Mine Detector Game

Mine Detector Game

[Jeffrey Carter]

PragmAda Software Engineering has released a game called Mine Detector.
Written entirely in Ada, it is released under the GNU Public License.
Win32 and Linux/x86 executables are available. Full source code is also
available, of course.

http://home.earthlink.net/~jrcarter010/mindet.html

Enjoy.

-- 
Jeffrey R. Carter
PragmAda Software Engineering

Re: Mine Detector Game

[Michal Nowak]

>Enjoy.

Thanks, I enjoyed it (maybe too long as for the first time :-)).
Especially, when I read, that it never requires guessing, 
I started to play with engagement (some years ago when I was
in high school, there was many losses because the player had to
guess). But finally I came to this situation:
    _____________________
... | 2 | M |<3>| 1 | 0 |
    ---------------------
... | 3 | M |<6>| 3 | 1 |
    ---------------------
... | 3 | M | M | M | 1 |
    ---------------------
... | 2 | M | 4 | 3 | 2 |
    ---------------------
.....               | M |


... - not important 
_____
| M | - cell with marked mine
-----
_____
| 2 | - opened cell
-----
_____
|<3>| - covered cell
-----

Maybe it is too late and I am missing something, but it looks like, 
I have to guess. Does this non-guessing feature means that I do not
have to guess on the beginning of the game (that there should always
be covered cell with <0> on the edge)? Right now the only idea of 
alghoritm eliminating totally guessing has too high computational
complexity, but maybe it is possible to use some heurestics.

I found that, Auto Mark function sometimes marks incorrect fields.
I'm too sleepy now to analize when, I know only tha it happens.

Anyway, thanks for providing some nice relax.

Mike
-----------------------------------------
                             ____|
                             \%/ |~~\
  O                                  |
 o>>        Mike Nowak               |
 T                                   |
/ >       vinnie@inetia.pl           |
http://www.geocities.com/vinnie14pl _|__

Re: Mine Detector Game

[Al Christians]

Michal Nowak wrote:
> I found that, Auto Mark function sometimes marks incorrect fields.
> I'm too sleepy now to analize when, I know only tha it happens.
> 

Looks like it automatically stepped on a mine and gave me a 'game over'.


Al

Re: Mine Detector Game

[Larry Kilgallen]

Typically I have no use for computer games.

But that could change for one written in Ada.

Is there a pointer to this on http://www.adapower.com/ ?

Re: Mine Detector Game

[David Botton]

There is a link on AdaPower to it on the Link page. I think I will need to
add a new section for full Ada applications.

David Botton


"Larry Kilgallen" <Kilgallen@SpamCop.net> wrote in message
news:D56U7eP9ReZl@eisner.encompasserve.org...
> Typically I have no use for computer games.
>
> But that could change for one written in Ada.
>
> Is there a pointer to this on http://www.adapower.com/ ?

Re: Mine Detector Game

[Larry Kilgallen]

In article <tuduhced5p99f9@corp.supernews.com>, "David Botton" <David@Botton.com> writes:
> There is a link on AdaPower to it on the Link page. I think I will need to
> add a new section for full Ada applications.

Dividing it by problem domains would be good.

I mean as broad as "games" rather than narrow like "military games".

Re: Mine Detector Game

[Jeffrey Carter]

Larry Kilgallen wrote:
> 
> Typically I have no use for computer games.
> 
> But that could change for one written in Ada.
> 
> Is there a pointer to this on http://www.adapower.com/ ?

It appears there is now.

-- 
Jeff Carter
"My brain hurts!"
Monty Python's Flying Circus

Re: Mine Detector Game

[Jeffrey Carter]

Al Christians wrote:
> 
> Looks like it automatically stepped on a mine and gave me a 'game over'.

That can happen, for example if you mark a cell that doesn't contain a
mine.

