Tic-Tac-Two's System Analysis and Defense Preparation

1. Understanding the Updated Code

Code Flow and Structure

The program is a Tic-Tac-Toe game system allowing single-player or multiplayer modes. It consists

of:

1. Game Management (via Game and its subclasses):

- Initializes the board, players, and game loop.

- Handles input, output, and checks for game results.

- Records game progress in a log file.

2. Player Handling (Player and CPUPlayer):

- Represents both human and CPU players.

- Provides methods for making moves.

3. Game Modes (SinglePlayerGame and MultiPlayerGame):

- Customizes player setup for different modes.

4. Main Function:

- Acts as the entry point and mode selector.

Key Features Added or Updated

1. Dynamic Board Size Selection:

- No external file (board_sizes.txt) required anymore. Users directly input a board size

(setup_board).

2. Improved Player Setup:

- Validates player symbols to prevent duplicates or invalid input.

- Logs each player's move and results.

4. Error Handling:

- Catches invalid inputs in size selection, symbol entry, and moves.

5. Clearer Board Display:

- Shows both the current state and position guide during gameplay.

2. Function Explanations

Core Functions in the Code

Game Class Functions

1. __init__: Initializes game attributes (e.g., board, players, state flags, log file).

2. initialize_log_file: Creates a timestamped log file to record game activity.

3. close_log_file: Closes the log file safely.

4. setup_board:

- Prompts the user to select a board size (minimum 3).

- Initializes a square board and writes board size to the log.

5. check_winner:

- Evaluates all possible winning lines (rows, columns, diagonals).

- Declares a winner or tie and logs the result.

6. display_board:

- Prints the board state with a position guide.

- Logs the board state.

8. play:

- Main game loop:

1. Initializes resources (e.g., log file, board, players).

2. Alternates turns until there's a winner or tie.

3. Handles cleanup (e.g., closing the log file).

Player Class Functions

1. __init__: Sets the player's symbol.

2. make_move:

- Prompts human players to choose a position.

- Validates the input and updates the board.

CPUPlayer Class Functions

1. make_move:

- Chooses a random valid position using random.choice.

- Updates the board and logs the move.

SinglePlayerGame Class

- setup_players:

1. Prompts the user for their symbol.

2. Assigns a unique symbol to the CPU player.

MultiPlayerGame Class

- setup_players:

1. Prompts for the number of players (2 or 3).

2. Ensures each player has a unique symbol.

- Game serves as the base class, with methods reused and extended by SinglePlayerGame and

MultiPlayerGame.

- Players interact with Game via:

- The make_move method to update the board.

- Turn tracking (current_player_index) and board checks (check_winner).

- Logging functions ensure that all major actions (e.g., moves, results) are recorded.

3. Updated Sample Defense Questions

Q1: How does the board size affect the game?

Answer: The board size determines the game's difficulty and duration. A larger board requires more

moves to fill and offers more potential winning combinations. For example:

- A 3x3 board has 8 winning lines (3 rows, 3 columns, 2 diagonals).

- A 5x5 board has 12 winning lines.

Q2: How are winning conditions checked?

Answer: The check_winner method evaluates all possible winning lines:

1. Rows: Extracts consecutive cells from the board.

2. Columns: Collects elements spaced by size indices.

3. Diagonals:

- Left-to-right: Indices [0, size+1, 2*(size+1), ...].

- Right-to-left: Indices [size-1, 2*(size-1), 3*(size-1), ...].

4. Checks if all cells in a line have the same non-empty symbol.

If no winner is found and no empty cells remain, it declares a tie.

Answer: The make_move method validates the player's input:

1. Ensures the position is within bounds (0 <= position < board size).

2. Ensures the cell is empty (board[position] == "-").

If invalid, it prompts the player to retry until a valid position is chosen.

Q4: What are the key differences between single-player and multiplayer modes?

Answer:

- Single Player:

- One human and one CPU player.

- CPU uses random.choice for moves.

- Multiplayer:

- Supports 2-3 human players.

- Requires each player to select a unique symbol.

Q5: Why is the log file important?

Answer: The log file:

- Records the board size, moves, and results.

- Helps players review the game history.

- Demonstrates proper use of Python file handling.

Q6: How does the flip_player function work?

Answer: It alternates turns by updating the current_player_index:

self.current_player_index = (self.current_player_index + 1) % len(self.players)

This cycles through players based on the list length.

Answer: It improves clarity by:

1. Showing the current state of the board (symbols).

2. Displaying a position guide (indices) for player reference.