Power 4 Game Project Documentation

Introduction

This document provides an overview of the implementation of the Power 4 game in Java using Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) principles. The project consists of four main Java classes, each serving a specific role in the game.

Compilation and Execution

To compile the project, use the following command:

javac -d build src/*.java

To execute the compiled program, use:

java -cp build src.Prog_princ

Classes

Cellule

The Cellule class represents a cell in the game grid. It has attributes for color and neighbors. Enumerations are used for colors and neighbor types. Methods are implemented to set and retrieve the color of a cell and to check for a winning alignment of four colors.

Matrice

The Matrice class represents the game grid as a 2D array of Cellule objects. It manages the game board and keeps track of available spaces in each column. The class provides methods for initializing the grid, checking if a column is full, decrementing available spaces, and printing the grid.

Prog_princ

The Prog_princ class serves as the main program entry point. It manages the game flow, including player turns, input validation, displaying the game grid, and checking for a win or draw condition. The class interacts with the Matrice class to access and manipulate the game grid.

File_game

The File_game class handles file operations for saving and loading game progress. It allows players to save the game state to a file or load a previously saved game. The class reads and writes game data to a text file, including player names, colors, and the current game board configuration.

Usage

1. Run the program.
2. Choose whether to start a new game or continue a saved game.
3. Provide player names and select token colors (blue or red).
4. Follow the prompts to take turns placing tokens on the game grid.
5. Save the game progress by entering 999 during gameplay.
6. Continue playing until a player wins or the game ends in a draw.

Recursion and Optimization

The game implementation utilizes recursion for optimized win-checking algorithms instead of using nested loops. Recursion is employed to traverse the game grid in all possible directions from the last placed token, reducing the need for multiple nested loops and improving performance.

Conclusion

This Power 4 game implementation demonstrates the use of OOP principles in Java programming. By dividing the functionality into separate classes, the codebase remains modular and easy to maintain. Players can enjoy an interactive gaming experience with features for saving and resuming games.