Backtracking a maze using recursion in c++

Question

So looking at all of the other forums about solving a maze using recursion, none of them had helped me with my issue.

I get a maze from an input file and there is a start and end position. I find the start pos pass the x and y by reference and recursively solve the maze. My issue is that every possible spot in the maze is getting filled with a sign. When only the solution path should be marked (the '@' is what we are to use to show the path of the solution)

Here is what my code outputs when I complie and run:

    (2, 1)
    Found Exit
    |||||||||||
    |@@@|||@@@|
    |@|@@@@@|E|
    |||||||||||

    (5, 5)
    Found Exit
    ||||||||||||||||
    |@@@   |NNNN|N||
    |@|@||||N||NNN||
    |@|@@@@@@|||||||
    |@||||||@|E@@  |
    |@|||@@|@|||@|||
    |@|N||@|@@@@@|||
    |@|N||@||||||| |
    |@@@@@@        |
    ||||||||||||||||

    (1, 1)
    ||||||||||
    |NNN||  E|
    ||||||||||

As you can see, the 'N' are where the function found a dead end and needed to backtrack and erase them. The '@' sign is the correct path, it just doesn't erase when backtracking

I believe my issues is the the find_exit function or at_end function

Here is the code:

// "maze.h"

//header file
#include <iostream>
#include <string>

#ifndef MAZE
#define MAZE

using std::cout;
using std::endl;
using std::cin;
using std::string;


/*
Writes to a string array containing:
* the your (the student author’s) Campus Username (at index 0)
* and Student ID# (at index 1).
Takes as input a pre-existing length-2 string array.
*/
void get_identity(string my_id[]);


/**
Use this to help you enumerate the directions.
Gets passed into one function below.
**/
enum direction
{
    NORTH,
    SOUTH,
    EAST,
    WEST
};


/**
Creates a dynamically allocated array of strings.
Returns a pointer to that array.
**/
string * build_matrix(int rows);


/**
Fills the matrix with one line per string in the array.
Use the getline method.
Why don't you need to send in cols?
**/
void fill_matrix(string *matrix, int rows);


/**
Print the matrix as in the sample_output.txt
**/
void print_matrix(string *matrix, int rows);


/**
Delete the dynamically allocated array of strings.
Why don't you need to send in cols?
**/
void delete_matrix(string *matrix, int rows);


/**
Finds the starting position of Niobe.
Note: x and y are passed by reference; what does this do for you?
Why don't you need cols here? Hint: not the same reason as last two.
**/
void find_start(string *matrix, int rows, int &x, int &y);


/**
This is the recursive backtracking function you need to write.
It should return true if you found the solution,
and false if there is no solution.
It should leave a trail of @ signs along the path to the solution.
Make sure to build your solution with strong emphasis on the pseudocode;
do not try to code it first, first work out the solution on paper/markerboard.
**/
bool find_exit(string *matrix, int x, int y);


/**
Returns true if x and y are the final exit location,
and false otherwise.
**/
bool at_end(string *matrix, int x, int y);


/**
Returns true if the position indexed by x and y is a valid move,
and false otherwise.
What is a valid move?
**/
bool valid_move(string *matrix, int x, int y, direction d);


#endif
#include <fstream>
#include <limits>

using std::ifstream;

void get_identity(string my_id[])
{
    my_id[0] = "sra9wb";
    my_id[1] = "16781948";

    //output
    cout << "MST Campus Username: " << my_id[0] << endl;
    cout << "Student ID: " << my_id[1] << endl;
}

string *build_matrix(int rows)
{
    string *matrix = new string[rows]; //allocating memory for the matrix

    return matrix;
}

void fill_matrix(string *matrix, int rows)
{
    ifstream file_in("sample_input.txt");
    int x = 0;
    int y = 0;
    bool solved = false;

    while (file_in)
    {
        file_in >> rows;

        if (rows == 0)
            return;

        matrix = build_matrix(rows);

        file_in.ignore(std::numeric_limits<std::streamsize>::max(), '\n'); //Grab line until '\n' then toss it

        for (int i = 0; i < rows; i++)
        {
            getline(file_in, matrix[i]);//fillinf matrix with file_in from text file
        }
        find_start(matrix, rows, x, y);
        find_exit(matrix, x, y);
        print_matrix(matrix, rows);
        cout << endl;
        delete_matrix(matrix, rows);
    }
}

void print_matrix(string *matrix, int rows)
{
    for (int i = 0; i < rows; i++) //increment through the row of the matrix
    {
        cout << matrix[i] << endl; //print eack row
    }
}

void delete_matrix(string *matrix, int rows)
{
    delete[] matrix; //delete the matrix
    matrix = NULL;   //set equal to null for no hanging pointers
}

void find_start(string *matrix, int rows, int &x, int &y)
{
    for (int i = 0; i < rows; i++) //increment through the rows
    {
        string column;
        column = matrix[i]; //set the incremented row to string column

        for (int j = 0; j < column.length(); j++) //increment through the length of column
        {
            if (column[j] == 'N') //if the index of column matches N
            {
                x = i; //x is equal to i because of the 1st for loop
                y = j; //y is eqyal to j because of the 1st for loop
            }
        }
    }
    cout << "(" << x << ", " << y << ")" << endl;

