x"){
                                    if (board[3][3] == "x"){
                                        win = true;
     
    		}
                                    else{
                                        if(board[3][3] == "o"){
                                            if (board[3][2] == "o"){
                                                if (board[3][1] == "o"){
                                        win = true;
                                    }
                                                else{
     
     
                                                if(board[1][1] == "x"){
                                if (board[2][1] == "x"){
                                    if (board[3][1] == "x"){
                                        win = true;
     
    		}
                                    else{
                                        if(board[1][1] == "o"){
                                            if (board[2][1] == "o"){
                                                if (board[3][1] == "o"){
                                        win = true;
                                    }
                                                else{
     
     
                                                if(board[1][2] == "x"){
                                if (board[2][2] == "x"){
                                    if (board[3][2] == "x"){
                                        win = true;
     
    		}
                                    else{
                                        if(board[1][2] == "o"){
                                            if (board[2][2] == "o"){
                                                if (board[3][2] == "o"){
                                        win = true;
                                    }
                                                else{
     
     
                                                if(board[1][3] == "x"){
                                if (board[2][3] == "x"){
                                    if (board[3][3] == "x"){
                                        win = true;
     
    		}
                                    else{
                                        if(board[1][3] == "o"){
                                            if (board[2][3] == "o"){
                                                if (board[3][3] == "o"){
                                        win = true;
                                    }
                                                else{
     
     
                                                if(board[1][1] == "x"){
                                if (board[2][2] == "x"){
                                    if (board[3][3] == "x"){
                                        win = true;
     
    		}
                                    else{
                                        if(board[1][1] == "o"){
                                            if (board[2][2] == "o"){
                                                if (board[3][3] == "o"){
                                        win = true;
                                    }
                                                else{
     
     
                                                if(board[1][3] == "x"){
                                if (board[2][2] == "x"){
                                    if (board[3][1] == "x"){
                                        win = true;
     
    		}
                                    else{
                                        if(board[3][1] == "o"){
                                            if (board[2][2] == "o"){
                                                if (board[1][3] == "o"){
                                        win = true;
                                    }
     
     
     
                    }
                    }
                    }
                                }
                                                }
                                                }
                                            }
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                                                }
                                                }
                                            }
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                                                }
                                                }
                                            }
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                                                }
                                                }
                                            }
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                                                }
                                                }
                                            }
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                                                }
                                                }
                                            }
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                                                }
                                                }
                                            }
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                            }
                    }
     
     
     
     
    		if(win || (!win && turn>9))	{
    			if(win)	{
    				if(turn % 2 == 0)
    					message = "X has won!";
    				else	
    					message = "O has won!";
                                    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, message);
    				win = false;
    			}	else if(!win && turn>9)	{
    				message = "Both players have tied!\nBetter luck next time.";
                                    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, message);
    			}
     
     
    		}
    	}
     
     
       /**
          Creates a string representation of the board, such as
          |x  o|
          |  x |
          |   o|
          @return the string representation
       */
       public String toString()
       {
          String r = "";
          for (int i = 0; i < ROWS; i++)
          {
             r = r + "|";
             for (int j = 0; j < COLUMNS; j++)         
                r = r + board[i][j];
             r = r + "|\n";
          }
          return r;
       }
    }

    Any help would be appreciated at this point. I'm a bit of a java noob so I have a feeling these are simple errors for you but I've been stuck on this for hours.

    Thanks in advance for any help.


  2. #2
    Member snowguy13's Avatar
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    Default Re: (Beginner/Intermediate) Tic Tac Toe game issues

    ...well, this is just speculation, but maybe it has something to do with this mess:
    if (turn > 4)	{
    			if(board[1][1] == "x"){
                                if (board[1][2] == "x"){
                                    if (board[1][3] == "x"){
                                        win = true;
     
    		}
                                    else{
                                        if(board[1][1] == "o"){
                                            if (board[1][2] == "o"){
                                                if (board[1][3] == "o"){
                                        win = true;
                                    }
                                                else{
     
     
                                                if(board[2][1] == "x"){
                                if (board[2][2] == "x"){
                                    if (board[2][3] == "x"){
                                        win = true;
     
    		}
                                    else{
                                        if(board[2][2] == "o"){
                                            if (board[2][1] == "o"){
                                                if (board[2][3] == "o"){
                                        win = true;
                                    }
                                                else{
     
     
                                                if(board[3][1] == "x"){
                                if (board[3][2] == "x"){
                                    if (board[3][3] == "x"){
                                        win = true;
     
