Path Finder - Rescue the Countess

Project Identifier

B99292359FFD910ED13A7E6C7F9705B8742F0D79

Overview

This project involves implementing a pathfinding game in C++, where Marco must navigate a maze-like castle to rescue Countess Cherry. The castle contains up to 10 rooms, with obstacles such as walls, minions, and warp pipes that can teleport Marco to other rooms.

Key Features

• Pathfinding Algorithms: Implements both queue-based and stack-based pathfinding algorithms.
• Input Modes: Supports two input modes - Map Mode (M) and Coordinate List Mode (L).
• Output Modes: Can display results in either Map Mode or Coordinate List Mode, depending on user preference.
• Command-Line Interface: Supports several command-line options to control input modes, output modes, and routing algorithms.

Files Included

• Makefile: Automates the build process, generating the superMarco executable.
• *.cpp and *.h files: Implementation of the pathfinding algorithms, input/output processing, and error handling.
• p1-rescue-the-countess-files.tgz: Contains sample input files, a project identifier, error message listings, and additional resources.
• test-n-flags.txt: Custom test files to validate the functionality of the program.
• Error_messages.txt: Listing of valid error messages.

Note:

The file executable file SuperMarco.cpp is available for public view. Due to University policy I am unable to publish the file containing the path finder algorithm, though it is available for viewing upon request.

Compilation and Execution

Compiling the Program

To compile the program, run:

make

Running the Program

To run the program, use one of the following command-line examples:

./superMarco --stack < infile > outfile
./superMarco --queue --output M < infile > outfile
./superMarco --stack --output L < infile > outfile

Cleaning the Project

To remove all object files and the executable, run:

make clean

Input and Output

Input Modes

• Map Mode (M): The castle is represented as a series of rooms with walls, minions, warp pipes, and starting/ending positions.
• Coordinate List Mode (L): The castle is described by listing coordinates of significant features within each room.

Output Modes

• Map Mode (M): The program outputs a map of the castle with the path Marco takes from start to finish.
• Coordinate List Mode (L): The program outputs a list of coordinates representing Marco's path from start to finish.

Error Handling

The program checks for:

• Invalid command-line arguments (e.g., specifying both --stack and --queue).
• Invalid map characters or coordinates in the input file.
• Rooms, rows, or columns that exceed the specified dimensions.

If any of these errors are encountered, the program outputs an informative error message to stderr and exits with a status code of 1.

Testing

Test files are named test-n-flags.txt and should be placed in the same directory as the source code. Each test file corresponds to a specific configuration of the routing and output modes.

To test the program with a specific test file, use the following command:

./superMarco < test-n-flags.txt > test-n-output.txt