[VB.NET] Useful Types for Card Games

[jmcilhinney]

Edit: I just remembered that there's a VB 2005 starter kit for a card game so this is probably redundant. Users of previous version can still download the starter kit and open the code files, even if they can't open the project. If anyone has a specific desire for me to continue with this then by all means say so, otherwise I might just leave it.

Below is some rough code for some types that can form the basis of any card game. They are as yet unfinsihed but I thought I'd post them anyway. I will be making improvements to them myself soon, but feel free to use the code yourself and make your own improvents in the mean time. I intend to create a project that incorporates the Windows cards.dll (or is it cards32.dll, can't remember) at some stage in the future also.Public Enum Face
None 'Used for Jokers
Ace
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Jack
Queen
King
End Enum

Public Enum Suit
None 'Used for Jokers
Hearts
Clubs
Diamonds
Spades
End EnumPublic Structure Card

Private m_Face As Face
Private m_Suit As Suit

Public ReadOnly Property Face() As Face
Get
Return Me.m_Face
End Get
End Property

Public ReadOnly Property Suit() As Suit
Get
Return Me.m_Suit
End Get
End Property

Public ReadOnly Property IsJoker() As Boolean
Get
Return Me.m_Face = Face.None AndAlso Me.m_Suit = Suit.None
End Get
End Property

Public Sub New(ByVal face As Face, ByVal suit As Suit)
If face = face.None Xor suit = suit.None Then
Throw New ApplicationException("If either face or suit is None then the other must also be None.")
Else
Me.m_Face = face
Me.m_Suit = suit
End If
End Sub

End StructurePublic Class Hand
Inherits CollectionBase

Default Public Property Item(ByVal index As Integer) As Card
Get
Return CType(Me.InnerList(index), Card)
End Get
Set(ByVal Value As Card)
Me.InnerList(index) = Value
End Set
End Property

Public Function Add(ByVal card As Card) As Integer
Return Me.InnerList.Add(card)
End Function

Public Sub Insert(ByVal index As Integer, ByVal card As Card)
Me.InnerList.Insert(index, card)
End Sub

End ClassPublic Class Deck

Private cards As Hand 'The cards currently in the deck.
Private rand As Random 'Used to generate random numbers.

Public ReadOnly Property Count() As Integer
Get
Return Me.cards.Count
End Get
End Property

Public Sub New()
Me.cards = New Hand

'Create a full deck with no Jokers.
For Each suit As Suit In [Enum].GetValues(GetType(Suit))
If suit <> suit.None Then
For Each face As Face In [Enum].GetValues(GetType(Face))
If face <> face.None Then
Me.cards.Add(New Card(face, suit))
End If
Next face
End If
Next suit

Me.rand = New Random
End Sub

Public Sub Shuffle()
Dim shuffledCards As New Hand

While Me.cards.Count > 0
Dim index As Integer = Me.rand.Next(0, Me.cards.Count)

'Add a card at random to the new deck from the existing deck.
shuffledCards.Add(Me.cards(index))

'Remove the chosen card from the existing deck.
Me.cards.RemoveAt(index)
End While

Me.cards = shuffledCards
End Sub

Public Sub Cut(ByVal upperCount As Integer)
'Move the first upperCount cards to the bottom.
For i As Integer = 1 To upperCount
Me.cards.Add(Me.cards(0))
Me.cards.RemoveAt(0)
Next i
End Sub

'Returns the next card without removing it from the deck.
Public Function PeekNextCard() As Card
Return Me.cards(0)
End Function

'Returns the next card and removes it from the deck.
Public Function GetNextCard() As Card
Dim nextCard As Card = Me.cards(0)

Me.cards.RemoveAt(0)
Return nextCard
End Function

'Returns the specified number of hands, each with the specified number of cards.
Public Function Deal(ByVal handCount As Integer, ByVal cardCount As Integer) As Hand()
Dim hands(handCount - 1) As Hand

For i As Integer = 1 To cardCount Step 1
For Each hand As Hand In hands
hand.Add(Me.GetNextCard)
Next hand
Next i

Return hands
End Function

End Class

[Hack]

As this is regarding game programming, I have moved this thread from the VB.NET CodeBank