}

bool find_exit(string *matrix, int x, int y) //first iteration of function passing in coords of N's starting pos
{
    //check if we reached the end of the maze
    if (at_end(matrix, x, y) == true)
        return true;

    //sets the starting position to @
    matrix[x][y] = 'N';

    //recursive search for out goal
    if (valid_move(matrix, x, y, NORTH) && find_exit(matrix, x - 1, y))
    {
        matrix[x][y] = '@';
        return true;
    }
    else if (valid_move(matrix, x, y, SOUTH) && find_exit(matrix, x + 1, y))
    {
        matrix[x][y] = '@';
        return true;
    }
    else if (valid_move(matrix, x, y, WEST) && find_exit(matrix, x, y - 1))
    {
        matrix[x][y] = '@';
        return true;
    }
    else if (valid_move(matrix, x, y, EAST) && find_exit(matrix, x, y + 1))
    {
        matrix[x][y] = '@';
        return true;
    }

    //this line here is meant to print a space when backtracking occurs
    // matrix[x][y] = ' ';   
    // return false;
}

//this function returns true if you are at the end of the maze
bool at_end(string *matrix, int x, int y)
{
    if (matrix[x][y] == 'E')
    {
        cout << "Found Exit" << endl;
        return true;
    }
    else
        return false;
}

bool valid_move(string *matrix, int x, int y, direction d)
{
    if (d == NORTH)
    {
        //check if north is clear
        if (matrix[x - 1][y] == ' ' || matrix[x - 1][y] == 'E')
            return true;
        else
            return false;
    }
    else if (d == EAST)
    {
        //check if EAST is clear
        if (matrix[x][y + 1] == ' ' || matrix[x][y + 1] == 'E')
            return true;
        else
            return false;
    }
    else if (d == SOUTH)
    {
        //check is south is clear
        if (matrix[x + 1][y] == ' ' || matrix[x + 1][y] == 'E')
            return true;
        else
            return false;
    }
    else if (d == WEST)
    {
        //check if west is clear
        if (matrix[x][y - 1] == ' ' || matrix[x][y - 1] == 'E')
            return true;
        else
            return false;
    }
    else
        return false;
}

//main

// #include "maze.h"



int main()
{
    string *matrix = NULL;
    int rows = 0;

    fill_matrix(matrix, rows);

    return 0;
}

The sample_input.txt document goes as follows:

4 11
|||||||||||
|   |||   |
|N|     |E|
|||||||||||

10 16
||||||||||||||||
|      |    | ||
| | |||| ||   ||
| |      |||||||
| |||||| |E    |
| |||N | ||| |||
| | || |     |||
| | || ||||||| |
|              |
||||||||||||||||

3 10
||||||||||
|N  ||  E|
||||||||||

0 0

These are the mazes that we are supposed to solve.

Also I am not allowed to edit the header file.

And this is how the output is supposed to look:

    Map 0 -- Solution found:
    |||||||||||
    |@@@|||@@@|
    |N|@@@@@|E|
    |||||||||||

    Map 1 -- Solution found:
    ||||||||||||||||
    |@@@   |    | ||
    |@|@|||| ||   ||
    |@|@@@@@@|||||||
    |@||||||@|E@@  |
    |@|||N@|@|||@|||
    |@| ||@|@@@@@|||
    |@| ||@||||||| |
    |@@@@@@        |
    ||||||||||||||||

    Map 2 -- No solution found:
    ||||||||||
    |N  ||  E|
    ||||||||||

Tried to build your code, but I get pages of error messages. Can we have an minimal reproducible example, please? — user4581301
– user4581301, Commented Feb 18, 2018 at 21:05
For starters, don't use new[] and delete[] (or new and delete). Use a standard container like std::vector<std::string>. — Jive Dadson
– Jive Dadson, Commented Feb 18, 2018 at 21:28
Not quite fixed. Put it all in one piece. No assembly required. — Jive Dadson
– Jive Dadson, Commented Feb 18, 2018 at 21:29
@JiveDadson this is a school assignment so I am supposed to use this.. :/ — Spencer Apel
– Spencer Apel, Commented Feb 18, 2018 at 21:32

bebidek · Accepted Answer · 2018-02-18 21:50:24Z

1

//this line here is meant to print a space when backtracking occurs
        // matrix[x][y] = ' ';   
        // return false;

Why don't you just uncomment it? It solves your problem, but you have to add 'N' sign in start point manually after procedure as it replaces it with either '@' or ' ' (but it's easy).

edited Feb 18, 2018 at 21:50

answered Feb 18, 2018 at 21:30

bebidek

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Comments

Jive Dadson · Accepted Answer · 2018-02-18 22:03:06Z

-1

FYI, setting the pointer to NULL (should be nullptr) accomplishes nothing here. The input parameter matrix takes a copy of the pointer ("by-value").

void delete_matrix(string *matrix, int rows)
{
    delete[] matrix; //delete the matrix
    matrix = NULL;   //set equal to null for no hanging pointers
}

answered Feb 18, 2018 at 22:03

Jive Dadson

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2 Comments

user4581301 Over a year ago

Useful note, but since this has nothing to do with the problem in the question, why not a comment?

Jive Dadson Over a year ago

@user4581301 Because comments cannot contain formatted C++ code.

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