8 x 8 array checkerboard

[Chatham Chance]

I am trying writing a program that declares an 8 x 8 char array and uses a loop to store the following data into the array.
(I am trying to create a checkerboard)

B R B R B R B R
R B R B R B R B
B R B R B R B R
R B R B R B R B
B R B R B R B R
R B R B R B R B
B R B R B R B R
R B R B R B R B

This is what I have so far. Keep getting errors.

insert

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

int main(void)
{
    int checker_board[8][8];
    int x, y;

    for(x = 0; x < 8; x++)
        for(y = 0; y < 8; y++)
            if(checker_board[x][y] == ((x+y)%2))
                checker_board[x][y] = 'B';
            if(checker_board[x][y] != ((x+y)%2))
                checker_board[x][y] = 'R';
            printf(checker_board[x][y]);

    getch();
    return 0;
}

[quzah]

This is what I have so far. Keep getting errors.

What sort of errors?

At a glance, printf is going to yell at you for using the wrong argument for its first argument, and you probably want to throw in a pair of braces around your for loop segments.


Quzah.

[memcpy]

You could replace all the if/else munging with:

register unsigned short count = 0;

/* ... */

for (x = 0; x < 8; x++) {
    for (y = 0; y < 8; y++) {
        if ((count++ % 2) == 0)
            checker_board[x][y] = 'B';
        else
            checker_board[x][y] = 'R';
    }
}

Edit: Nesting for loops is usually more expensive than just using one. Because you're doing such a simple patterned fill, it might be easier to set the array with only one loop to 64 (that's how 2d arrays are laid out in memory). Just an idea, you don't have to use it.

[MK27]

This is what I have so far. Keep getting errors.

Always a good idea to describe what those errors are.

1) You are testing against the (uninitialized) values in the matrix with your modulus, as opposed to the current position in the matrix.
2) You need to use an enclosing block if you want to include the printf() in the inner loop.
3) The printf will not do what you want unless you format it properly.

[oogabooga]

Here's a good way to set your array:

for (x = 0; x < 8; x++)
    for (y = 0; y < 8; y++)
        checker_board[x][y] = (x + y) % 2 ? 'R' : 'B';

@memcpy: If you're going to use an extra variable here, better to simply do this

int count = 0;

than this

register unsigned short count = 0;

[MK27]

register unsigned short count = 0;

The use of "register" is atavistic. Modern compilers will completely ignore it, except for applying by-the-standard limitations (you can't take the address). They decide what really goes in a register and what doesn't -- you don't get any say in the matter.

Edit: Nesting for loops is usually more expensive than just using one. Because you're doing such a simple patterned fill, it might be easier to set the array with only one loop to 64 (that's how 2d arrays are laid out in memory). Just an idea, you don't have to use it.

Likewise, modern compilers will optimize this way automatically anyway when they see the nested loops. So while the intention is good, this is almost certainly not worth the hassle (and the obfuscating effect on the code).

[memcpy]

> Modern compilers will completely ignore it
Not necessarily. Well, they definitely don't ignore it if you're more specific:

register unsigned short count asm ("ax");

, but this is a horrible idea to shove a variable into a random register if the rest of your function doesn't use registers. How I learned it, the keyword "register" is simply a suggestion to put the variable in a register, and the compiler will choose whether this is necessary or not. To ensure that it actually ends up in a specific register, using the above code most likely will serve that purpose.

> (and the obfuscating effect on the code).
Good point.. haha.

[Chatham Chance]

How would I need to fix my print statement to print 'R' and 'B'

[oogabooga]

The printf function needs a "format" string as the first argument.

printf("%c", checker_board[x][y]);

And presumably checker_board should be char instead of int.

[memcpy]

To make the 8x8 shape, you could try this:

for ( ... ) {
    for ( ... ) {
        printf("%c ", checker_board[x][y]); /* notice the space */
    }
    printf("\n"); /* and the newline character after 8 */
}

[Adak]

You'll want each square of the board to be shown as the center of a 3 x 3 char square:

--------------------------------------------------------
|blank row
| B | R |                                 
|blankrow
--------------------------------------------------------

Possibly, without the blank rows in there - depending on the size of the board you want to display.

You should google and go to the Chess Wiki. Checkers and chess programs share a lot in common, and the chess wiki has a lot of info.