You people have helped me alot...But I got another question for you...

Okay. Thanks to my other thread I have started to use cases alot more than before. But I have yet another question. I am making a text adventure game. And use cases for the commands. But whenever the player enters an invalid command it just closes the program. So my question is. How can I make it so if a player does not use a valid entry it just returns them to the top of the case list or something simaliar? Sorry if this is confusing...But I think you get the idea;). I tried else case but it wouldn't work...maybe I just didn't use it right or something. Any help here?

Code:

---

switch(Whatever)
{
  case WALK:
      *Do something*
      break;

  case LOOK:
      *Do something else*
      break;

  default:
      *Do stuff if no commands match*
      break;
}

---

Thanks for the help. My game was at a standstill...

Sorry for all these questions but how do I make it so if they don't enter a valid entry it just starts the case thing over again? Should I just use the case inside the default case? Sorry if that didn't make much sense...I don't explain things very well.

You could try something like -

Code:

---

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <map>

using namespace std;

int main()
{
        enum {INVALID, FIGHT, RUN};
       
        map <string, int> cmds;
        cmds["fight"] = FIGHT;
        cmds["run"] = RUN;
        string curcmd;

        cout << "Enter Command: ";
        cin >> curcmd;

        while(cmds[curcmd]==INVALID)
        {
                cout << "Please enter valid command: ";
                cin >> curcmd;
        }

        switch(cmds[curcmd])
        {
        case FIGHT:
                cout << "You died!!\n";break;
        case RUN:
                cout << "You lived to see another day\n";break;
        default:
                cout << "Don't know how this got through\n";
        }
   
       

        return 0;
}

---

Build a map of valid commands and then ensure you have valid input before actioning the command.

Code:

---

bool ExitSwitch;
do
{
    ExitSwitch = true;
    switch(Whatever)
    {
      case WALK:
          *Do something*
          break;
      case LOOK:
          *Do something else*
          break;
      default:
          *Do stuff if no commands match*
          ExitSwitch = false;
          break;
    }
} while(!ExitSwitch)

---

skyruler54,

Combining the code Enmeduranki supplied with XSquared's idea (along with a trivial enhancement of my own):

Code:

---

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <map>
#include <conio.h>  // for clrscr(); and getch();

using namespace std;

int main()
{
        enum {INVALID, FIGHT, RUN};

        map <string, int> cmds;
        cmds["fight"] = FIGHT;
        cmds["run"] = RUN;
        string curcmd;

        do {
        clrscr();
        cout << "Enter Command: ";
        cin >> curcmd;
        }while(cmds[curcmd]==INVALID);


        switch(cmds[curcmd])
        {
        case FIGHT: cout << "You died!!\n"; break;
        case RUN:  cout << "You lived to see another day\n"; break;
        default:    cout << "Don't know how this got through\n"; break;  // note inclusion of break;
        }


        getch();  // pause program
        return 0;
}

---

Nothing but a valid command will get through the DO...WHILE statement and, anything else input will simply clear the screen back to the prompt again.

Enmeduranki supplies an error message which is not a bad idea from a 'user-friendly' standpoint, but I opted to exclude this feature to avoid cluttering the screen with text while the player learns to type. :D

XSquared's idea is very good (which is why I included the methodology in my example :)) but doesn't show that the default case element must re-prompt the player or else the execution will result in an infinite loop. (Very minor issue, but, once again, you could end up with a fair amount of useless text on the screen.)

It's possible - probable ? - that someone will suggest (correctly) that DO...WHILE statements aren't the best idea. True enough, but in this case, that rule-of-thumb can be discounted since the player must be prompted, at least, once here.

P.S. The 'default' case element in the switch statement (with the break; included) isn't really necessary, but is still good practice. :)

-Skipper