NAME

Games::LMSolve::Base - base class for puzzle solvers.

VERSION

version 0.14.2

SYNOPSIS

    package MyPuzzle::Solver;
    use Games::LMSolve::Base;
    @ISA = qw(Games::LMSolve::Base);
    # Override these methods:
    sub input_board { ... }
    sub pack_state { ... }
    sub unpack_state { ... }
    sub display_state { ... }
    sub check_if_final_state { ... }
    sub enumerate_moves { ... }
    sub perform_move { ... }
    # Optionally:
    sub render_move { ... }
    sub check_if_unsolvable { ... }
    package main;
    my $self = MyPuzzle::Solver->new();
    $self->solve_board($filename);

DESCRIPTION

This class implements a generic solver for single player games. In order to use it, one must inherit from it and implement some abstract methods. Afterwards, its interface functions can be invoked to actually solve the game.

METHODS

new()

The constructor.

$self->initialize()

Should be inherited to implement the construction.

$self->main()

Actually solve the board based on the arguments in the command line.

METHODS TO OVERRIDE

input_board($self, $file_spec)

This method is responsible to read the "board" (the permanent parameters) of the puzzle and its initial state. It should place the board in the object's keys, and return the initial state. (in unpacked format).

Note that $file_spec can be either a filename (if it's a string) or a reference to a filehandle, or a reference to the text of the board. input_board() should handle all cases.

You can look at the Games::LMSolve::Input module for methods that facilitate inputting a board.

pack_state($self, $state_vector)

This function accepts a state in unpacked form and should return it in packed format. A state in unpacked form can be any perl scalar (as complex as you like). A state in packed form must be a string.

unpack_state($self, $packed_state)

This function accepts a state in a packed form and should return it in its expanded form.

display_state($self, $packed_state)

Accepts a packed state and should return the user-readable string representation of the state.

check_if_final_state($self, $state_vector)

This function should return 1 if the expanded state $state_vector is a final state, and the game is over.

enumerate_moves($self, $state_vector)

This function accepts an expanded state and should return an array of moves that can be performed on this state.

perform_move($self, $state_vector, $move)

This method accepts an expanded state and a move. It should try to peform the move on the state. If it is successful, it should return the new state. Else, it should return undef, to indicate that the move cannot be performed.

check_if_unsolvable($self, $state_vector) (optional over-riding)

This method returns the verdict if $state_vector cannot be solved. This method defaults to returning 0, and it is usually safe to keep it that way.

render_move($self, $move) (optional overriding)

This function returns the user-readable stringified represtantion of a move.

API

$self->solve_board($file_spec, %args)

Solves the board specification specified in $file_spec. %args specifies optional arguments. Currently there is one: 'max_iters' that specifies the maximal iterations to run.

Returns whatever run_scan returns.

$self->run_scan(%args)

Continues the current scan. %args may contain the 'max_iters' parameter to specify a maximal iterations limit.

Returns two values. The first is a progress indicator. "solved" means the puzzle was solved. "unsolved" means that all the states were covered and the puzzle was proven to be unsolvable. "interrupted" means that the scan was interrupted in the middle, and could be proved to be either solvable or unsolvable.

The second argument is the final state and is valid only if the progress value is "solved".

$self->get_num_iters()

Retrieves the current number of iterations.

$self->display_solution($progress_code, $final_state)

If you input this message with the return value of run_scan() you'll get a nice output of the moves to stdout.

$self->set_run_time_states_display(\&states_display_callback)

Sets the run time states display callback to \&states_display_callback.

This display callback accepts a reference to the solver and also the following arguments in key => value pairs:

"state" - the expanded state. "depth" - the depth of the state. "move" - the move leading to this state from its parent.

AUTHORS

Shlomi Fish, <http://www.shlomifish.org/>

SUPPORT

Websites

The following websites have more information about this module, and may be of help to you. As always, in addition to those websites please use your favorite search engine to discover more resources.

MetaCPAN
A modern, open-source CPAN search engine, useful to view POD in HTML format.

<https://metacpan.org/release/Games-LMSolve>
RT: CPAN's Bug Tracker
The RT ( Request Tracker ) website is the default bug/issue tracking system for CPAN.

<https://rt.cpan.org/Public/Dist/Display.html?Name=Games-LMSolve>
CPANTS
The CPANTS is a website that analyzes the Kwalitee ( code metrics ) of a distribution.

<http://cpants.cpanauthors.org/dist/Games-LMSolve>
CPAN Testers
The CPAN Testers is a network of smoke testers who run automated tests on uploaded CPAN distributions.

<http://www.cpantesters.org/distro/G/Games-LMSolve>
CPAN Testers Matrix
The CPAN Testers Matrix is a website that provides a visual overview of the test results for a distribution on various Perls/platforms.

<http://matrix.cpantesters.org/?dist=Games-LMSolve>
CPAN Testers Dependencies
The CPAN Testers Dependencies is a website that shows a chart of the test results of all dependencies for a distribution.

<http://deps.cpantesters.org/?module=Games::LMSolve>

Bugs / Feature Requests

Please report any bugs or feature requests by email to "bug-games-lmsolve at rt.cpan.org", or through the web interface at <https://rt.cpan.org/Public/Bug/Report.html?Queue=Games-LMSolve>. You will be automatically notified of any progress on the request by the system.

Source Code

The code is open to the world, and available for you to hack on. Please feel free to browse it and play with it, or whatever. If you want to contribute patches, please send me a diff or prod me to pull from your repository :)

<https://github.com/shlomif/lm-solve-source>

  git clone git://github.com/shlomif/lm-solve-source.git

AUTHOR

Shlomi Fish <shlomif@cpan.org>

BUGS

Please report any bugs or feature requests on the bugtracker website <https://github.com/shlomif/lm-solve-source/issues>

When submitting a bug or request, please include a test-file or a patch to an existing test-file that illustrates the bug or desired feature.

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

This is free software, licensed under:

  The MIT (X11) License