-- 
Jeff Carter
"My brain hurts!"
Monty Python's Flying Circus

Re: Mine Detector Game

[Jeffrey Carter]

Michal Nowak wrote:
> 
> Thanks, I enjoyed it (maybe too long as for the first time :-)).
> Especially, when I read, that it never requires guessing,
> I started to play with engagement (some years ago when I was
> in high school, there was many losses because the player had to
> guess). But finally I came to this situation:
>     _____________________
> ... | 2 | M |<3>| 1 | 0 |
>     ---------------------
> ... | 3 | M |<6>| 3 | 1 |
>     ---------------------
> ... | 3 | M | M | M | 1 | <--- ***
>     ---------------------
> ... | 2 | M | 4 | 3 | 2 |
>     ---------------------
> .....               | M |
> 
> ... - not important
> _____
> | M | - cell with marked mine
> -----
> _____
> | 2 | - opened cell
> -----
> _____
> |<3>| - covered cell
> -----
> 
> Maybe it is too late and I am missing something, but it looks like,
> I have to guess. Does this non-guessing feature means that I do not
> have to guess on the beginning of the game (that there should always
> be covered cell with <0> on the edge)? Right now the only idea of
> alghoritm eliminating totally guessing has too high computational
> complexity, but maybe it is possible to use some heurestics.

Unmark the rightmost mine in the marked row. If that cell is <2>, the
mine is in <3>, otherwise the mine is in <6>. No guessing required.

> 
> I found that, Auto Mark function sometimes marks incorrect fields.
> I'm too sleepy now to analize when, I know only tha it happens.

We have been playing with this program for several months and not
observed this. Please send a window image of such a situation to
jrcarter@acm.org if you encounter it again.

> 
> Anyway, thanks for providing some nice relax.

You're welcome.

BTW, I don't know why the announcement posted twice, but I apologize for
it anyway.

-- 
Jeffrey R. Carter
PragmAda Software Engineering

Re: Mine Detector Game

[Preben Randhol]

On Sun, 04 Nov 2001 22:24:13 GMT, Jeffrey Carter wrote:
> PragmAda Software Engineering has released a game called Mine Detector.
> Written entirely in Ada, it is released under the GNU Public License.
> Win32 and Linux/x86 executables are available. Full source code is also
> available, of course.

when I try to compile it I get:

gnatmake mine_detector.adb `gtkada-config`
gnatgcc -c -I/usr/include/gtkada -I/usr/lib/gtkada user_if.adb
field-operations.ads:22:57: too few discriminants given in constraint
gnatmake: "user_if.adb" compilation error

System: Linux 2.2.x, GNAT 3.13p

Preben Randhol
-- 
"Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent", Isaac Asimov

Problems with Mine Detector Game

[Jeffrey Carter]

Preben Randhol wrote:
> 
> when I try to compile it I get:
> 
> gnatmake mine_detector.adb `gtkada-config`
> gnatgcc -c -I/usr/include/gtkada -I/usr/lib/gtkada user_if.adb
> field-operations.ads:22:57: too few discriminants given in constraint
> gnatmake: "user_if.adb" compilation error
> 
> System: Linux 2.2.x, GNAT 3.13p

In an impressive failure of regression testing, the distributed source
for Mine Detector did not use the most recent version of some of the
PragmARCs, resulting in this error. A new source distribution is now in
place at

http://home.earthlink.net/~jrcarter010/mindet.html

(or through the link at www.adapower.com) that should correct this. Were
you able to run the Linux executable release?

Some users running the Win32 executable report the window disappearing
as soon as it occurs. One possible reason for this is that the
executable was built using GtkAda 1.3.10, and the users have GtkAda
1.3.12 installed on their systems. This can be alleviated by insuring
that the executable loads the DLLs that come with the executable, or by
building from source.