    		}
                                    else{
                                        if(board[3][3] == "o"){
                                            if (board[3][2] == "o"){
                                                if (board[3][1] == "o"){
                                        win = true;
                                    }
                                                else{
     
     
                                                if(board[1][1] == "x"){
                                if (board[2][1] == "x"){
                                    if (board[3][1] == "x"){
                                        win = true;
     
    		}
                                    else{
                                        if(board[1][1] == "o"){
                                            if (board[2][1] == "o"){
                                                if (board[3][1] == "o"){
                                        win = true;
                                    }
                                                else{
     
     
                                                if(board[1][2] == "x"){
                                if (board[2][2] == "x"){
                                    if (board[3][2] == "x"){
                                        win = true;
     
    		}
                                    else{
                                        if(board[1][2] == "o"){
                                            if (board[2][2] == "o"){
                                                if (board[3][2] == "o"){
                                        win = true;
                                    }
                                                else{
     
     
                                                if(board[1][3] == "x"){
                                if (board[2][3] == "x"){
                                    if (board[3][3] == "x"){
                                        win = true;
     
    		}
                                    else{
                                        if(board[1][3] == "o"){
                                            if (board[2][3] == "o"){
                                                if (board[3][3] == "o"){
                                        win = true;
                                    }
                                                else{
     
     
                                                if(board[1][1] == "x"){
                                if (board[2][2] == "x"){
                                    if (board[3][3] == "x"){
                                        win = true;
     
    		}
                                    else{
                                        if(board[1][1] == "o"){
                                            if (board[2][2] == "o"){
                                                if (board[3][3] == "o"){
                                        win = true;
                                    }
                                                else{
     
     
                                                if(board[1][3] == "x"){
                                if (board[2][2] == "x"){
                                    if (board[3][1] == "x"){
                                        win = true;
     
    		}
                                    else{
                                        if(board[3][1] == "o"){
                                            if (board[2][2] == "o"){
                                                if (board[1][3] == "o"){
                                        win = true;
                                    }
     
     
     
                    }
                    }
                    }
                                }
                                                }
                                                }
                                            }
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                                                }
                                                }
                                            }
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                                                }
                                                }
                                            }
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                                                }
                                                }
                                            }
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                                                }
                                                }
                                            }
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                                                }
                                                }
                                            }
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                                                }
                                                }
                                            }
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                            }
                    }
    Firstly, I think you can clean up your if statements by using the && operator (scroll down page of link a little) instead of multiple if statements. Also, I think you have either a) WAAAAAAAAAAAAY too many }'s at the end of this block of code or b) they are all misplaced. I think it may be a combination of the two.

    Note that the syntax for if-else-if is:
    boolean a, b, c;
     
    //This is right
    if(a)
    {
       //code
    }
    else if(b)
    {
       //other code
    }
    else if(c)
    {
       //more code
    }
    else
    {
       //yet more code
    }

    and NOT THIS:

    boolean a, b, c;
     
    //This is wrong...
    if(a)
    {
       //code
     
    else if(b)
    {
       //other code
     
    else if(c)
    {
       //more code
     
    else
    {
       //yet more code
    }
    }
    }
    }
    Use highlight tags to help others help you!

    [highlight=Java]Your prettily formatted code goes here[/highlight]

    Using these tags makes your code formatted, and helps everyone answer your questions more easily!




    Wanna hear something funny?

    Me too.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: (Beginner/Intermediate) Tic Tac Toe game issues

    Found out the error with the game functionality itself was a typo in the driver file which I have fixed. I redid the game file like this:
    (please ignore the commented out part lol)
    import javax.swing.JOptionPane;
    /**
       A 3 x 3 tic-tac-toe board.
    */
    public class TicTacToe
    {
       private String[][] board;
       private static final int ROWS = 3;
       private static final int COLUMNS = 3;
     
       /**
          Constructs an empty board.
       */
       public TicTacToe()
       {
          board = new String[ROWS][COLUMNS];
          // Fill with spaces
          for (int i = 0; i < ROWS; i++)
             for (int j = 0; j < COLUMNS; j++)
                board[i][j] = " ";
       }
     
       /**
          Sets a field in the board. The field must be unoccupied.
          @param i the row index 
          @param j the column index 
          @param player the player ("x" or "o")
       */
       public void set(int i, int j, String player)
       {
     
          if (board[i][j].equals(" "))
             board[i][j] = player;
       }
      /* 
       public void checkWin(int turn)	{
           boolean win = false;
           String message;
     
     
    		if (turn > 4)	{
    			if(board[1][1] == "x"){
                                if (board[1][2] == "x"){
                                    if (board[1][3] == "x"){
                                        win = true;
     
