Solve a maze recursive

I'm trying to solve a maze recursively. I wrote the code but I keep getting an infinte loop. I looked online and the code and logic is the same. Can somebody tell me what I'm doing wrong? Thanks

Its a 5x5 maze and here is the maze

xsxxx
x---x
x--xx
e---x
xx-xx

Code:

bool solveMaze(int startRow, int startCol, char maze [][5]){                 
  if(maze[startRow][startCol]=='e'){
    return true;
  }//end if 
  
  if(startRow>4 || startCol>4 || startRow<0 || startCol<0){
    return false;
  }//end if
    
  if(maze[startRow][startCol]=='x'){
    return false;
  }//end if   
  
  if(solveMaze(startRow+1, startCol, maze)){                         
      return true;      
  }//end if 
  
  if(solveMaze(startRow, startCol+1, maze)){
    return true;
  }//end
  
  if(solveMaze(startRow-1, startCol, maze)){                       
      return true;      
  }//end if   
  
  if(solveMaze(startRow, startCol-1, maze)){ 
    return true;
  }//end if
  
  return false;  
}//end solveMaze

You need to store in the maze some kind of 'visited' flag, otherwise you just keep going over the same ground.

Here is the solution using a some kind of visited flag so that you donnot enter those cells that makes you unable to move again. If it is not clear, i will make an array of flags, each cell will hold a value ( 0 >> 4 ), if the value of cell (r, c) equ 4 that means, there is no possible way from this cell except the one that leads you to that cell. so that we donnot want to visite this cell ( with the value 4 ) again.

i considered the start position will be 0,1 and, the maze size will be 5 x 5

- In your case you considered the maze always has a solution, if it doesn't have a solution, the program will run into stack overflow !!-

btw, it is 2 AM here :sleepy: so donnot flame me if that doesn't work !!!!!!!

Code:

#include <fstream>

using namespace std;

char maze  [6][6] = {{0}};
char bmaze [6][6] = {{0}};

ifstream fin  ("maze.in");
ofstream fout ("maze.out");

int solution_count = 1;

bool solved;
short e_row, e_col;

void GO(int r, int c)
{
	if ( solved )

		return;

	else if ( r == 5 || c == 5 || r < 0 || c < 0 )

		return;

	else if ( maze[r][c] == 'x' || bmaze[r][c] == 4 )

		return;

	else if ( maze[r][c] == 'e' ){
		
		solved = true;
		e_row = r;
		e_col = c; 

		solution_count ++;
		return;
	}

	GO(r+1, c);
		bmaze[r][c] ++;

	GO(r, c+1);
		bmaze[r][c] ++;

	GO(r, c-1);
		bmaze[r][c] ++;

	GO(r-1, c);	
		bmaze[r][c] ++;
}


int main()
{
	int size = 5;
	
	int i;
	for(i=0 ;i <5;i++)
		fin.getline(maze[i], 80);

	GO(0, 1);

	fout << solved << endl;
	fout << e_row << "," << e_col << endl;
	fout << solution_count << endl;
	
	return 0;
}

We try to get people to think for themselves a bit, not post complete alternative answers right away.

There is a much easier way.
Stacks, stacks, stacks.
You need two operations: push value, pop value.

Also a maze solver is not much different than a maze creation program.