Timer for my Maze game

[tiffanyI]

I am very new to c++ and I was given an assignment where I was asked to make a maze. I would like to add a countdown timer to my maze but I'm not sure how or where to add it in.

#include <iostream>
#include <windows.h>
#include <time.h>

int movement();
void instruction();
int timer();
using namespace std;


 //maze


    	int x=1;
    	int y=1;

	bool game_running = true;


	int main()
   {
	system("Color 5E");

	char ch;
    	//intro:

	cin  >>ch;

    	switch(ch)
    	{
   	 	case 'a':
        	movement();
        	break;

    		case 'b':
        	instruction();
        	break;

    		case 'c':
        	system("CLS");
        	cout << "Thank You For Playing/t";
        	break;
    	}

    }

    inline void wait ( short seconds )
{
  clock_t endwait;
  endwait = clock() + seconds * CLOCKS_PER_SEC;
  while (clock() < endwait);
}


inline void CountDown()
{
	for (short minutes = 1; minutes >= 0; --minutes)
	{
		for (short seconds = 59; seconds >= 0; --seconds)
		{
			cout << minutes << ':' << seconds;
			wait(1);
			system("CLS");
		}
		wait(60);
	}
}


int timer()
{
	CountDown();
	std::cin.ignore();
	return 0;
}

	int movement()
	{
		int numberoflives = 5;
		char cho;
		system("Color 5E");

		while(game_running == true)
		{
			system("CLS");
			for(int display=0; display<29; display++){
            cout << map[display] << endl;
		}
        cout << " " << endl;
        cout << "Lives: " << numberoflives << endl;
        if(numberoflives == 0)
        {
            game_running = false;
            system("cls");
            cout << "You lost!" << endl;
            cout <<"Press 'A' to go back"<<endl;
            cin >> cho;
            switch (cho)
            {
                case 'a':
                system("CLS");
                main();
            }
        }

        system("pause>nul");

        if(GetAsyncKeyState(VK_DOWN))
    {
            int y2 = y+1;
            if(map[y2][x] == ' '||map[y2][x] == '*')
                {
                map[y][x] ='*';
                y++;
                map[y][x] = '\x01';
                }
             if(map[y2][x] == '\xB1')
              {
                 numberoflives = numberoflives - 1;
              }
              if(map[y2][x] == '\x03')
              {
                 numberoflives = numberoflives + 1;
                 map[y][x] ='*';
                 y++;
                 map[y][x] = '\x01';
              }
    }

        if(GetAsyncKeyState(VK_UP)){
            int y2 = y-1;
            if(map[y2][x] == ' '||map[y2][x] == '*'){
                map[y][x] = '*';
                y--;
                map[y][x] = '\x01';
            }
             if(map[y2][x] == '\xB1')
        {
           numberoflives = numberoflives - 1;
        }
        if(map[y2][x] == '\x03')
              {
                 numberoflives = numberoflives + 1;
                 map[y][x] = '*';
                 y--;
                 map[y][x] = '\x01';
              }

        }

        if(GetAsyncKeyState(VK_RIGHT)){
            int x2 = x+1;
            if(map[y][x2] == ' '||map[y][x2] == '*'){
                map[y][x] = '*';
                x++;
                map[y][x] = '\x01';
            }
             if(map[y][x2] == '\xB1')
        {
            numberoflives = numberoflives - 1;
        }
         if(map[y][x2] == '\x03')
              {
                 numberoflives = numberoflives + 1;
                 map[y][x] = '*';
                 x++;
                map[y][x] = '\x01';
              }
        }

        if(GetAsyncKeyState(VK_LEFT)){
            int x2 = x-1;
            if(map[y][x2] == ' '||map[y][x2] == '*'){
                map[y][x] = '*';
                x--;
                map[y][x] = '\x01';
            }

            if(map[y][x2] == '\xB1')
        {
            numberoflives = numberoflives - 1;
        }
         if(map[y][x2] == '\x03')
              {
                 numberoflives = numberoflives + 1;
                 map[y][x] = '*';
                 x--;
                map[y][x] = '\x01';
              }
        }


        if(map[27][32]=='\x01'){
            game_running = false;
        }

    }
    system("CLS");
    cout << "yay! You did it!";


    return 0;

}

	void instruction()
{
	char cho;
	system("CLS");
	cout <<"INSTRUCTIONS:" <<endl;
	cout << "Go to the Finish as fast as possible" <<endl;
	cout << " "<< endl;
	cout << " "<< endl;

	cout << "CONTROLS: "<< endl;
	cout << "ArrowUp -Move Up "<< endl ;
	cout << "ArrowDown - Move Down"<< endl ;
	cout << "ArrowLeft- Move Left"<< endl ;
	cout << "ArrowRight- Move Right"<< endl ;
	cout << " "<< endl;
	cout << " "<< endl;
	cout << " "<< endl;


	cout <<"Press 'A' to go back"<<endl;
	cin >> cho;
	switch (cho)
	{
    	case 'a':
    	system("CLS");
    	main();
	}

}

As you can see, I tried using a timer code I found online. But anytime I run the game the timer either clears the maze or doesn't allow the controls to work. Help?

[koothkeeper]

You can't call main() all over the place like that: Change all of those to return statements:

main();

return;

For the timer, use the alarm(2) and signal(2) commands

/*    Declare your signal handling function:    *.

void Gong( int signal )
    {
    game_running = false;

    }
        /*    Gong()    */


/*    Set up your signal handler:    */

signal( SIGALRM, Gong );

/*    Set your alarm for 60 seconds:    */

alarm( 60 );

[dhayden]

The problem is that while the program is waiting for input from the user, it isn't counting down the timer, so you need to make this multi-threaded: one thread will run the timer and the other will run the game.

[koothkeeper]

True, that would be the best way, but you can just put in the timer without the display with the method I suggested. I thought that would be a good starting place for the OP.

[1vD3vCM9]

@dhayden
Multithreading isn't for beginners really..
I programmed for 5 ~ +/- months, and i learn it now, because i want to do socket programming, and i SHOULD learn that.

Anyways, here is a good book for it.
530 pages, enjoy reading :)

http://www.bogotobogo.com/cplusplus/files/CplusplusConcurrencyInAction_PracticalMultithreading.pdf

[tiffanyI]

Thanks for your help. :)
BUT could you please explain to me what you mean by

/* Declare your signal handling function: *.

with an example that would be best for my code? Thank you. Again.