-- 
Jeff Carter
"My brain hurts!"
Monty Python's Flying Circus

Re: Problems with Mine Detector Game

[Preben Randhol]

On Tue, 06 Nov 2001 02:17:17 GMT, Jeffrey Carter wrote:
> In an impressive failure of regression testing, the distributed source
> for Mine Detector did not use the most recent version of some of the
> PragmARCs, resulting in this error. A new source distribution is now in
> place at
> 
> http://home.earthlink.net/~jrcarter010/mindet.html

The new source works very nicely!

gnatmake mine_detector `gtkada-config`

and 7.3 seconds later I had mine_detector compiled. :-)

> (or through the link at www.adapower.com) that should correct this. Were
> you able to run the Linux executable release?

Yes, but I wanted to compile it too :-)

Preben Randhol

Re: Problems with Mine Detector Game

[Pascal Obry]

Jeffrey Carter <jrcarter@acm.org> writes:

> Some users running the Win32 executable report the window disappearing
> as soon as it occurs. One possible reason for this is that the
> executable was built using GtkAda 1.3.10, and the users have GtkAda
> 1.3.12 installed on their systems. This can be alleviated by insuring
> that the executable loads the DLLs that come with the executable, or by
> building from source.

Ok I have GtkAda 1.3.12 installed but I have set the path to contain only the
directory where mine_detector was unpacked and I still have the problem.

I'm running Windows 2000. I'll try to build from source...

Pascal.

-- 

--|------------------------------------------------------
--| Pascal Obry                           Team-Ada Member
--| 45, rue Gabriel Peri - 78114 Magny Les Hameaux FRANCE
--|------------------------------------------------------
--|         http://perso.wanadoo.fr/pascal.obry
--|
--| "The best way to travel is by means of imagination"

Re: Problems with Mine Detector Game

[Pascal Obry]

Jeffrey Carter <jrcarter@acm.org> writes:

> Some users running the Win32 executable report the window disappearing
> as soon as it occurs. One possible reason for this is that the
> executable was built using GtkAda 1.3.10, and the users have GtkAda
> 1.3.12 installed on their systems. This can be alleviated by insuring
> that the executable loads the DLLs that come with the executable, or by
> building from source.

Ok, same problem when building from source but this time I got:

   raised CONSTRAINT_ERROR : field-operations.adb:101

There is something really weird here... either a corrupted memory or a
GNAT bug...

What compiler did you use on Windows to build the binary ?

Pascal.

-- 

--|------------------------------------------------------
--| Pascal Obry                           Team-Ada Member
--| 45, rue Gabriel Peri - 78114 Magny Les Hameaux FRANCE
--|------------------------------------------------------
--|         http://perso.wanadoo.fr/pascal.obry
--|
--| "The best way to travel is by means of imagination"

Re: Problems with Mine Detector Game

[Jeffrey Carter]

Pascal Obry wrote:
> 
> Jeffrey Carter <jrcarter@acm.org> writes:
> 
> > Some users running the Win32 executable report the window disappearing
> > as soon as it occurs. One possible reason for this is that the
> > executable was built using GtkAda 1.3.10, and the users have GtkAda
> > 1.3.12 installed on their systems. This can be alleviated by insuring
> > that the executable loads the DLLs that come with the executable, or by
> > building from source.
> 
> Ok, same problem when building from source but this time I got:
> 
>    raised CONSTRAINT_ERROR : field-operations.adb:101

This is puzzling. There should be no way that line can raise
Constraint_Error.

> 
> There is something really weird here... either a corrupted memory or a
> GNAT bug...
> 
> What compiler did you use on Windows to build the binary ?

The binary was built using GNAT 3.13p and GtkAda 1.3.10 on Win98.

FWIW, we have now built Mine_Detector with GtkAda 1.3.12 on Win98 with
no problems.

-- 
Jeff Carter
"My brain hurts!"
Monty Python's Flying Circus

Re: Problems with Mine Detector Game

[Pascal Obry]

Jeffrey Carter <jrcarter@acm.org> writes:

> >    raised CONSTRAINT_ERROR : field-operations.adb:101
> 
> This is puzzling. There should be no way that line can raise
> Constraint_Error.

