I have a question regarding nested arrays of objects.
I’m writing a simple objective c program (I’m a beginner) and I was wondering whether it is advisable to structure an array in such a way that not only are all the individual batting scores be logged (data), but also methods embedded in the nested arrays could be used to interrogate the this data.
For example the line below is easily readable (even for those who are not cricket fans!)
Team1.Over[2].BowlNumber[3].score = 6
Team 1 scored a 6 during the 3rd bowl in the 2nd Over.
I would also like to do something like the following where I can use a method to interrogate the data. The method line below would just cycle through the scores within BowNumber[] and total the scores up
Total = Over[2].TotalForAmountForOver()
I could set up and manage all the arrays from within main() , but its much easier to read if I can embed as much as possible within the structure.
Is this a common approach?
Haven't seen many examples of fairly complicated embedded arrays of data and methods….
You'd easily be able to achieve this by making Over cant Bowl classes that each wrap an NSMutableArray object. e.g.
- (void)getOverNumer:(int)index {
return [overs objectAtIndex:index];
}
You'd then access it like this:
[[team1 getOverNumber:2] getBowlNumber:2].score = 6;
int total = [[team1 getOverNumber:2] totalForAmountForOver];
You'd implement totalForAmountForOver as a method within your Over class.
Related
The goal of this post is to find a more efficient way to create this method. Right now, as I start adding more and more values, I'm going to have a very messy and confusing app. Any help is appreciated!
I am making a workout app and assign an integer value to each workout. For example:
Where the number is exersiceInt:
01 is High Knees
02 is Jumping Jacks
03 is Jog in Place
etc.
I am making it so there is a feature to randomize the workout. To do this I am using this code:
-(IBAction) setWorkoutIntervals {
exerciseInt01 = 1 + (rand() %3);
exerciseInt02 = 1 + (rand() %3);
exerciseInt03 = 1 + (rand() %3);
}
So basically the workout intervals will first be a random workout (between high knees, jumping jacks, and jog in place). What I want to do is make a universal that defines the following so I don't have to continuously hard code everything.
Right now I have:
-(void) setLabelText {
if (exerciseInt01 == 1) {
exercise01Label.text = [NSString stringWithFormat:#"High Knees"];
}
if (exerciseInt01 == 2) {
exercise01Label.text = [NSString stringWithFormat:#"Jumping Jacks"];
}
if (exerciseInt01 == 3) {
exercise01Label.text = [NSString stringWithFormat:#"Jog in Place"];
}
}
I can already tell this about to get really messy once I start specifying images for each workout and start adding workouts. Additionally, my plan was to put the same code for exercise02Label, exercise03Label, etc. which would become extremely redundant and probably unnecessary.
What I'm thinking would be perfect if there would be someway to say
exercise01Label.text = exercise01Int; (I want to to say that the Label's text equals Jumping Jacks based on the current integer value)
How can I make it so I only have to state everything once and make the code less messy and less lengthy?
Three things for you to explore to make your code easier:
1. Count from zero
A number of things can be easier if you count from zero. A simple example is if your first exercise was numbered 0 then your random calculation would just be rand() % 3 (BTW look up uniform random number, there are much better ways to get a random number).
2. Learn about enumerations
An enumeration is a type with a set of named literal values. In (Objective-)C you can also think of them as just a collection of named integer values. For example you might declare:
typedef enum
{
HighKnees,
JumpingJacks,
JogInPlace,
ExerciseKindCount
} ExerciseCount;
Which declares ExerciseCount as a new type with 4 values. Each of these is equivalent to an integer, here HighKnees is equivalent to 0 and ExerciseKindCount to 3 - this should make you think of the first thing, count from zero...
3. Discover arrays
An array is an ordered collection of items where each item has an index - which is usually an integer or enumeration value. In (Objective-)C there are two basic kinds of arrays: C-style and object-style represented by NSArray and NSMutableArray. For example here is a simple C-style array:
NSString *gExerciseLabels[ExerciseKindCount] =
{ #"High Knees",
#"Jumping Jacks",
#"Jog in Place"
}
You've probably guessed by now, the first item of the above array has index 0, back to counting from zero...
