Thread: Concept and syntax in mancala

I've made the majority of the program , however, I've been avoiding the most crucial part of the program. Allowing the user to select the pocket they want to play is something i cant figure out how to do. In the module PlayersTurn I've been trying different things to allow the user enter the number of pocket they want to play and then executing their turn. I've been unsuccessful. I don't know where or how to start can someone help me please? thanks.

import java.util.Scanner;
import java.util.Random;
 
public class Mancala
{
    public static void main (String[] args)
    {        
      Scanner keyboard = new Scanner(System.in);
      int solidLine;
      int line;
      int partialLine;
      int StartArray;
      final int MAX_VALUE = 97;
      final int step = 1;
      final int partial = 1;
      solidLine( MAX_VALUE);
      line( step,partial);
      solidLine( MAX_VALUE);
    }  
 
    public static void solidLine(int mv)
    {
      for (int s=1;s<=mv;s++)
      {
         System.out.print("*");
      }
      System.out.println();
    }
    public static void GameStarter()
    {
        String Player1;
        String Player2;
        String computerturn;
        int computerInt;
 
        Scanner scan = new Scanner(System.in);
        Random generator = new Random();
 
        computerInt = generator.nextInt(13);
 
        switch (computerInt)
        {
            case 0:
            {
                computerturn = "1";
                break;
            }
            case 1:
            {
                computerturn = "2";
                break;
            }
            case 2:
            {
                computerturn = "3";
                break;
            }
            case 3:
            {
                computerturn = "4";
                break;
            }
            case 4:
            {
                computerturn = "5";
                break;
            }
            case 5:
            {
                computerturn = "6";
                break;
            }
            case 6:
            {
                computerturn = "7";
                break;
            }
            case 7:
            {
                computerturn = "8";
                break;
            }
            case 8:
            {
                computerturn = "9";
                break;
            }
            case 9:
            {
                computerturn = "10";
                break;
            }
            case 10:
            {
                computerturn = "11";
                break;
            }
            case 11:
            {
                computerturn = "12";
                break;
            }
            case 12:
            {
                computerturn = "13";
                break;
            }
            case 13:
            {
                computerturn = "14";
                break;
            }
            default:
            {
                computerturn = "Wont happen";
            }
        } 
    }
    public static void PlayersTurn(int[] POCKETS)
    {
 
    }
    public static void GameCalculator(int[] POCKETS)
    {
        POCKETS[0]=POCKETS[1]+POCKETS[2]+POCKETS[3]+POCKETS[4]+POCKETS[5]+POCKETS[6];
        POCKETS[7]=POCKETS[8]+POCKETS[9]+POCKETS[10]+POCKETS[11]+POCKETS[12]+POCKETS[13];
        if (POCKETS[0] < POCKETS[7])
            System.out.println("Player two wins");
        else 
        System.out.println("Player one wins");
    }
    public static void StartArray();
    {
      int beadearray;
      int POCKET = 14;
      int[] POCKETS = {0,4,4,4,4,4,4,//top part of board
                       0,4,4,4,4,4,4};//bottom part of board
    }
    public static void line(int step, int partial)
    {
 
        for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[0]+ " (1)" +"    ");
      }
      for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[1]+ " (2)" +"    ");
      }
      for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[2]+ " (3)" +"    ");
      } 
      for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[3]+ " (4)" +"    ");
      } 
      for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[4]+ " (5)" +"    ");
      } 
      for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[5]+ " (6)" +"    ");
      } 
      for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[6]+ " (7)" +"    ");
      }
         for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[7]+ " (8)" +"    *");
      }
      System.out.println();
      for (int p=1;p<=partial;p++)
        {
            System.out.print("*           *************************************************************************           *");
        } 
        System.out.println();
      for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*" +"           ");
      }   
          for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[8]+ " (9)" +"    ");
      }
       for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[9]+ " (10)"+"   ");
      }
       for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[10]+ " (11)"+"   ");
      }
       for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[11]+ " (12)"+"   ");
      }
       for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[12]+ " (13)"+"   ");
      }
       for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[13]+ " (14)"+"   ");
      }
       for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " +"         *");
      }
      System.out.println();
    }
 
 
 }

Actually now that you mention it, i was having issues with compiling. What the program does is print the board through a series of "*" with POCKETS, holes in the game that hold a certain number of beads, and positions. Originally, the contents of StartArray was part of method Line. however, i figured making a seperate array that holds beadarray, POCKET, and POCKETS would be more efficient. When i compiled i got an error in this part of the program

 line( step,partial);

The error says "Method line in class Mancala cannot be applied to given types; required: int, int, int" i have no idea what this means. i tried changing it by doing this

line( step,partial, POCKETS[])

but then i get ".class expected" ive tried many other changes but cant get it to compile. Am i passing references wrong?

