First run

ALTER TABLE `chatbox` CHANGE `message` `message` VARCHAR( 30 )

This will fix it at the database level, but we don’t want it to even get that far so next we change the maxlength of the input.

<input type=”text” name=”textbox” id=”textbox” style=”width:110px” maxlength=”30″ onkeypress=”formsubmit(event)”/>

Notice the “maxlength” attribute, it’s not always followed by browsers and thus we also do this here with the javascript

chatsend = document.getElementById(”textbox”).value;
if(chatsend.length < 30){
guyname = document.getElementById(”guyname”).value;
parameters = “nick=”+encodeURI(guyname)+”&textbox=”+encodeURI(chatsend);
httpr.onreadystatechange = handleResponse;
httpr.open(”POST”, “<?php echo $url;?>rpc.php”,true);
httpr.setRequestHeader(”Content-type”, “application/x-www-form-urlencoded”);
httpr.setRequestHeader(”Content-length”, parameters.length);
httpr.send(parameters);
document.getElementById(’textbox’).value = ”;
}else{
document.getElementById(’textbox’).value = ‘too large to send’;
}

The code above basically stops the user from entering too much text and will inform them if they do.  This will go into the javascript between the if(doit) block.   But once again javascript fixes can be avoided, that is why we did the database length as well.   We could also check it at the rpc level but we want to keep that as fast as possible and well I will modify it at that point if someone figures a way.

]]> http://www.hawkenterprises.org/2008/05/13/php-ajax-chat-updates-text-run-off-problem.html/feed http://www.hawkenterprises.org/2008/05/11/php-pentago-determine-winner-win-state-algorithm.html http://www.hawkenterprises.org/2008/05/11/php-pentago-determine-winner-win-state-algorithm.html#comments Sun, 11 May 2008 04:36:18 +0000 Hawk http://www.hawkenterprises.org/?p=115 Pentago is a great strategy game and certainly fun to play. Basically it’s played on a 6×6 grid that is made up of 4 3×3 quadrants that can rotate once after each turn. The idea behind the game is to get five marbles in a row. Building an interface should be fun but for those just interested in the algorithm to determine a win state for Pentago in php.

<?php
// php pentago by http://www.hawkenterprises.org

$board = array(0=>array(1,2,2,2,2,1),
1=>array(1,1,2,1,2,1),
2=>array(2,2,1,2,1,1),
3=>array(2,1,2,2,1,2),
4=>array(1,2,1,1,1,2),
5=>array(2,1,1,2,0,1));

function match_check($board,$nocheck = false){
$winner = false;
// horizontal check
for($y=0;$y<6;$y++){
$line_score2 = 0; // reset each new line
$line_score1 = 0; // reset each new line
for($x=0;$x<6;$x++){
if($board[$y][$x] == 2) $line_score2++;
if($board[$y][$x] == 1) $line_score1++;
}
if($line_score2 >= 5) {
// we now need to be more dilegent (zeros can only appear in the the first and last position)
$zerofound = false;
for($i=1;$i<4;$i++){
if($board[$y][$i] == 0) $zerofound = true;
if($board[$y][$i] == 1) $zerofound = true;
}
if($zerofound == false) {
$winner = true;
break;
}
}
if($line_score1 >= 5) {
// we now need to be more dilegent (zeros can only appear in the the first and last position)
$zerofound = false;
for($i=1;$i<4;$i++){
if($board[$y][$i] == 0) $zerofound = true;
if($board[$y][$i] == 2) $zerofound = true;
}
if($zerofound == false) {
$winner = true;
break;
}
}

}
if($winner == false){
// vertical check

for($x=0;$x<6;$x++){
$line_score2 = 0; // reset each new line
$line_score1 = 0; // reset each new line
for($y=0;$y<6;$y++){
if($board[$y][$x] == 2) $line_score2++;
if($board[$y][$x] == 1) $line_score1++;
}
if($line_score2 >= 5) {
// we now need to be more dilegent (zeros can only appear in the the first and last position)
$zerofound = false;
for($i=1;$i<4;$i++){
if($board[$i][$x] == 0) $zerofound = true; // only different by where the $i and x is from above
if($board[$i][$x] == 1) $zerofound = true;
}
if($zerofound == false) {
$winner = true;
break;
}
}

if($line_score1 >= 5) {
// we now need to be more dilegent (zeros can only appear in the the first and last position)
$zerofound = false;
for($i=1;$i<4;$i++){
if($board[$i][$x] == 0) $zerofound = true; // only different by where the $i and x is from above
if($board[$i][$x] == 2) $zerofound = true;
}
if($zerofound == false) {
$winner = true;
break;
}
}
}
}
if($winner == false && $nocheck == false){
// transform board
for($y=0;$y<6;$y++){
for($x=0;$x<6;$x++){
$cloneboard[$y][$x] = 0;
}
}
$cloneboard2 = $cloneboard;
for($y = 0; $y<6;$y++){
if($y == 0) $move = 2;
if($y == 1) $move = 1;
if($y == 2) $move = 0;
if($y == 3) $move = -1;
if($y == 4) $move = -2;
if($y == 5) $move = -3;
for($x=0;$x<6;$x++){
$cloneboard[$y][$x + $move] = $board[$y][$x];
}
}

$who_wins = match_check($cloneboard,true);
if($who_wins == 0){
for($y = 0; $y<6;$y++){
if($y == 0) $move = 2;
if($y == 1) $move = 1;
if($y == 2) $move = 0;
if($y == 3) $move = -1;
if($y == 4) $move = -2;
if($y == 5) $move = -3;
for($x=0;$x<6;$x++){
$cloneboard2[$y][$x - $move] = $board[$y][$x];
}

}
return match_check($cloneboard2,true);
}
return $who_wins;
}
if($winner and $line_score1 >= 5) return 1;
if($winner and $line_score2 >= 5) return 2;
return 0;

}
var_dump(match_check($board));
?>

This code might be a little confusing, however what it basically does is a matrix rotation of the grid one way and then the other.   This makes it so all the cross lines become straight lines.  You have to rotate one for one direction and one for the other.