I understant that. That's why I said it is weird ! The fact is that if I
output (put_line) the value returned in PragmARC.Universal_Random.Random_Int,
the exception is not raised and the value seems fine. If I print the value
returned by this function on the caller side I get 0. Which is not a positive
hence the exception... So it is either some kind of corrupted memory, a GNAT
bug, or a build problem on my side !

> > There is something really weird here... either a corrupted memory or a
> > GNAT bug...
> > 
> > What compiler did you use on Windows to build the binary ?
> 
> The binary was built using GNAT 3.13p and GtkAda 1.3.10 on Win98.
> 
> FWIW, we have now built Mine_Detector with GtkAda 1.3.12 on Win98 with
> no problems.

I have tested it on Windows 2000 with GNAT 3.14, 3.15 and GtkAda 1.3.12.

Pascal.

-- 

--|------------------------------------------------------
--| Pascal Obry                           Team-Ada Member
--| 45, rue Gabriel Peri - 78114 Magny Les Hameaux FRANCE
--|------------------------------------------------------
--|         http://perso.wanadoo.fr/pascal.obry
--|
--| "The best way to travel is by means of imagination"

Re: Problems with Mine Detector Game

[Preben Randhol]

On 07 Nov 2001 10:04:47 +0100, Pascal Obry wrote:
> 
> Jeffrey Carter <jrcarter@acm.org> writes:
> 
>> >    raised CONSTRAINT_ERROR : field-operations.adb:101
>> 
>> This is puzzling. There should be no way that line can raise
>> Constraint_Error.
> 
> I understant that. That's why I said it is weird ! The fact is that if I
> output (put_line) the value returned in PragmARC.Universal_Random.Random_Int,
> the exception is not raised and the value seems fine. If I print the value
> returned by this function on the caller side I get 0. Which is not a positive
> hence the exception... So it is either some kind of corrupted memory, a GNAT
> bug, or a build problem on my side !

It sounds odd that it is a GNAT bug as it works on Win9X/Linux. Perhaps
you should reinstall.

Preben
-- 
Please, stop bombing civilians in Afghanistan. One cannot write off
killing innocent children and other civilians as "collateral damage".
A civilian is a civilian whether he or she is American or from another
country in the world.           http://web.amnesty.org/11september.htm

Re: Problems with Mine Detector Game

[Pascal Obry]

Preben Randhol <randhol+abuse@pvv.org> writes:

> It sounds odd that it is a GNAT bug as it works on Win9X/Linux. Perhaps
> you should reinstall.

It works on Win9X/Linux but with GNAT 3.13p. Does somebody had success
with GNAT 3.14 ?

Pascal.

-- 

--|------------------------------------------------------
--| Pascal Obry                           Team-Ada Member
--| 45, rue Gabriel Peri - 78114 Magny Les Hameaux FRANCE
--|------------------------------------------------------
--|         http://perso.wanadoo.fr/pascal.obry
--|
--| "The best way to travel is by means of imagination"

Re: Problems with Mine Detector Game

[Preben Randhol]

On 07 Nov 2001 15:01:15 +0100, Pascal Obry wrote:
> 
> Preben Randhol <randhol+abuse@pvv.org> writes:
> 
>> It sounds odd that it is a GNAT bug as it works on Win9X/Linux. Perhaps
>> you should reinstall.
> 
> It works on Win9X/Linux but with GNAT 3.13p. Does somebody had success
> with GNAT 3.14 ?

Ah ok I see. No, but I'll test it when 3.14p comes :-)

Preben
-- 
Please, stop bombing civilians in Afghanistan. One cannot write off
killing innocent children and other civilians as "collateral damage".
A civilian is a civilian whether he or she is American or from another
country in the world.           http://web.amnesty.org/11september.htm

Re: Problems with Mine Detector Game

[Jeffrey Carter]

Pascal Obry wrote:
> 
> Jeffrey Carter <jrcarter@acm.org> writes:
> 
> > This is puzzling. There should be no way that line can raise
> > Constraint_Error.
> 
> I understant that. That's why I said it is weird ! The fact is that if I
> output (put_line) the value returned in PragmARC.Universal_Random.Random_Int,
> the exception is not raised and the value seems fine. If I print the value
> returned by this function on the caller side I get 0. Which is not a positive
> hence the exception... So it is either some kind of corrupted memory, a GNAT
> bug, or a build problem on my side !

