console hangman problem

[dav3]

I am trying to code a little console program (no swing, no awt, just console). But I am having some trouble and I am not sure if its my logic, or my code, or possibly both?!

Anyways heres what I currently have, I have not taken into consideration a user winning by guessing the word yet. Just working on displaying the hidden word and updating it with respect to the users guesses.

public class whatever {
 
    public static void main(String[] args) {
 
        List<String> alpha = new ArrayList<String>(); //list of letters user can choose from
        int maxTries = 7;
//        final int maxWordLen = 25;
//        int wrongGuesses = 0;
//        int correctGuess;
//        String guess;
        String hiddenWord ="";
        String correctChars= ""; // previously correctly guessed chars
        String guessX = ""; // the new guess
 
 
        String wordList [] = {"car", "desk"};
        //select a word from array
        int word = 0 + (int) (Math.random() * 2);
 
        String secretWord = wordList[word];
 
        for(int x = 0; x<secretWord.length(); x++)
        {
            hiddenWord += "-";
        }
        System.out.println("This is the hidden word: "+hiddenWord);
 
 
        //System.out.println("The secret word is: "+secretWord);
 
 
    //Add alphabet to list    
        alpha.add("a");
        alpha.add("b");
        alpha.add("c");
        alpha.add("d");
        alpha.add("e");
        alpha.add("f");
        alpha.add("g");
        alpha.add("h");
        alpha.add("i");
        alpha.add("j");
        alpha.add("k");
        alpha.add("l");
        alpha.add("m");
        alpha.add("n");
        alpha.add("o");
        alpha.add("p");
        alpha.add("q");
        alpha.add("r");
        alpha.add("s");
        alpha.add("t");
        alpha.add("u");
        alpha.add("v");
        alpha.add("w");
        alpha.add("x");
        alpha.add("y");
        alpha.add("z");
 
 
//below here is good,kinda        
        while(maxTries > 0 )
        {
 
            System.out.println(hiddenWord);
 
            System.out.println("Here are your letters to chose from\n"+alpha);
 
            BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
            System.out.println("Please make a guess: ");
            try
            {
                guessX = br.readLine();
            } 
            catch (IOException ioe) 
            {
                System.out.println("IO error!");
                System.exit(1);
            }
 
//            if in word use String newSecret and display correct letters
            if(guessX.indexOf(secretWord)!= 0 )
            {
                alpha.remove(guessX);
                String newSecret= secretWord.replaceAll("[^"+correctChars+guessX+"]", "-");
                hiddenWord = newSecret;
                System.out.println(hiddenWord);
            }
            else
            {
                System.out.println("Sorry your guess is not in the word");
                maxTries --;
            }
            System.out.println("You have "+maxTries+" chances remaining");
        }//while
    }
}
 

I have viewed all of the threads revolving around this problem at this site and haven't been able to figure this out yet.

The output now will show: -e-- if the user entered e. But when it goes to the next line it is ----. Any thoughts?

[dav3]

whoops

if(guessX.indexOf(secretWord)!= 0 )
 

fixed that its now

if(secretWord.indexOf(guessX != -1)
 

[r035198x]

whoops

if(guessX.indexOf(secretWord)!= 0 )
 

fixed that its now

if(secretWord.indexOf(guessX != -1)
 

Any reason why your alphabet is made up strings and not chars? Then you can add the alphabet to the list using a loop.

[dav3]

i knew how to add them easily (not eloquently) as strings. Is it incorrect to do it this way? Incorrect in such away that my program will fail, at this point design principles are not a concern. I can always refine once i have a working program.

[r035198x]

i knew how to add them easily (not eloquently) as strings. Is it incorrect to do it this way? Incorrect in such away that my program will fail, at this point design principles are not a concern. I can always refine once i have a working program.

In that case I'll reserve the rest of my comments.

[dav3]

In that case I'll reserve the rest of my comments.

Sorry if I offended you. I have made a very strong effort on this program, but am in need of help. I don't know why my newSecret word is only showing one correct letter at a time.


Ah wasnt adding to my correctChars variable. Problem solved.


Please do post your comments I am interested in becoming a better programmer, but when i spend hours coding something and have someone ask me about something that isnt the problem... i get defensive, sorry.

[r035198x]

Sorry if I offended you. I have made a very strong effort on this program, but am in need of help. I don't know why my newSecret word is only showing one correct letter at a time.


Ah wasnt adding to my correctChars variable. Problem solved.


Please do post your comments I am interested in becoming a better programmer, but when i spend hours coding something and have someone ask me about something that isnt the problem... i get defensive, sorry.

Shouldn't your while condition also test whether the word has now been guessed correctly or not?

[JosAH]

Again: regular expressions are your friend here; suppose we have this:

String secretWord= "apple";
String correctChars= "pe";
String displayWord= secretWord.replaceAll("[^"+correctChars+"]", "-");
 

a newChar is correct iff:

bool correct= secrectWord.indexOf(newChar) >= 0;
 

The word has been guessed correctly iff:

bool guessed= displayWord.indexOf('-') < 0;
 

kind regards,

Jos

[r035198x]

Again: regular expressions are your friend here; suppose we have this:

String secretWord= "apple";
String correctChars= "pe";
String displayWord= secretWord.replaceAll("[^"+correctChars+"]", "-");
 

a newChar is correct iff:

bool correct= secrectWord.indexOf(newChar) >= 0;
 

The word has been guessed correctly iff:

bool guessed= displayWord.indexOf('-') < 0;
 

kind regards,

Jos

Which basically completes it.
I must say it was a very good effort from dav3.

[JosAH]

Which basically completes it.
I must say it was a very good effort from dav3.

Yup, but if you use regular expressions the 'business logic' for this little game
doesn't need more than, say, 20 lines or so of code.

kind regards,

Jos