Exploring these three things should quickly show you ways to simplify your code. Later you may wish to explore structures and objects.
HTH
A simple way to start is by putting the exercise names in an array. Then you can access the names by index. eg - exerciseNames[exerciseNumber]. You can also make the list of exercises in an array (of integers). So you would get; exerciseNames[exerciseTable[i]]; for example. Eventually you will want an object to define an exercise so that you can include images, videos, counts, durations etc.
We have a huge code base, where methods with too many local variables alone returns 226 methods. I don't want this huge table being dumped into the xml output to clutter it up, and I'd like the top 10 if possible, but what I really want is the count so we can do trending and executive summaries. Is there a clean/efficient/scalable non-hacky way to do this?
I imagine I could use an executable task, instead of the ndepend task (so that the merge is not automatic) and the clutter doesn't get merged. Then manually operate on those files to get a summary, but I'd like to know if there is a shorter path?
What about defining a base line to only take account of new flaws?
what I really want is the count so we can do trending and executive summaries
Trending can be easily achieved with code queries and rules over LINQ (CQLinq) like: Avoid making complex methods even more complex (Source CC)
// <Name>Avoid making complex methods even more complex (Source CC)</Name>
// To visualize changes in code, right-click a matched method and select:
// - Compare older and newer versions of source file
// - Compare older and newer versions disassembled with Reflector
warnif count > 0
from m in JustMyCode.Methods where
!m.IsAbstract &&
m.IsPresentInBothBuilds() &&
m.CodeWasChanged()
let oldCC = m.OlderVersion().CyclomaticComplexity
where oldCC > 6 && m.CyclomaticComplexity > oldCC
select new { m,
oldCC ,
newCC = m.CyclomaticComplexity ,
oldLoc = m.OlderVersion().NbLinesOfCode,
newLoc = m.NbLinesOfCode,
}
or Avoid transforming an immutable type into a mutable one.
I'm creating a simple app which has a list of characters and a list of (4) players, the players is simply a reference to a playable character.
I'm stuck on how to do the following:
Make a reference to the current player on turn
Find out who the next player on turn is
Handling the last player so that it will return to the first player on turn.
Ideally, I would like to be able to do AFTER, FIRST, LAST BEFORE commands on a NSMutableArray, of these I'm able to do lastObject, but there is no firstObject, afterObject, etc.
I believe you can fake BEFORE,AFTER,FIRST commands with objectAtIndex; but ideally I do not want to rely on numeric references because it could be incorrect -- also if its mutable, the size will always change.
Typically, I would be able to do the following in Pseudocode.
Global player_on_turn.player = Null //player_on_turn is a pointer to the player object
; Handle next player on turn
If (player_on_turn.player = Null) Then Error("No player on turn assigned")
If (sizeOf[playerList]==0) Then Error("There are no players in the game")
If After player_on_turn = null Then
; We reset it
player_on_turn.player = First player
Else
; Move to the next player on turn
player_on_turn.player = After player_on_turn.player
End If
With this in mind, what is the best strategy to help handle a player on turn concept as described in the 1-2-3 example above.
Thanks
It probably doesn’t matter what data structure you’re using - at some level you will have to rely on a numerical index (except if you are using linked lists). And this is alright. If you don’t want to use it in your main game implementation that is alright, too. Just create a class that encapsulates those things. First think of the operations you need it to support. My guess here would be those:
- (PlayerObject *) currentPlayer;
- (void) startNextTurn;
If you have this you can write your game using those primitives and worry about how to best implement that later. You can change those at any time without breaking your actual game.
My recommendation would be something like this:
- (PlayerObject *) currentPlayer; {
return [players objectAtIndex: currentPlayerIndex];
}
- (void) startNextTurn; {
++currentPlayerIndex;
if (currentPlayerIndex >= [players count]) {
currentPlayerIndex = 0;
}
}
Using the index there is OK, even if the array is mutable. If you have methods that change the player array they also can take care of the necessary changes to the currentPlayerIndex.