This does look like a compiler error. I would not expect memory
corruption to always result in zero.

> > The binary was built using GNAT 3.13p and GtkAda 1.3.10 on Win98.
> >
> > FWIW, we have now built Mine_Detector with GtkAda 1.3.12 on Win98 with
> > no problems.
> 
> I have tested it on Windows 2000 with GNAT 3.14, 3.15 and GtkAda 1.3.12.

Can you run the pre-built executable?

There are 2 variables here, the compiler version and the Windows
version. Would it be possible for you to obtain GNAT 3.13 and try that? 
That could eliminate one of the variables.

-- 
Jeffrey R. Carter
PragmAda Software Engineering

Re: Problems with Mine Detector Game

[Pascal Obry]

Jeffrey Carter <jrcarter@acm.org> writes:

> Can you run the pre-built executable?

No.

> There are 2 variables here, the compiler version and the Windows
> version. Would it be possible for you to obtain GNAT 3.13 and try that? 
> That could eliminate one of the variables.

Ok, I'll try that, I should have 3.13 somewhere...

Pascal.

-- 

--|------------------------------------------------------
--| Pascal Obry                           Team-Ada Member
--| 45, rue Gabriel Peri - 78114 Magny Les Hameaux FRANCE
--|------------------------------------------------------
--|         http://perso.wanadoo.fr/pascal.obry
--|
--| "The best way to travel is by means of imagination"

Re: Problems with Mine Detector Game

[Pascal Obry]

Pascal Obry <p.obry@wanadoo.fr> writes:

> Ok, I'll try that, I should have 3.13 somewhere...

It crashes too on Windows 2000 with GNAT 3.13 and GtkAda 
1.3.12 (same problem) !!

The same executable works fine on Windows NT 4.0!! So it seems to be a Win2K
problem after all...

Pascal.

-- 

--|------------------------------------------------------
--| Pascal Obry                           Team-Ada Member
--| 45, rue Gabriel Peri - 78114 Magny Les Hameaux FRANCE
--|------------------------------------------------------
--|         http://perso.wanadoo.fr/pascal.obry
--|
--| "The best way to travel is by means of imagination"

Re: Problems with Mine Detector Game

[Pascal Obry]

Pascal Obry <p.obry@wanadoo.fr> writes:

> Pascal Obry <p.obry@wanadoo.fr> writes:
> 
> > Ok, I'll try that, I should have 3.13 somewhere...
> 
> It crashes too on Windows 2000 with GNAT 3.13 and GtkAda 
> 1.3.12 (same problem) !!
> 
> The same executable works fine on Windows NT 4.0!! So it seems to be a Win2K
> problem after all...

Well I have some other GtkAda programs working just fine on Win2k (like GVD).

So it seems to not be a GtkAda problem, not to be a GNAT problem, not to be a
Win2k problem. It is the combination of your program with GtkAda on
Win2k... Could be some kind corrupted memory... a bad pointer ?

Pascal.

-- 

--|------------------------------------------------------
--| Pascal Obry                           Team-Ada Member
--| 45, rue Gabriel Peri - 78114 Magny Les Hameaux FRANCE
--|------------------------------------------------------
--|         http://perso.wanadoo.fr/pascal.obry
--|
--| "The best way to travel is by means of imagination"

Re: Problems with Mine Detector Game

[Jeffrey Carter]

Pascal Obry wrote:
> 
> It crashes too on Windows 2000 with GNAT 3.13 and GtkAda
> 1.3.12 (same problem) !!
> 
> The same executable works fine on Windows NT 4.0!! So it seems to be a Win2K
> problem after all...

I guess that means I don't have to ask you to send me your executable to
see if in works on Win98/NT.

