Draughts console game

[shrumichaela]

i am trying to write a simple program that allows players to start a new game of draughts, store the status of the game and allow players to make moves...can anyone please give me tips on how to get started? I have found some info on the net but it is too complicated to understand.... any help is appreciated

#include <stdio.h>
#include <conio.h>
#include <math.h>
#include <ctype.h>
#include <graphics.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
 
/* INITIALIZE ARRAY */
int Status[8][8]={{1,5,1,5,1,5,1,5},{5,1,5,1,5,1,5,1},{1,5,1,5,1,5,1,5},{5,0,5,0,5,0,5,0},{0,5,0,5,0,5,0,5},{5,3,5,3,5,3,5,3},{3,5,3,5,3,5,3,5},{5,3,5,3,5,3,5,3}};
 
/* DRAW DAMA BOARD */
void DAMABOARD ()
{
   cleardevice();
   setcolor(14); settextstyle(SANS_SERIF_FONT,HORIZ_DIR,3);
   outtextxy(335,70 ," LET'S PLAY CHECKERS!");
   setcolor(10); settextstyle(DEFAULT_FONT,HORIZ_DIR,2);
   outtextxy(320,100," ÉÍËÍËÍËÍËÍËÍËÍËÍ»");
   outtextxy(320,115,"0º º º º º º º º º");
   outtextxy(320,130," ÌÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎ͹");
   outtextxy(320,145,"1º º º º º º º º º");
   outtextxy(320,160," ÌÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎ͹");
   outtextxy(320,175,"2º º º º º º º º º");
   outtextxy(320,190," ÌÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎ͹");
   outtextxy(320,205,"3º º º º º º º º º");
   outtextxy(320,220," ÌÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎ͹");
   outtextxy(320,235,"4º º º º º º º º º");
   outtextxy(320,250," ÌÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎ͹");
   outtextxy(320,265,"5º º º º º º º º º");
   outtextxy(320,280," ÌÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎ͹");
   outtextxy(320,295,"6º º º º º º º º º");
   outtextxy(320,310," ÌÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎÍÎ͹");
   outtextxy(320,325,"7º º º º º º º º º");
   outtextxy(320,340," ÈÍÊÍÊÍÊÍÊÍÊÍÊÍÊͼ");
   outtextxy(320,355,"  0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ");
 
   setcolor(11); settextstyle(SMALL_FONT,HORIZ_DIR,5);
   outtextxy(5,380," Direction:");
   outtextxy(5,400," Press a number from 0 to 7, to get the row and column value.");
   outtextxy(5,420," Press <ESC> to quit.");

[DeMan]

Try to simplify the game into simple steps,
refine these simpler steps into more manageable processes,
continue this until you have little tasks to implement.

One approach (Top-Down programming I think).....is to wrtte the steps as code.
Then you need to implement the steps to do what they're supposed to, but we can apply the same principle again/.
eg

while(!gameFinished)
{
  thisPlayer.makemove();
  displayBoard();
  thisPlayer = nextPlayer();
}
 

We have just decided that we need to implement a player class, that it needs to have at least the methid makeMove, that we need a routine for displayBoard and that we need some way to move ionto the nextplayer.,.....

you can first implement minimal functionality (ie so long as nextPlayer returns something (which can be null initially)the code would compile. (provided you have DEFINED these methods (they don't actually have to DO anything yet)).
Once you start working on a particular method, you can use the same idea of refining what it actually is that you want the method to do.

If you have time afterwards, you can go through and find redundant methods ->things that seemed a good idea at the time, but can be better done another way

[shrumichaela]

Thanks for your help but I am still struggling with it

Can you help me with the code below

# include <stdio.h>
# include <math.h>
# include <ctype.h>
# include <graphics.h>
# include <stdlib.h>

/* initilize array E=Empty, WP= White Piece - uncrowned, BP = Black Piece - uncrowned */

int Status [8] [8] = {{ BP, E, BP, E, BP, E, BP, E }, { E, BP, E, BP, E, BP, E, BP}, { BP, E, BP, E, BP, E, BP, E }, { E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E }, { E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E },
{ E, WP, E, WP, E,WP, E,WP }, { WP, E, WP, E, WP, E, WP, E }, { E, WP, E, WP, E, WP, E, WP} } ;

/* allow user to start a new game of draughts */

printf( ''Select new to start a new games: ''\n ) ; /*prompt*/

while(!gameFinished)
{
thisPlayer.makemove();
displayBoard();
thisPlayer = nextPlayer();
}

I need to store the status of the game, can anyone help?

[DeMan]

You can either pass a flag through the method(s) that make a turn, or you could set up a global flag that can tore the state of play