Homework Assignment 7

Using Swing : Implementing Mastermind

(a Graphical version of Bulls and Cows)

Due: Friday, November 16th, at 8 AM and 9 AM

Note: We will be conducting in person grading for this assignment upon your return from Thanksgiving

Introduction

This week, our goals are for you to

• explore Swing in more detail
• consider this whole idea of substitutability and how it makes more flexible programs in the long run

You will notice that the requirements/specifics are fairly minimal.  This is to give you a bit more freedom to explore Swing and to make some design decisions of your own. As always, feel free to ask questions early and often!

You may work by yourself or with a partner on this assignment. If you choose to work with a partner, then both of you must notify me via e-mail by no later than Wednesday, November 7th.  I will not make any exceptions on this issue.

Task

Implement a version of Mastermind.

For this assignment you will build a graphical version of Bulls and Cows - most of you know this as Mastermind.  As in our previous versions of Bulls and Cows, your program allows the user to play against the computer. 

As in your prior versions, the code-maker (in our version, the computer) selects a sequence of colors (represented in the physical game by pegs).  The code-breaker (in our version, the human user) attempts to break the code.  The code-breaker submits a sequence of colors, and the code-maker responds by telling the code-breaker how many of the values in the sequence are the right color in the right position, and how many are the right color but in the wrong position.  The code-breaker has some limited number of "guesses" to break the code by using the feedback provided by the code-maker.

In playing this game there are several "variables."  In the original version of this game these were set to:

• six colors to choose from in building the sequence
• four colors in the code, duplicate colors allowed.
• ten attempts to break the code. 

Your program should allow these variables to be provided when creating an instance of the game.  Your program should also provide as a minimum the following features:

• a display of the choices available to the code-breaker in constructing the guesses
• some input mechanism for specifying a guess
• a display of the guess from the code-breaker
• a display of the response from the code-maker
• a display containing all past guesses/responses
• a way to start a new game and quit the program
• the use of one Swing element we haven't explored yet (eg. JTextField, JTextArea, JCheckbox, JRadioButton, JMenu, etc.  Basically ANYTHING other than JButton or JScrollBar.  Look at http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/uiswing/components/button.html for some ideas).

Make sure that your program provides this basic functionality.

You may design and implement your game in any object-oriented fashion. However, you should keep in mind that other variations of the game are possible and, whenever possible, you should design your program so that changes to the game would require few and localized changes.  For example, while you are not required to implement the code for this, keep in mind what it would require to modify your game so that

• the roles of code-maker and code-breaker could be changed
  • the code-maker is the human and the code-breaker is the computer
  • the human and the computer alternate roles
  • the code-maker and the code-breaker are both humans 
• the "palette" of choices for the code could be changed.  While our version will consist of sequences of colors, we could just as easily use characters, shapes, or graphics (imagine a version that uses the faces of your classmates instead of colors).  In essence, anything that can display itself is a possibility for the code.

Again, you are not required to implement a program that provides these features, but you should should design your program with future extensions in mind.

Please do not feel constrained to reproduce the physical version of this game.  You may implement any interface, colors, shapes, etc that you feel like using as long as they cover the requirements that I have previously provided.

Of course, you may go beyond the bare minimum of the assignment and choose to implement some of these features. If you do, I'll give you extra credit for your extra effort!

Deliverables

By the due date and time, submit the files:

• MastermindApp.java, the driver program.  This should create a single instance of Mastermind, passing whatever arguments the game needs to initialize itself and actually start the game.
• Mastermind.java, the game itself.
• any other files you create, in the order listed on your cover sheet

HOWEVER, you should zip them all together in a single file named PA07.zip.

• a cover report.  This should document your design and describe each of the classes in your solution in some meaningful manner.  This report should also describe how to use the program both from a player's point of view and from a programmer's point of view (someone who might want to modify the game).
• if you work with a partner, you should also include a "responsibilities log."  This should indicate who was responsible for the coding in each class.  This same data should also be contained in the header comment block of each file.

In addition to this, you should bring a printout of your code with you to your in person grading session.