Logical Problem

[Waewkrathok]

I am working on the tic tac toe program. It was due days ago but I didn't turn it in because it was incomplete (I was having trouble with the function). In the function I had to return whether there was a tie, a winner or to let the users keep playing if the board wasn't full yet. I managed to do most of the function but I am still having trouble when the function checks if there was a tie. I noticed the game ends in a tie if one of the diagonal lines of the board is full. I spent all day trying to figure out what I was doing wrong but I still can't find the solution.
Any help or clues I receive to fix this will be deeply appreciated.

// Checks the whole board if there is a winner.
// We know the board is 3 by 3 so we don't need to have the number of rows as
// a parameter.
//
// WRITE THIS FUNCTION
//

char checkWinner3by3(char board[][3])
{
	//Check all rows
	for (int row = 0; row < 3; row++)
	{
		if ((board[row][0] == board[row][1]) && (board[row][0] == board[row][2]))
		{
			return board[row][0];
		}
	}

	// Check all columns

	for (int col = 0; col < 3; col++)
	{
		if ((board[0][col] == board[1][col]) && (board[0][col] == board[2][col]))
		{
			return board[0][col];
		}
	}

	// Check diagional from upper left to lower right

	if ((board[0][0] == board[1][1]) && (board[1][1] == board[2][2]))
	{
		return board[0][0];
	}

	// Check diagonal from upper right to lower left

	if ((board[0][2] == board[1][1]) && (board[1][1] == board[2][0]))
	{
		return board[0][2];
	}


	// Otherwise, if all spaces are filled, the game is a tie
//THIS IS WHERE I AM HAVING TROUBLE
	for (int row = 0; row < 3; row++)
	{
		for (int col = 0; col < 3; col++)
		{
			if (!(board[row][col] == 'X') || !(board[row][col] == 'O'))
			{
				return 'T';
			}
			else
			{
				break;
			}
		}
	}



	// If none of the conditions above are true, return a blank space
	return ' ';
}
  

[Handy Andy]

Hello Waewkrathok,

Welcome to the forum.

Looking at your code fro line 236 on I can see some problems.

The if statement at line 241 could be a problem. When using two or more "!" in the if statement usually "&&" is used instead of the "||" you have.

The if/else will only let you check board[0][0] or board[1][0] or board[2][0] not the entire array. Or you return from the loops to early.

At this point you have already checked for a winner and found this to be false. So, now my thought is that you need to check the array/board for a potential winner and if this would be false then return "T" otherwise return " ".

I am also thinking that say if "X" starts then this section should only be done after "O"s' turn.

In the end you will need to check the entire board for a potential win unless you find the entire board filled and no moves left before you call it a tie.

I will have to load up the program and play with it later. It looks like fun for the day. Should have somethinf later unless someone else does.

Hope that helps,

Andy

[Handy Andy]

Hello Waewkrathok,

After working with the program I did manage to get it to work with these changes:

End of "checkWinner3by3" function

	// Otherwise, if all spaces are filled, the game is a tie
	//THIS IS WHERE I AM HAVING TROUBLE
	for (int row = 0; row < 3; row++)
	{
		for (int col = 0; col < 3; col++)
		{
			if (((board[row][col] == 'X') || (board[row][col] == 'O')) && board[row][col] != ' ')

			{
				tie = true;  // <--- "tie" defined as a bool initialized to "false".
			}
			else
			{
				tie = false;
			}
		}
	}
	std::cout << tie << std::endl;
	// If none of the conditions above are true, return a blank space
	return (tie)?'T':' ';
}

This only returns "T" when the board is full.

Hope that helps,

Andy

[Waewkrathok]

Thank you!!