https://github.com/vtickner/codecademy-python-terminal-game

This portfolio project was created as part of Codecademy's Computer Science Career Path course. The Python terminal game I have created is a Tic-Tac-Toe game.
https://github.com/vtickner/codecademy-python-terminal-game

classes-in-python python

Last synced: about 1 month ago
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This portfolio project was created as part of Codecademy's Computer Science Career Path course. The Python terminal game I have created is a Tic-Tac-Toe game.

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/vtickner/codecademy-python-terminal-game
• Owner: VTickner
• Created: 2024-04-15T14:54:54.000Z (about 1 year ago)
• Default Branch: main
• Last Pushed: 2024-04-22T15:21:02.000Z (about 1 year ago)
• Last Synced: 2025-01-31T12:34:50.180Z (3 months ago)
• Topics: classes-in-python, python
• Language: Python
• Homepage:
• Size: 406 KB
• Stars: 1
• Watchers: 1
• Forks: 0
• Open Issues: 0
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md

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README

        
# Computer Science Projects - Portfolio Project: Python Terminal Game

This portfolio project was created as part of [Codecademy's](https://www.codecademy.com) Computer Science Career Path course.

## Table of contents

- [Project Overview](#project-overview)

  - [Project objectives](#project-objectives)

- [Python Terminal Game: Tic-Tac-Toe](#python-terminal-game-tic-tac-toe)

  - [Screenshots](#screenshots)

- [Process](#process)

  - [Coding decisions](#coding-decisions)

  - [What I learned](#what-i-learned)

  - [Potential improvements to program](#potential-improvements-to-program)

  - [Useful resources](#useful-resources)

- [Author](#author)

## Project Overview

"Welcome to the portfolio project in CS 101: Introduction to Programming! In this portfolio project, you will research, brainstorm, and build a basic terminal program of your choice for your friends and family to play with. After you finish building the program, you will create a blog post to share the program on a publication of your choice!" - [Codecademy](https://www.codecademy.com)

### Project objectives

- Build a terminal program using Python.

- Add at least one interactive feature using `input()`.

- Use Git version control.

- Use the command line and file navigation.

- Write a technical blog post on the project.

## Python Terminal Game: Tic-Tac-Toe

For this particular project I decided to create a Tic-Tac-Toe game.

- Solution URL: [Tic-Tac-Toe Game](./tic_tac_toe.py)

### Screenshots

#### Game instructions:

![Game instructions for Tic-Tac-Toe Python terminal game](./screenshot1.jpg)

#### Players taking turns:

![Players taking turns in Tic-Tac-Toe Python terminal game](./screenshot2.jpg)

#### Overall scores:

![Overall player scores and play again message in Tic-Tac-Toe Python terminal game](./screenshot3.jpg)

## Process

- Think of an idea for the python terminal game: Tic-Tac-Toe game.

- Project brainstorming on how the game will work:

  - Game to be turn based for 2 players to play within a terminal.

  - Print out initial board game with instructions on how to play the game.

  - Get names of players and assign which player is using O (marker) and which player is using X (marker).

  - Play starts with each player taking turns stating location of where to place their marker.

  - After each turn, reprint board game to show where the placed markers are.

  - Check for when 3 matching markers are either in a row, column, or along a diagonal.

    - If yes, print winner information.

    - If all locations on board are full, print draw information.

    - If neither the above are true then continue the game with the next player taking their turn.

  - At the end of the game, get the answer as to whether players wish to play another round of the game.

    - If yes, reset game with same player information.

    - Otherwise end game.

  - Keep total score of overall wins for each player.

- Set up a GitHub repository.

- Set up Git version control.

- Write Tic-Tac-Toe game program.

- Refactor program.

- Create blog post about project. (This README file is my post about the project I have created.)

### Coding decisions

There are a number of decisions I made as to how to approach and code this game. So below is an explanation as to the what and why I wrote the code in the way that I did.

- As there are 2 players in the game I created a `class Player` to handle the player's `name`, `marker` (X or O) and `score`.

- Initialising the game overall is split into two parts - `init_player()` and `init_game()`. This is so that the game can be reset with `init_game()` with using the same players, if the players select that they wish to play another game.

- The grid board is drawn by using Unicode box drawing (line-drawing) characters. This created a nicer boxed image for the board.

- The use of a `counter` was used in several places in the program for the following reasons:

  - To determine whether `player1` (odd counter number) or `player2` (even counter number) is currently entering information.

  - `check_won()` is only called if `counter >=5` as that's the minimum amount of moves used between `player1` and `player2` before the first player can obtain 3 markers in a line.

  - `board_full = True` when `counter > 9` as that's the maximum amount of moves playable in a Tic-Tac-Toe game.

- Error checking is done for:

  - Input of player's name: `name` is not empty or only whitespace.

  - Input of player's marker: `marker` is only X or O (upper or lower case are both accepted).

  - Input of marker position `player_turn`:

    - Position number from 1 to 9 only

    - Position also has to be empty (i.e. with no marker already).

### What I learned

- There are Unicode codes for drawing lines that are useful for creating grid drawings in a terminal.

- How to return multiple variables.

- \ enables a line to be split into multiple lines without causing syntax errors (for easier readability)

- How to catch a value error with using:

  ```python

  try:

    ...

  except ValueError:

    ...

  ```

### Potential improvements to program

- Highlight the three markers that created the winning line.

  - This would make it more visually obvious which markers made the winning line.

  - Possible way of doing this, could be by changing the colour of the three winning markers when printed to the terminal screen.

### Useful resources

- [Wikipedia Article About Tic-Tac-Toe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tic-tac-toe)

- [Wikipedia Article About Box Drawing Characters](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box-drawing_characters)

## Author

- V. Tickner