How do we simplify this kind of code in Java? Something like macros in C?
- by Terry Li
public static boolean diagonals(char[][] b, int row, int col, int l) {
int counter = 1; // because we start from the current position
char charAtPosition = b[row][col];
int numRows = b.length;
int numCols = b[0].length;
int topleft = 0;
int topright = 0;
int bottomleft = 0;
int bottomright = 0;
for (int i=row-1,j=col-1;i>=0 && j>=0;i--,j--) {
if (b[i][j]==charAtPosition) {
topleft++;
} else {
break;
}
}
for (int i=row-1,j=col+1;i>=0 && j<=numCols;i--,j++) {
if (b[i][j]==charAtPosition) {
topright++;
} else {
break;
}
}
for (int i=row+1,j=col-1;i<=numRows && j>=0;i++,j--) {
if (b[i][j]==charAtPosition) {
bottomleft++;
} else {
break;
}
}
for (int i=row+1,j=col+1;i<=numRows && j<=numCols;i++,j++) {
if (b[i][j]==charAtPosition) {
bottomright++;
} else {
break;
}
}
return topleft + bottomright + 1 >= l || topright + bottomleft + 1 >= l; //in this case l is 5
}
After I was done posting the code above here, I couldn't help but wanted to simplify the code by merging the four pretty much the same loops into one method.
Here's the kind of method I want to have:
public int countSteps(char horizontal, char vertical) {
}
Two parameters horizontal and vertical can be either + or - to indicate the four directions to walk in. What I want to see if possible at all is i++; is generalized to i horizontal horizontal; when horizontal taking the value of +.
What I don't want to see is if or switch statements, for example:
public int countSteps(char horizontal, char vertical) {
if (horizontal == '+' && vertical == '-') {
for (int i=row-1,j=col+1;i>=0 && j<=numCols;i--,j++) {
if (b[i][j]==charAtPosition) {
topright++;
} else {
break;
}
}
} else if (horizontal == '+' && vertical == '+') {
for (int i=row+1,j=col+1;i>=0 && j<=numCols;i++,j++) {
if (b[i][j]==charAtPosition) {
topright++;
} else {
break;
}
}
} else if () {
} else {
}
}
Since it is as tedious as the original one. Note also that the comparing signs for the loop condition i>=0 && j<=numCols; for example, >= && <= have correspondence with the value combination of horizontal and vertical.
Sorry for my bad wording, please let me know if anything is not clear.