Having this object makes it easy to write unit tests. The global variable you suggest in your pseudo-code makes it impossible to write meaningful unit tests.
Use a State Pattern for the main runloop of the software. Draw it out as a diagram and create variables to control which state the system is in.
You should use a circular list of the players to return current, next, and previous players.
This is also a great question for GameDev on the Stack Exchange.
PS
CocoaHeads puts out a relatively nice set of data objects, including a circular buffer.
I'm wrangling with issues regarding how character equipment and attributes are stored within my game.
My characters and equippable items have 22 different total attributes (HP, MP, ATP, DFP). A character has their base-statistics and can equip up to four items at one time.
For example:
BASE ATP: 55
WEAPON ATP: 45
ARMOR1 ATP: -10
ARMOR2 ATP: -5
ARMOR3 ATP: 3
Final character ATP in this case would be 88.
I'm looking for a way to implement this in my code. Well, I already have this implemented but it isn't elegant. Right now, I have ClassA that stores these attributes in an array. Then, I have ClassB that takes five ClassA and will add up the values and return the final attribute.
However, I need to emphasize that this isn't an elegant solution.
There has to be some better way to access and manipulate these attributes, including data structures that I haven't thought of using. Any suggestions?
EDIT: I should note that there are some restrictions on these attributes that I need to be put in place. E.g., these are the baselines.
For instance, the character's own HP and MP cannot be more than the baseline and cannot be less than 0, whereas the ATP and MST can be. I also currently cannot enforce these constraints without hacking what I currently have :(
Make an enum called CharacterAttributes to hold each of STR, DEX, etc.
Make an Equipment class to represent any equippable item. This class will have a Dictionary which is a list of any stats modified by this equipment. For a sword that gives +10 damage, use Dictionary[CharacterAttributes.Damage] = 10. Magic items might influence more than one stat, so just add as many entries as you like.
The equipment class might also have an enum representing which inventory it slots to (Boots, Weapon, Helm).
Your Character class will have a List to represent current gear. It will also have a dictionary of CharacterAttributes just like the equipment class, which represents the character's base stats.
To calculate final stats, make a method in your Character class something like this:
int GetFinalAttribute(CharacterAttributes attribute)
{
int x = baseStats[attribute];
foreach (Equipment e in equipment)
{
if (e.StatModifiers[attribute] != null)
{
x += e.StatModifiers[attribute];
}
}
// do bounds checking here, e.g. ensure non-negative numbers, max and min
return x;
}
I know this is C# and your post was tagged VB.NET, but it should be easy to understand the method. I haven't tested this code so apologies if there's a syntax error or something.
I am writing a game, which need a map, and I want to store the map. The first thing I can think of, is using a 2D-array. But the problem is what data should I store in the 2D-array. The player can tap different place to have different reaction. So, I am thinking store a 2D-array with objects, when player click some position, and I find it in the array, and use the object in that array to execute a cmd. But I have a concern that storing lots of object may use lots of memory. So, I am think storing char/int only. But it seems that not enough for me. I want to store the data like that:
{
Type:1
Color:Green
}
No matter what color is, if they are all type 1, the have same reactions in logic, but the visual effect is based on the color. So, it is not easy to store using a prue char/int data, unless I make something like this:
1-5 --> all type 1. 1=color green ,
2=color red, 3 = color yellow.... ...
6-10 --> all type 2. 2 = color green,
2 = color red ... ...
So, do you have any ideas on how to minimize the ram use, but also easy for me to read... ...thx
Go ahead and store a bunch of objects in the array, but with these two refinements:
Store a pointer to the object, not the object itself. (Objective C may handle this for you automatically; I don't know.)
Remember that a pointer to a single object can appear in more than one position in the array. All squares that share the same color and behavior can share an object.
It would also help if you did the math on the size of the array and the number of distinct squares so we can know exactly how much RAM you are talking about.