Thread: Improving Code Interface

Hi,
I was wondering if someone would be willing to help me improve my code's interface its for a wheel of fortune/hangman type game. I won't post the whole code right now, but I just was wondering if there was anyone out there who would be interested. Thanks.

Maybe if we could see the code we could help you. Are you trying to make it work better or are you trying to make it look better?

Yes, we are very critical.

Would it be okay if I posted the code? Because a while back I posted a whole code and I kind of got scolded for it....

Originally Posted by helloamuro

Hi,
I was wondering if someone would be willing to help me improve my code's interface its for a wheel of fortune/hangman type game. I won't post the whole code right now, but I just was wondering if there was anyone out there who would be interested. Thanks.

That means you wanted to improve on GUI part (if there is any GUI), well, post a screen shot!

Sorry, I should clarify myself more. By interface I meant how the program looks when it runs. Below I have posted two functions (whose meanings are obvious from their titles). I think that to center everything correctly field widths need to be used. Please forgive me if this is a simple question; I'm currently a beginning C student and I only know the simple basics.

Code:

void print_puzzle (int size, char puzzle[], char clue[])
{
	int i;
	printf("===============================\n");
	printf("Puzzle\n");
	printf("%s\n", clue); /*prints clue*/
	printf("===============================\n\n"); 
	for (i = 0; i < size; ++i){
		printf("%c",puzzle[i]); /*prints word hidden*/
		}
	printf("\n\n===============================\n\n");
}

void print_score(int players, int score[])
{
	int p;
	printf("\n");
	for (p = 0; p < players; ++p){
		printf("Player %d ", p+1); /*prints player numbers*/
		}
	
	printf("\n");
	
	for (p = 0; p < players; ++p){
		printf("======== ");
		}
	
	printf("\n");
 
	for (p = 0; p < players; ++p){
		printf(" %d ", abs(score[p])); /*prints each players score*/
		}
	
	printf("\n\n");
}

Do you have any idea what it should look like?

Just a warning that dolling up your command line programs may not be worth it. Look at your keyboard right now. That's all the keys you can type portably without needing wider streams or multibyte characters. If you start printing obscure characters to draw boxes or something, then your code becomes more non-portable. That's not a good thing if you're in uni.

Here is a screenshot. Sorry about the eraser, there was some personal info down there. I need the program to somehow print in the middle of a 40 row by 80 column screen. Any help is appreciated. Others are displayed, but I don't feel comfortable posting them all unless someone is willing to help me via email. Thanks again.
Here are the main functions displayed:

Code:

void print_puzzle (int size, char puzzle[], char clue[], int round)
{
	int i;
	printf("                                      ===============================\n");
	printf("                                                  Round %d\n", round+1);
	printf("                                      ===============================\n\n"); 
	printf("Clue: %s\n\n", clue); /*prints clue*/
	for (i = 0; i < size; ++i){
		printf("%2c",puzzle[i]); /*prints word hidden*/
	}
	printf("\n\n");

}

void print_score(int players, int score[])
{
	int p;
	printf("\n");
	for (p = 0; p < players; ++p){
		printf("      Player %d ", p+1); /*prints player numbers*/
		}
	
	printf("\n");
	
	for (p = 0; p < players; ++p){
		printf("      ======== ");
		}
	
	printf("\n");
 
	for (p = 0; p < players; ++p){
		printf("        $%d     ", abs(score[p])); /*prints each players score*/
		}
	
	printf("\n\n");
}




int player_turn(int player_num, int player, int score[], char phrase[], char puzzle[], char clue[], int size, int round){
	
	int solved = 0; /*solve is initialized to zero to indicate puzzle has not been solved*/
	char player_continues = 1;
	char options[10]; /*string to hold choice*/

	while (player_continues == 1){
		char choice = ' '; /*choice initialized to nothing*/
		print_score(player_num, score);
		print_puzzle(size, puzzle, clue, round);
		printf("Player %d, what do you want to do?\n\n", player+1);
		while (choice != 'S' && choice != 'O' && choice != 'B') {
			printf("(S)pin, S(o)lve or (B)uy a vowel -> ");
			if(fgets(options,10,stdin))
				{
					sscanf(options, "%c", &choice); /*player types in choice and it is stored in options*/
				}

			choice = to_upper(choice); /*converts choice to uppercase to prevent case sensitivity*/
			printf("\n");
			}
		if (choice == 'S'){ /*if player chooses spin*/
			player_continues = spin(player, score, phrase, puzzle, size);
			}
		else if (choice == 'O'){ /*if player chooses solve*/
			solved = solve(player, score, phrase, size, clue, round);
			player_continues = 0;
			}
		else /* buy a vowel */{
			player_continues = buy_vowel(player, score, phrase, puzzle, size);
			}
		}
	return solved;
}

I should also mention that I would like to know how to clear the screen once a player has chosen a letter and that letter is revealed. Thanks