Codes Game

Learn creating a Codes Game using Windows App SDK with this Tutorial

Codes Game shows how to create a game where you need to guess the correct combination of four numbers between 1 and 9 using a toolkit from NuGet using the Windows App SDK.

Step 1

Follow Setup and Start on how to get Setup and Install what you need for Visual Studio 2022 and Windows App SDK.

In Windows 11 choose Start and then find or search for Visual Studio 2022 and then select it.

Once Visual Studio 2022 has started select Create a new project.

Then choose the Blank App, Packages (WinUI in Desktop) and then select Next.

After that in Configure your new project type in the Project name as CodesGame, then select a Location and then select Create to start a new Solution.

Step 2

Then in Visual Studio within Solution Explorer for the Solution, right click on the Project shown below the Solution and then select Manage NuGet Packages...

Manage NuGet Packages

Step 3

Then in the NuGet Package Manager from the Browse tab search for Comentsys.Toolkit.WindowsAppSdk and then select Comentsys.Toolkit.WindowsAppSdk by Comentsys as indicated and select Install

NuGet Package Manager Comentsys.Toolkit.WindowsAppSdk

This will add the package for Comentsys.Toolkit.WindowsAppSdk to your Project. If you get the Preview Changes screen saying Visual Studio is about to make changes to this solution. Click OK to proceed with the changes listed below. You can read the message and then select OK to Install the package, then you can close the tab for Nuget: CodesGame by selecting the x next to it.

Step 4

Then in Visual Studio within Solution Explorer for the Solution, right click on the Project shown below the Solution and then select Add then New Item…

Add New Item

Step 5

Then in Add New Item from the C# Items list, select Code and then select Code File from the list next to this, then type in the name of Library.cs and then Click on Add.

Add New Code File

Step 6

You will now be in the View for the Code of Library.cs, within this type the following Code:


using Comentsys.Toolkit.Binding;
using Comentsys.Toolkit.WindowsAppSdk;
using Microsoft.UI;
using Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Controls;
using Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Data;
using Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Media;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Collections.ObjectModel;
using System.Linq;
using System.Windows.Input;

namespace CodesGame;

public enum State
{
    None,
    Match
}

// Code Class

// StateToBrushConverter Class

public class Library
{
    // Library Constants, Variables and Choose Method

    // Library GetCode, IsMatch & Setup Method

    // Library Accept & New Method

}

The Class defined so far Library.cs has using for package of Comentsys.Assets.FluentEmoji and others along with a namespace which allows many classes to be defined together, usually a class is defined per file but to make things easier each will be defined in Library.cs instead.

Step 7

Still in Library.cs for the namespace of CodesGame in Library.cs you will define a class after the Comment of // Code Class by typing the following:


public class Code : ObservableBase
{
    private int _value;
    private State _state;
    private readonly int _index;
    private readonly Action<int> _action;

    public Code(int index, int value, State state, Action<int> action) =>
        (_index, Value, State, _action) = (index, value, state, action);

    public ICommand Command =>
        new ActionCommandHandler((param) => _action(_index));

    public int Value
    {
        get => _value;
        set => SetProperty(ref _value, value);
    }

    public State State
    {
        get => _state;
        set => SetProperty(ref _state, value);
    }
}

Code uses the class from the toolkit of ObservableBase which will be used for Data Binding the Properties which include the State and Value along with the Command which will be used to allow interaction with the element using Commanding.

Step 8

Still in Library.cs for the namespace of CodesGame in Library.cs you will define a class after the Comment of // StateToBrushConverter Class by typing the following:


public class StateToBrushConverter : IValueConverter
{
    public object Convert(object value, Type targetType, 
        object parameter, string language)
    {
        if (value is State state)
        {
            var invert = bool.Parse(parameter as string);
            var none = state == State.None;
            var color = none ^= invert;
            return new SolidColorBrush(color ? Colors.White : Colors.Black);
        }
        return null;
    }

    public object ConvertBack(object value, Type targetType, 
        object parameter, string language) =>
        throw new NotImplementedException();
}

StateToBrushConverter uses the interface of IValueConverter for Data Binding which will allow the colours of the Codes in the game to be represented from either White or Black as a SolidColorBrush.