[phillt78]

to let you know a little about myself i have only been coding vb for about six months the way i coded my cards was to define a type card in a module the code for that is:


Type card
Index As Integer
value As Integer
suit As String
picturefront As String
pictureback As String
position As Integer
shuffled As Boolean

End Type
and then in a second module set up a few arrays of type card these are


Public deck(52) As card
Public firstdeck(52) As card
Public seconddeck(52) As card
Public thirddeck(52) As card
Public fourthdeck(52) As card
Public fithdeck(52) As card
Public sixthdeck(52) As card
Public shoeshuff1(78) As card
Public shoeshuff2(78) As card
Public firsthalfshoe(156) As card
Public secondhalfshoe(156) As card
Public shoe(312) As card
Public path As String
Public item As Integer
Public number1 As Integer
Public number2 As Integer
Public topdeck(26) As card
Public bottomdeck(26) As card
Public tempdeck(52) As card
Public firstQuaterDeck(13) As card
Public secondquaterdeck(13) As card
Public thirdquaterdeck(13) As card
Public fourthquaterdeck(13) As card

The set up for the cards is simple but longwinded

Public Function setupcards()
'sets the actual deck in suit order used at the start form load
Dim count, x As Integer
'hearts'

For x = 52 To 40 Step -1
deck(x).Index = (x - 39)
deck(x).suit = "hearts"
If (x - 39) < 10 Then
deck(x).value = (x - 39)
End If
If (x - 39) > 10 Then
deck(x).value = 10
End If
Next x

'clubs

For x = 39 To 27 Step -1
deck(x).Index = (x - 26)
deck(x).suit = "clubs"
If (x - 26) < 10 Then
deck(x).value = (x - 26)
End If
If (x - 26) > 10 Then
deck(x).value = (10)
End If

Next x

'diamonds

For x = 26 To 14 Step -1
deck(x).Index = (x - 13)
deck(x).suit = "diamonds"
If (x - 13) < 10 Then
deck(x).value = (x - 13)
End If
If (x - 13) > 10 Then
deck(x).value = (10)
End If
Next x

'spades

For x = 13 To 1 Step -1

If x < 10 Then
deck(x).value = x
End If
If x > 10 Then
deck(x).value = 10
End If
deck(x).Index = x
deck(x).suit = "spades"
Next x
For count = 1 To 52
deck(count).shuffled = False
Next count



'set back of cards
For x = 1 To 52
deck(x).pictureback = path & "ims\cardback.jpg"
Next x
'set front art work
deck(1).picturefront = path & "ims\Aspades.jpg"
deck(2).picturefront = path & "ims\2spades.jpg"
deck(3).picturefront = path & "ims\3spades.jpg"
deck(4).picturefront = path & "ims\4spades.jpg"
deck(5).picturefront = path & "ims\5spades.jpg"
deck(6).picturefront = path & "ims\6spades.jpg"
deck(7).picturefront = path & "ims\7spades.jpg"
deck(8).picturefront = path & "ims\8spades.jpg"
deck(9).picturefront = path & "ims\9spades.jpg"
deck(10).picturefront = path & "ims\10spades.jpg"
deck(11).picturefront = path & "ims\Jspades.jpg"
deck(12).picturefront = path & "ims\Qspades.jpg"
deck(13).picturefront = path & "ims\Kspades.jpg"
deck(14).picturefront = path & "ims\Adiamonds.jpg"
deck(15).picturefront = path & "ims\2Diamonds.jpg"
deck(16).picturefront = path & "ims\3diamonds.jpg"
deck(17).picturefront = path & "ims\4diamonds.jpg"
deck(18).picturefront = path & "ims\5diamonds.jpg"
deck(19).picturefront = path & "ims\6diamonds.jpg"
deck(20).picturefront = path & "ims\7diamonds.jpg"
deck(21).picturefront = path & "ims\8diamonds.jpg"
deck(22).picturefront = path & "ims\9diamonds.jpg"
deck(23).picturefront = path & "ims\10diamonds.jpg"
deck(24).picturefront = path & "ims\Jdiamonds.jpg"
deck(25).picturefront = path & "ims\Qdiamonds.jpg"
deck(26).picturefront = path & "ims\kdiamonds.jpg"
deck(27).picturefront = path & "ims\Aclubs.jpg"
deck(28).picturefront = path & "ims\2clubs.jpg"
deck(29).picturefront = path & "ims\3clubs.jpg"
deck(30).picturefront = path & "ims\4clubs.jpg"
deck(31).picturefront = path & "ims\5clubs.jpg"
deck(32).picturefront = path & "ims\6clubs.jpg"
deck(33).picturefront = path & "ims\7clubs.jpg"
deck(34).picturefront = path & "ims\8clubs.jpg"
deck(35).picturefront = path & "ims\9clubs.jpg"
deck(36).picturefront = path & "ims\10clubs.jpg"
deck(37).picturefront = path & "ims\Jclubs.jpg"
deck(38).picturefront = path & "ims\Qclubs.jpg"
deck(39).picturefront = path & "ims\Kclubs.jpg"
deck(40).picturefront = path & "ims\Ahearts.jpg"
deck(41).picturefront = path & "ims\2hearts.jpg"
deck(42).picturefront = path & "ims\3hearts.jpg"
deck(43).picturefront = path & "ims\4hearts.jpg"
deck(44).picturefront = path & "ims\5hearts.jpg"
deck(45).picturefront = path & "ims\6hearts.jpg"
deck(46).picturefront = path & "ims\7hearts.jpg"
deck(47).picturefront = path & "ims\8hearts.jpg"
deck(48).picturefront = path & "ims\9hearts.jpg"
deck(49).picturefront = path & "ims\10hearts.jpg"
deck(50).picturefront = path & "ims\Jhearts.jpg"
deck(51).picturefront = path & "ims\Qhearts.jpg"
deck(52).picturefront = path & "ims\Khearts.jpg"
End Function