Yes

public static void line(int step, int partial)

was changed to

public static void line(int step, int partial,int[] POCKETS)

I dont fully understand what you mean. Now that i changed

public static void line(int step,int partial, int[] POCKETS)

i have to change the code but how? ive tried

line( step,partial,POCKETS)

is it because POCKETS has multiple values the call changes?

Okay so i changed somethings around and finally got it to compile and run here is the new program.

import java.util.Scanner;
import java.util.Random;
 
public class Mancala
{
    public static void main (String[] args)
    {        
      Scanner keyboard = new Scanner(System.in);
      int solidLine;
      int line;
      int partialLine;
      int StartArray;
      int[] POCKETS = {0,4,4,4,4,4,4,//top part of board
                       0,4,4,4,4,4,4};//bottom part of board
      final int MAX_VALUE = 97;
      final int step = 1;
      final int partial = 1;
      solidLine( MAX_VALUE);
      line( step,partial,POCKETS);
      solidLine( MAX_VALUE);
    }  
 
    public static void solidLine(int mv)
    {
      for (int s=1;s<=mv;s++)
      {
         System.out.print("*");
      }
      System.out.println();
    }
    public static void GameStarter(int[] POCKETS)
    {
        String Player1;
        String Player2;
        String computerturn;
        int computerInt;
 
        Scanner scan = new Scanner(System.in);
        Random generator = new Random();
 
        computerInt = generator.nextInt(13);
 
        switch (computerInt)
        {
            case 0:
            {
                computerturn ="0";
                break;
            }
            case 1:
            {
                computerturn = "1";
                break;
            }
            case 2:
            {
                computerturn = "2";
                break;
            }
            case 3:
            {
                computerturn = "3";
                break;
            }
            case 4:
            {
                computerturn = "4";
                break;
            }
            case 5:
            {
                computerturn = "5";
                break;
            }
            case 6:
            {
                computerturn = "6";
                break;
            }
            case 7:
            {
                computerturn = "7";
                break;
            }
            case 8:
            {
                computerturn = "8";
                break;
            }
            case 9:
            {
                computerturn = "9";
                break;
            }
            case 10:
            {
                computerturn = "10";
                break;
            }
            case 11:
            {
                computerturn = "11";
                break;
            }
            case 12:
            {
                computerturn = "12";
                break;
            }
            case 13:
            {
                computerturn = "13";
                break;
            }
            case 14:
            {
                computerturn = "14";
                break;
            }
            default:
            {
                computerturn = "Wont happen";
            }
        } 
    }
    public static void PlayersTurn(int[] POCKETS)
    {
 
    }
    public static void GameCalculator(int[] POCKETS)
    {
        if (POCKETS[0] < POCKETS[7])
            System.out.println("Player two wins");
        else 
        System.out.println("Player one wins");
    }
    public static void StartArray(int[] POCKETS)
    {
      int beadarray;
      int POCKET = 14;
    }
    public static void line(int step, int partial,int[] POCKETS)
    {
        for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[0]+ " (1)" +"    ");
      }
      for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[1]+ " (2)" +"    ");
      }
      for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[2]+ " (3)" +"    ");
      } 
      for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[3]+ " (4)" +"    ");
      } 
      for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[4]+ " (5)" +"    ");
      } 
      for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[5]+ " (6)" +"    ");
      } 
      for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[6]+ " (7)" +"    ");
      }
         for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[7]+ " (8)" +"    *");
      }
      System.out.println();
      for (int p=1;p<=partial;p++)
        {
            System.out.print("*           *************************************************************************           *");
        } 
        System.out.println();
      for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*" +"           ");
      }   
          for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[8]+ " (9)" +"    ");
      }
       for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[9]+ " (10)"+"   ");
      }
       for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[10]+ " (11)"+"   ");
      }
       for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[11]+ " (12)"+"   ");
      }
       for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[12]+ " (13)"+"   ");
      }
       for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " + POCKETS[13]+ " (14)"+"   ");
      }
       for (int l=1;l<=step;l++)
      {
          System.out.print("*  " +"         *");
      }
      System.out.println();
    }
 
 
 }

So now we've got that issue out of the way. I still have the problem of setting up a method that allows a user to play the game. The rules of mancala are this. there are two players and the objective of the game is to put the most beads into the players home pocket. Player1's home pocket is "(8)" player2 or computer's home pocket is "(1)".When you pick a pocket the value of that pocket is reduced to 0. Then you drop one bead into each pocket clockwise for as many beads you have. So if i pick pocket 2 and it has 3 beads, the value of pocket 2 is reduced to 0 then i drop one bead into pocket 3,4,&5. How do you suggest I go about this?