    		}
                                    else{
                                        if(board[1][1] == "o"){
                                            if (board[1][2] == "o"){
                                                if (board[1][3] == "o"){
                                        win = true;
                                    }
                                                else{
     
     
                                                if(board[2][1] == "x"){
                                if (board[2][2] == "x"){
                                    if (board[2][3] == "x"){
                                        win = true;
     
    		}
                                    else{
                                        if(board[2][2] == "o"){
                                            if (board[2][1] == "o"){
                                                if (board[2][3] == "o"){
                                        win = true;
                                    }
                                                else{
     
     
                                                if(board[3][1] == "x"){
                                if (board[3][2] == "x"){
                                    if (board[3][3] == "x"){
                                        win = true;
     
    		}
                                    else{
                                        if(board[3][3] == "o"){
                                            if (board[3][2] == "o"){
                                                if (board[3][1] == "o"){
                                        win = true;
                                    }
                                                else{
     
     
                                                if(board[1][1] == "x"){
                                if (board[2][1] == "x"){
                                    if (board[3][1] == "x"){
                                        win = true;
     
    		}
                                    else{
                                        if(board[1][1] == "o"){
                                            if (board[2][1] == "o"){
                                                if (board[3][1] == "o"){
                                        win = true;
                                    }
                                                else{
     
     
                                                if(board[1][2] == "x"){
                                if (board[2][2] == "x"){
                                    if (board[3][2] == "x"){
                                        win = true;
     
    		}
                                    else{
                                        if(board[1][2] == "o"){
                                            if (board[2][2] == "o"){
                                                if (board[3][2] == "o"){
                                        win = true;
                                    }
                                                else{
     
     
                                                if(board[1][3] == "x"){
                                if (board[2][3] == "x"){
                                    if (board[3][3] == "x"){
                                        win = true;
     
    		}
                                    else{
                                        if(board[1][3] == "o"){
                                            if (board[2][3] == "o"){
                                                if (board[3][3] == "o"){
                                        win = true;
                                    }
                                                else{
     
     
                                                if(board[1][1] == "x"){
                                if (board[2][2] == "x"){
                                    if (board[3][3] == "x"){
                                        win = true;
     
    		}
                                    else{
                                        if(board[1][1] == "o"){
                                            if (board[2][2] == "o"){
                                                if (board[3][3] == "o"){
                                        win = true;
                                    }
                                                else{
     
     
                                                if(board[1][3] == "x"){
                                if (board[2][2] == "x"){
                                    if (board[3][1] == "x"){
                                        win = true;
     
    		}
                                    else{
                                        if(board[3][1] == "o"){
                                            if (board[2][2] == "o"){
                                                if (board[1][3] == "o"){
                                        win = true;
                                    }
     
     
     
                    }
                    }
                    }
                                }
                                                }
                                                }
                                            }
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                                                }
                                                }
                                            }
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                                                }
                                                }
                                            }
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                                                }
                                                }
                                            }
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                                                }
                                                }
                                            }
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                                                }
                                                }
                                            }
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                                                }
                                                }
                                            }
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                            }
                    }
     
     
     
     
    		if(win || (!win && turn>9))	{
    			if(win)	{
    				if(turn % 2 == 0)
    					message = "X has won!";
    				else	
    					message = "O has won!";
                                    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, message);
    				win = false;
    			}	else if(!win && turn>9)	{
    				message = "Both players have tied!\nBetter luck next time.";
                                    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, message);
    			}
     
     
    		}
    	}
     
    */
       /**
          Creates a string representation of the board, such as
          |x  o|
          |  x |
          |   o|
          @return the string representation
       */
     
       private void checkWin() {
     
     
     
        // Check horizontal
     
        for (int i = 0; i < board.length; i++) {
     
            boolean rowWin = true;
     
            for (int j = 0; j < board[i].length; j++) {
     
                if (board[j][i] != player)
     
                    rowWin = false;
     
            }
     
            if (rowWin == true) {
     
                JOptionPane.showMessageDialog
     
                (null, "A Winner is you!",
     
                "Congratulations " + player, JOptionPane.INFORMATION_MESSAGE);
     
                return;
     
            }
     
        }
        // Check vertical
     
        for (int i = 0; i < game.length; i++) {
     
            boolean rowWin = true;
     
            for (int j = 0; j < game[i].length; j++) {
     
                if (game[i][j] != player)
     
                    rowWin = false;
     
