Traffic Jam

User Interface Prototype

                              TRAFFIC JAM
Two groups of 5 people (shown as arrows) are crossing a river in opposite
directions by hopping on rocks.  There are eleven rocks and in the starting
configuration, the empty rock (.) is in between the two groups.
>   >   >   >   >   .   <   <   <   <   <
GOAL:  The objective is for the two groups to exchange sides, that is,
to pass each other.  Thus, the winning configuration is:
<   <   <   <   <   .   >   >   >   >   >
RULES:   1. People can only move forward in the direction they are facing.
No backstepping or turning around.  2.  Only one person may move at a time.
3.   There are two kinds of legal moves:
     A)   A person may move into an adjacent empty space immediately
          in front of them.
     B)   A person may move around someone (or leapfrog over them)
          into an empty space behind them, if they are adjacent
          and FACING each other.
MOVING:  Enter the number of the person you desire to move.  Enter 0 to
start over, any alphabetic key to quit.

 >   >   >   >   >   .   <   <   <   <   <
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
 1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11
Your move?

Screen 1: This screen shows the welcome text that is displayed when the application starts.  The starting board configuration appears at the bottom followed by a prompt for the user to enter a move.  The user will enter a number between 1 and 11.



Your move?
5
 >   >   >   >   .   >   <   <   <   <   <
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
 1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11
Your move?

Screen 2: This screen shows the user has entered a legal move (shown in bold face, 5) and the marker at position 5 was moved into the previously empty spot, and spot 5 is now empty.



 >   >   >   >   .   >   <   <   <   <   <
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
 1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11
Your move?
6
Your move?
3
Your move?

Screen 3: This screen shows the user has entered two illegal moves in a row.  On the current board, 6 is not legal  and 3 is not legal.  The program responds by simply displaying the prompt. (Note there is no "error" message.)



Your move?
4
 >   >   >   .   >   >   <   <   <   <   <
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
 1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11
Your move?
7
Your move?


Screen 4: This screen shows the user has made another legal move, 4,  and then tried an illegal move, 7.



Your move?
0
 >   >   >   >   >   .   <   <   <   <   <
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
 1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11
Your move?

Screen 5: This screen shows that the user has reset the board by entering zero.  The board is back in its original configuration.




Your move?
6
 <   <   <   <   <   .   >   >   >   >   >
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
 1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11

      *** Hurray, you won! ***

C:\TrafficJam>

Screen 6: This screen shows that the user has won the game by solving the traffic jam. A congratulations message is displayed and the application terminates.




Your move?
4
 >   >   >   .   <   >   <   >   <   <   <
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
 1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11
Your move?
q
Game terminated.

C:\TrafficJam>

Screen 7: This screen shows a screen during a different game where the user terminated the game by entering a non-numeric character.

Document History
1/24/04  JD Initial Release