Here goes!
#!/usr/bin/ruby -w
#########################
Author: Christian R.
Filename: magicsquare.rb
Date: 20-05-07
#########################
Ruby Q. #124 - Magic Squares
behold, a rhodes magic square class!
class MagicSquare
def initialize(size)
@size = size
@square = Array.new(size)
@square.each_index { |i| @square[i] = Array.new(size, 0) } # create
multidimensional array of zeroes
# let’s get started building this thing
create
end
primary function in this class; takes care of all the legwork by
filling
in the magic
square with successive numbers
def create
stop = @size ** 2
row = 0
col = (@size - 1) / 2 # handy trick to find middle of zero-based
array
1.upto(stop) do |num|
@square[row][col] = num
temp_row, temp_col = row - 1, col - 1
temp_row = @size - 1 if temp_row < 0 # handle going off the
deep
end and adjust accordingly
temp_col = @size - 1 if temp_col < 0 # …and here, too
if @square[temp_row][temp_col] != 0 # check if prospective
spot is
already filled
temp_row, temp_col = row + 1, col # if so, move down one
spot
from initial square
end
# get ready for next iteration
row = temp_row
col = temp_col
end
end
pretty-printing function that displays the magic square in a box
looks alright until numbers get above 1,000…
def pp
rowsep = “+” + “-” * (@size * 6 - 1) + “+” # IMPROVE ME: more
dynamic
string for larger squares - perhaps dependent on @size^2
rowfmt = “|” + " %3d |" * @size +"\n" # IMPROVE ME: more
dynamic
string for larger squares - perhaps dependent on @size^2
puts rowsep
@square.each do |sub|
printf(rowfmt, *sub)
puts rowsep
end
end
helper function to check row sum
def magic_number(row=0)
@square[row].inject { |sum, n| sum + n }
end
private :create
end
grab cmd-line arg and convert it to a number
NOTE: if to_i fails here, it returns a 0 which is then caught by the
if-then clause - no exceptions needed!
input = ARGV.shift.to_i
prevent bad input
NOTE: ignoring size == 1 since it’s a trivial square
E_BADARG = 1
if input <= 2 || input % 2 == 0
puts “Bad argument - must be an odd integer > 2”
exit E_BADARG
end
make a new square, print it fancily(?), and spit out the magic number
for
kicks
sq = MagicSquare.new(input)
sq.pp
puts “magic number = #{sq.magic_number}”