Thread: Rather Simple Question

I'm new here and it seems like this is exactly the place I need for help. I have this assignment having to do with the infamous "hollow rectangle". I've searched this forum and read my text book and the part I'm having trouble with is too specific to be mentioned anywhere.

My problem is not getting the hollow part, what I need to do is be able for the user to enter the "thickness" of the border. I just can't wrap my head around how to do it. I know it needs to be within the for-loops I have (at least I'm pretty sure it does) .

Here's what I wrote so far:

Code:

#include <stdio.h>

int main(void)
{
    int i, j, height, width, border;
    
    printf("Enter the width: ");
    scanf("%d",&width);
    
    printf("Enter the height: ");
    scanf("%d", &height);

    printf("Enter border thickness: ");
    scanf("%d", &border);

	for(i = 0; i < width; i++)    
	    printf("*");

	printf("\n");

	for(i = 0; i < (height-2); i++)
	{    
            printf("*");
		
		for(j = 0; j < (width-2); j++)
                     printf(" ");
        
             printf("*");

	     printf("\n");
	}
	
	for(i = 0; i < width; i++)
	     printf("*");
	
	printf("\n");
	
	system("PAUSE");
	return 0;
}

So to be clear, what I have now gives me a border size of 1, and whatever the user specifies as the width and height. I need to be able to choose the border thickness, for example if I chose a thickness of 2, a width of 6, and a height of 6, it would look like this:

******
******
**00**
**00** (zeros = blank space)
******
******

I don't expect someone to write it out of course because I would much rather learn, but any help at all would greatly be appreciated

Thanks!

Originally Posted by quzah

Code:

ask width
ask height
ask thickness

for each row of height
    for each column
        if row counter is less than thickness, this is a 'row wall'
        if column counter is less than thickness, this is a 'column wall <----------------
        if row counter is not less than height - thickness, this is a 'row wall'           
        if column counter is not less than thickness, this is a 'column wall' <-----------
        if none of the above, it's a 'hollow'

The logic works something like that.

Thank you for responding I have a few questions though.

Wouldn't the two lines with column walls be pointless?

"If it's less, it's a column wall.
If it isn't less, it's a column wall."

And by row/column counters, do you mean my variables i and j?

You need to either add more if statements inside your current for loops, or break it up, and include more nested loops, inside the major for loop.

Another way to break it down into parts:

1 for loop for the top border rows
1 for loop for the central area, with if statements to handle:

a) the leftmost border
b) either the center section or the rightmost border (the other will be handled by default in your loop, perhaps.

1 loop for the bottom border rows

Instead of just "banging it out" on the keyboard, do it by hand and as you do it, ask yourself "what am I doing, step by step?".

Record that on a separate paper, and that's the start of your pseudo code to code the program.

Thanks for all the help. I was thinking you meant to put width, but I just started c programming and wanted to make sure.

Thanks again

Thank you everyone, this helped me out quite a bit as well, I was able to write the program and understand exactly what I did.

I have been racking my head on this same exact problem. I can make the box but have no idea how to create the thickness border, I even read through the posted logic and now I'm even more confused.

Anyone please help?