Lab 5 - Due: 6/06/06

The Game of Nim

Grading Criteria

18 points total

Step 1

• 1 pt - The getNumbers() method correctly takes a String value and an int value as parameters. (The String value is meant to be the current player's name and the int value is meant to be the current number of coins in the pile.)
• 1 pt - The getNumbers() method correctly returns a value of the type int.
• 1 pt - The int value returned by the getNumbers() method is a proper number of coins chosen by the user.
• 1 pt - The getNumbers() method correctly loops if the user does not respond with a value of 1 or 2.
• 1 pt - The getNumbers() method correctly loops if the user responds with a value greater than the current number of coins in the pile.

Step 2

• 1 pt - The nextTurn() method correctly takes a String value and an int value as parameters. (The String value is meant to be the current player's name and the int value is meant to be the current number of coins in the pile.)
• 1 pt - The nextTurn() method correctly returns a value of the type int.
• 1 pt - The int value returned by the nextTurn() method is the current number of coins left in the pile.
• 1 pt - The nextTurn() method correctly informs the user that it's his/her turn (using the String parameter of the method).
• 1 pt - The nextTurn() method properly makes use of the getNumber() method to get the user to select a valid number of coins.
• 1 pt - If the user's valid choice for the number of coins drops the pile total to zero, the nextTurn() method correctly informs the user that he/she has won.

Step 3

• 1 pt - The playNim() method correctly tells the players some description of how to play Nim (this could be brief).
• 1 pt - The playNim() method correctly asks for and takes in a String for each of 2 players to represent their names.
• 1 pt - The playNim() method correctly asks the players for the number of coins they would like to start the Nim pile with.
• 1 pt - The playNim() method properly loops, letting the players take turns taking coins from the pile (making use of the nextTurn() method), until the pile is empty. (Note: This means the second player should not be allowed another turn if the first player has already won the game.)

Step 4

• 2 pts - Program correctly prompts the user to run the program again and continues to run it (making use of the playNim() method) as often as the user responds with the string "yes".
  
  (An alternative, reasonable choice for a response that the user could give was acceptable provided that the user was told exactly what to enter in order to cause the program to repeat.)
• 1 pt - After the user declines to run the program agian, program properly displays some message to indicate the the program is done running.