Obviously there are only 8 cross positions that could win and the optimal solution would involve rotating only the inner grid.    There could also be some loops probably combined but over all it runs amazingly fast.

Perhaps there is an open source php pentago package in the future.

Free Link Exchange

For you who haven’t heard or forgotten, Battlenow is going to serve at the base level for a open source battle simulator.   The plan is to have Generals with various rank, movement, intelligence, charm, war.  There is also going to be hopefully some various weapon or military classes such as arterial (probably catapults), mounted units (probably rangers) and foot units (probably knights).

Turn based php game is what we will be shooting for, however it’s going to have the initiative system much like the older final fantasy tactics.  You will have a queue and depending on your wait time will determine when your general will have his turn.

Forts, Castles, and different terrain all over different stats such as defense and movement.    There is plans between levels to have a down/upgrade time for the next battle as well as in-game upgrades.   Some code is below.

[code]

<?php
// Battlenow
// by hawk enterprises (http://www.hawkenterprises.org)
//    0         1         2        3        4         5        6        7
$terrain_map = array( 0 => array ( ‘M’,'M’,'M’,'F’,'F’,'G’,'G’,'G’),
1 => array ( ‘M’,'C’,'F’,'G’,'G’,'G’,'G’,'G’),
2 => array ( ‘M’,'H’,'H’,'H’,'F’,'G’,'G’,'G’),
3 => array ( ‘M’,'M’,'M’,'H’,'F’,'G’,'G’,'G’),
4 => array ( ‘W’,'W’,'W’,'W’,'W’,'G’,'G’,'G’),
5 => array ( ‘G’,'G’,'G’,'G’,'G’,'G’,'G’,'G’),
6 => array ( ‘G’,'F’,'G’,'G’,'G’,'G’,'G’,'G’),
7 => array ( ‘G’,'G’,'G’,'G’,'G’,'G’,'G’,'G’));
define(’ROWS’,8);
define(’COLS’,8);

$terrain_movement = array (’M’ => 100,
‘C’ =>  0,
‘G’ =>  1,
‘W’ =>  6,
‘F’ =>  3,
‘H’ =>  4);

$cp_generals = array (0=> array(’flag’=>’CX’,'units’=>100,’rank’=>100,’x'=>1,’y'=>1),
1=> array(’flag’=>’X1′,’units’=>10,’rank’=>50,’x'=>5,’y'=>6));

$pc_generals = array (0=> array(’flag’=>’PX’, ‘units’=>100,’rank’=>100,’x'=>0,’y'=>6));

function display_map($c_generals, $p_generals, $map){

for($y=0;$y<ROWS;$y++){
for($x=0;$x<COLS;$x++){
$flag = false;
echo ‘<div id=”grid_’.$x.$y.’” class=”‘.$map[$y][$x].’”>
<img width=”64″ height=”64″ src=”image_tile.php?cost=’.movecost($y,$x).’&flag=’;

//check if anyone occupies this spot
foreach($c_generals as $k=>$v){ // computer first
if($v['x'] == $x && $v['y'] == $y){
echo $v['flag'];
$flag = true;
}
}
foreach($p_generals as $k=>$v){  // then player
if($v['x'] == $x && $v['y'] == $y){
echo $v['flag'];
$flag = true;
}
}
if(!$flag) echo $map[$y][$x];  // then bare terrain
echo ‘” alt=”tile” /></div>’;
}
echo ‘<br/>’; // next row
}
}
function movecost($x,$y){
global $terrain_map;
global $terrain_movement;
return $terrain_movement[$terrain_map[$x][$y]];
}
function distancecost($x,$y,$gx,$gy){
$cost = 0;

}
function movement_range($x,$y,$movepoints=6){

}
display_map($cp_generals,$pc_generals,$terrain_map);

?>
<style type=”text/css”>
.M,.G,.C,.W,.F,.H {width:64px;height:64px;display:inline;border:1px solid black;}
</style>

[/code]

PHP Game developers please contact us if you would like to get in on this project.  We can use programmers but would also love a designer.   Right now our tiles look like this click here to see our tiles

• Installation Talks about the installation of all the scripts here, help trouble shoot problems
• How To’s and Troubleshooting
• Plugin’s and Hacks
• Requests and Feedback
• Alpha/Beta
• PHP
• Javascript

Those are just the introductory forums I imagine in the future we may add more, and we would love to hear from you.  Please come over to the hawk enterprises forums

The best news is all 3,000+ of you here will get to use your wordpress accounts to use bbPress.  I hope you all enjoy.