life simulation

hi,

My Challenge: to populate a 20x20 array with 100 random numbers which will represent organisms which will then die out based on their neighbours' existence.

My approach: I've generated the 100 numbers between 0 and 400 using srand, which to my simple mind I would like to use to represent the random positions in the array, then I would like to place an asterisk in the positions, representing the life-forms.

Is this too complex an approach 'cause for the life of me I can't get them read into the array.

> I can't get them read into the array.

Use two for-loops to enter the data into the array.

Code:

for (x = 0; x < 20; x++)
  for (y = 0; y < 20; y++)
    array [x][y] = value;

It's a multi-dimensional array, you could first populate him, by asking the user, or just generating instead one random number, two random numbers, like this:

Code:

int x,y;
x = rand()%20+1;
y = rand()%20+1; 

colony[x][y] = '*';

Also, it's not difficult to make the game... you need few functions, some of them to see how many neighbours a simple citizen have. The most funny in this game is the rules, this game is used in a lot of researches, really funny.

Remember, you don't fill all the array in the first time, just add some citizens and see the evolution.