This is good news for Ada and bad news for Win2k, though I fear there
are those who would consider it the other way around.

We will add a note about problems with Win2k to the web site.

-- 
Jeffrey R. Carter
PragmAda Software Engineering

Re: Problems with Mine Detector Game

[Preben Randhol]

On Fri, 09 Nov 2001 02:06:32 GMT, Jeffrey Carter wrote:
> 
> This is good news for Ada and bad news for Win2k, 

Why am I not surprised that there is a problem with Win :-)

Preben
-- 
Preben Randhol - Ph.D Student -  http://www.pvv.org/~randhol/     ._.
Debian 2.2 |"Don't think about domination, think about freedom,  / _,\
Potato     | it doesn't dominate." - Richard M. Stallman        | (_./
GNU/Linux  | To learn more visit => http://www.debian.org/       \,

Re: Problems with Mine Detector Game

[Pascal Obry]

Jeffrey Carter <jrcarter@acm.org> writes:

> This is good news for Ada and bad news for Win2k, 

Well don't be so quick. It could be a problem detected by Win2k that got
undetected by Win9x and NT 4. Maybe because Win2k use a different dynamic
memory allocation, maybe... I have already seen this, a program was running
just fine on Linux and crash on Windows. The problem was a dandling pointer.

We have just _experimental_ evidences that it fails on Win2k.

Pascal.

-- 

--|------------------------------------------------------
--| Pascal Obry                           Team-Ada Member
--| 45, rue Gabriel Peri - 78114 Magny Les Hameaux FRANCE
--|------------------------------------------------------
--|         http://perso.wanadoo.fr/pascal.obry
--|
--| "The best way to travel is by means of imagination"

Re: Problems with Mine Detector Game

[Jeffrey Carter]

Pascal Obry wrote:
> 
> Well don't be so quick. It could be a problem detected by Win2k that got
> undetected by Win9x and NT 4. Maybe because Win2k use a different dynamic
> memory allocation, maybe... I have already seen this, a program was running
> just fine on Linux and crash on Windows. The problem was a dandling pointer.

I'm certainly willing to accept that there's a problem with the program
that Win2k catches but Win98/NT doesn't, but I can't see it. The only
uses of pointers are those required by GtkAda; this could still be an
error there.

-- 
Jeff Carter
"Son of a window-dresser."
Monty Python & the Holy Grail

Re: Problems with Mine Detector Game

[Ted Dennison]

In article <u668jrh41.fsf@wanadoo.fr>, Pascal Obry says...
>We have just _experimental_ evidences that it fails on Win2k.

It fails on my Win2k system too. 

---
T.E.D.    homepage   - http://www.telepath.com/dennison/Ted/TED.html

No trees were killed in the sending of this message. 
However a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.

Mine Detector Game

[Jeffrey Carter]

PragmAda Software Engineering has released a game called Mine Detector.
Written entirely in Ada, it is released under the GNU Public License.
Win32 and Linux/x86 are available. Full source code is also available,
of course.

http://home.earthlink.net/~jrcarter010/mindet.html

Enjoy.

-- 
Jeffrey R. Carter
PragmAda Software Engineering

Re: Mine Detector Game

[Tucker Taft]

Jeffrey Carter wrote:
> 
> PragmAda Software Engineering has released a game called Mine Detector.
> Written entirely in Ada, it is released under the GNU Public License.
> Win32 and Linux/x86 are available. Full source code is also available,
> of course.
> 
> http://home.earthlink.net/~jrcarter010/mindet.html
> 
> Enjoy.

Great job.  This is just the kind of thing to help broaden
the appeal of Ada.


> Jeffrey R. Carter
> PragmAda Software Engineering

-- 
-Tucker Taft   stt@avercom.net   http://www.avercom.net
Chief Technology Officer, AverCom Corporation (A Titan Company) 
Bedford, MA  USA (AverCom was formerly the Commercial Division of AverStar:
http://www.averstar.com/~stt)