            }
     
            if (rowWin == true) {
     
                JOptionPane.showMessageDialog
     
                (null, "A Winner is you!",
     
                "Congratulations " + player, JOptionPane.INFORMATION_MESSAGE);
     
                return;
     
            }
     
        }
     
        // Check diagonal
     
        boolean topWin = true;
     
        boolean bottomWin = true;
     
        for (int i = 0; i < board.length; i++) {
     
            if (board[i][i] != player)
     
                topWin = false;
     
            if (board[(board.length-(i+1))][i] != board)
     
                bottomWin = false;
     
        }
     
        if (topWin == true || bottomWin == true) {
     
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog
     
                (null, "A Winner is you!",
     
                "Congratulations " + player, JOptionPane.INFORMATION_MESSAGE);
     
            return;
     
        }
     
        // If the array is full and there is no winner, it's a cat's game
     
        boolean isFull = true;
     
        for (int i = 0; i < board.length; i++)
     
            for (int j = 0; j < board[i].length; j++)
     
                if (board[i][j] == 0)
     
                    isFull = false;
     
        if (isFull) {
     
     
     
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog
     
                (null, "Cat's game!",
     
                "Tie", JOptionPane.INFORMATION_MESSAGE);
     
            return;
     
        }
     
     
     
    }
     
       public String toString()
       {
          String r = "";
          for (int i = 0; i < ROWS; i++)
          {
             r = r + "|";
             for (int j = 0; j < COLUMNS; j++)         
                r = r + board[i][j];
             r = r + "|\n";
          }
          return r;
       }
    }

    However whenever I go to call the 'checkwin' method in the driver, it continues to display a "cannot find symbol." Also i'm trying to use the variable 'player' in order to display who won the game under the checkwin method but this is displaying the same error. It's as if the two files are for some reason not communicating. Have you ever had this error?

    Here is the fixed version of the driver file if you want it:

    import java.util.Scanner;
    import javax.swing.JOptionPane; 
    /**
       This program runs a TicTacToe game. It prompts the
       user to set positions on the board and prints out the
       result.
    */
    public class TicTacToeRunner
    {
       public static void main(String[] args)
       {
          Scanner in = new Scanner(System.in);
          String player = "x";
          int row = 0;
          int column = 0; 
          String s1;
          String s2;
          int turn = 1;
          TicTacToe game = new TicTacToe();
          boolean done = false;
          while (!done)
          {
             System.out.print(game.toString()); 
     
             s1 = JOptionPane.showInputDialog(null, player + " Please input a row from 1 - 3 or 0 to quit");
             row = Integer.parseInt(s1);
             if (row == 0) done = true;
             else{
             while(row < 1 || row > 3)
             {
                 if (row == 0) done = true;
             else{
                     s1 = JOptionPane.showInputDialog(null, player + " Please input a row from 1 - 3 or 0 to quit");
             row = Integer.parseInt(s1);
             }
             }
             }
     
                s2 = JOptionPane.showInputDialog(null, player + " Please input a column from 1 - 3 or 0 to quit");
             column = Integer.parseInt(s2);
             if (column == 0) done = true;
             else{
             while(column < 1 || row > 3)
             {
                 if (column == 0) done = true;
             else{
                     s2 = JOptionPane.showInputDialog(null, player + " Please input a column from 1 - 3 or 0 to quit");
             column = Integer.parseInt(s2);
                 }
             }
             }
                 System.out.println("-----");
                 turn++;
                 game.set(row - 1, column - 1, player);
                 checkWin();
                if (player.equals("x")) 
                   player = "o"; 
                else 
                   player = "x";    
     
          }
       }
    }

  4. #4
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    Default Re: (Beginner/Intermediate) Tic Tac Toe game issues

    I'm new at java, but you should do what snowguy13 told you, he just wants to help, and you should organize your programm and comment it properly so that anyone who sees the code can understand it easily and fast

  5. #5
    Super Moderator Norm's Avatar
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    Default Re: (Beginner/Intermediate) Tic Tac Toe game issues

    if(board[1][1] == "x"){

    You should use the equals() method for comparing Strings' contents, not the == operator.

  6. #6
    Forum Squatter newbie's Avatar
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    Default Re: (Beginner/Intermediate) Tic Tac Toe game issues

    Please post full error messages you receive here, not just error names.
    In addition to Snowguy's response, the OR ( || ) operator would clean it up alot more.

    One place where cannot find symbol 'player' would occur is within TicTacToe's checkWin() method.
    You haven't declared the variable player with a global scope in that class, and nor have you with a local scope so a variable player cannot be found.
    Please use [highlight=Java]//code goes here...[/highlight] tags when posting your code

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