these decks are designed to simulate the packs used in the casino where i work. and so chimile shuffle is an important function i use two random numbers generated here:

Public Function random()
' a simple random number gen
Randomize
number1 = 52 * Rnd
Randomize
number2 = 52 * Rnd
checkrandomnumbers
End Function

and using those perform a selection sort:

Public Function ChimShuffle()
'sets up the cards for chim shuffle
Dim count, x, pos As Integer
'chimmile shuffle
'set temp deck order to deck order
For count = 1 To 52
tempdeck(count) = deck(count)

Next count
'perform chim shuffle
For x = 1 To 52
random
checkrandomnumbers
shuffledeck
Next x


'put shuffled deck back together in new order
For count = 1 To 52
deck(count) = tempdeck(count)
tempdeck(count).shuffled = False
Next count
'check deck for consistancy
deckcheck
value
For x = 1 To 52
If deck(x).picturefront = "" Then
MsgBox ("a card is missaing at position " & x)
End If
Next x
End Function

Public Function shuffledeck()
'this is the actual chim shuffle it is called from within a fixed itteration loop
'this works like a slection sort card at position 1 is copied to the same position in the temp deck
'number 1 is then overwritten by number 2
'number 2 is then overwritten by number 1 the positions are therefore exchanged

'set deck to hold first random number
deck(number1) = tempdeck(number1)

'set tempdeck to overwrite first number with second number
tempdeck(number1) = tempdeck(number2)

'set tepmdeck to overwrite second number with first
tempdeck(number2) = deck(number1)


End Function

The other shuffles are a four way cut and a simple riffle shuffle.
My initial intention was to start with a simple game like poker and work up to blackjack in a virtual casno then code it in java so that i can plug it into an applet an let it run on my website.
This is a very longwinded way of doing things but this is an acurate simulation of what happens on a gaming table.

[iRoN_RoCK]

How to sort cards in a hand? Can we use LINQ?

[jmcilhinney]

How to sort cards in a hand? Can we use LINQ?Dim cards = From c In myHand.Cast(Of Card)() _
Order By c.Suit, c.Face _
Select cThat will give you a sorted sequence but it doesn't change the Hand itself. For that you'd have to clear out all the existing Cards and add them all again from the sequence. This code is a bit long in the tooth now anyway so a bit of updating would be in order. For a start, I'd look at inheriting Hand from Collection(Of Card) rather than CollectionBase. I would also add a constructor that would allow creation directly from a list of Cards, which you could get from your LINQ query. You could also have the Card type implement IComparable and then an array or collection could be sorted automatically.