Step 9

While still in the namespace of CodesGame in Library.cs and in the class of Library after the Comment of // Library Constants, Variables and Choose Method type in the following Constants, Variables and Method:


private const string title = "Codes Game";
private const int max = 9;
private const int total = 4;

private readonly ObservableCollection<Code> _codes = new();
private readonly Random _random = new((int)DateTime.UtcNow.Ticks);

private List<int> _values = new();
private int _turns = 0;

private Dialog _dialog;
private ItemsControl _items;

private List<int> Choose(int minimum, int maximum, int total)
{
    var choose = new List<int>();
    var values = Enumerable.Range(minimum, maximum).ToList();
    for (int index = 0; index < total; index++)
    {
        var value = _random.Next(0, values.Count);
        choose.Add(values[value]);
    }
    return choose;
}

Constants are values that are used in the game that will not change and Variables are used to store various values for the game. The Method of Choose will be used to create a list of randomised numbers that are not unique as you can have the same number in a Code for the game.

Step 10

While still in the namespace of CodesGame in Library.cs and in the class of Library after the Comment of // Library GetCode, IsMatch & Setup Method type in the following Methods:


private Code GetCode(int index, int value) =>
    new(index, value, State.None, (int i) =>
    {
        var code = _codes[i];
        if (code.State == State.None)
            code.Value = (code.Value == max) ? 1 : code.Value + 1;
    });

private bool IsMatch(int index, int value)
{
    var code = _codes[index];
    return value == code.Value ?
    (code.State = State.Match) == State.Match :
    (code.State = State.None) == State.Match;
}

private void Setup()
{
    _turns = 0;
    _codes.Clear();
    for (int index = 0; index < total; index++)
    {
        _codes.Add(GetCode(index, index + 1));
    }
    _values = Choose(1, max, total);
    _items.ItemsSource = _codes;
}

GetCode is used to get a part of a Code for the game, IsMatch will check if the selected part of a Code matches the part of a Code and Setup is used to initialise the game with a given Code using Choose.

Step 11

While still in the namespace of CodesGame in Library.cs and in the class of Library after the Comment of // Library Accept & New Method type in the following Methods:


public void Accept()
{
    int index = 0;
    int correct = 0;
    foreach (var value in _values)
    {
        if (IsMatch(index, value))
            correct++;
        index++;
    }
    _turns++;
    if (correct == total)
    {
        string code = string.Join(string.Empty, _codes.Select(s => s.Value));
        _dialog.Show($"Matched {code} in {_turns} turns");
        Setup();
    }
}

public void New(ItemsControl items)
{
    _dialog = new Dialog(items.XamlRoot, title);
    _items = items;
    Setup();
}

Accept will check if the selected parts of the Code are correct using IsMatch if they are all correct then a message will be displayed using the Dialog and New will be used to begin a game and uses Setup.

Step 12

Within Solution Explorer for the Solution double-click on MainWindow.xaml to see the XAML for the Main Window.

Step 13

In the XAML for MainWindow.xaml there will be some XAML for a StackPanel, this should be Removed:


<StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal" 
HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center">
    <Button x:Name="myButton" Click="myButton_Click">Click Me</Button>
</StackPanel>

Step 14

While still in the XAML for MainWindow.xaml below <Window, type in the following XAML:


xmlns:ui="using:Comentsys.Toolkit.WindowsAppSdk"

The XAML for <Window> should then look as follows:


<Window
    xmlns:ui="using:Comentsys.Toolkit.WindowsAppSdk"
    x:Class="CodesGame.MainWindow"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
    xmlns:local="using:CodesGame"
    xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
    xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
    mc:Ignorable="d">

Step 15

While still in the XAML for MainWindow.xaml above </Window>, type in the following XAML:


<Grid>
    <Grid.Resources>
        <local:StateToBrushConverter x:Key="StateToBrushConverter"/>
    </Grid.Resources>
    <Viewbox>
        <ItemsControl Margin="50" Name="Display" 
            HorizontalAlignment="Center" 
            VerticalAlignment="Center" Loaded="New">
            <ItemsControl.ItemTemplate>
                <DataTemplate x:Name="DataTemplate">
                    <Button Command="{Binding Command}">
                        <ui:Piece Value="{Binding Value}" IsSquare="True"
                        Fill="{Binding State, Mode=OneWay, 
                        Converter={StaticResource StateToBrushConverter}, 
                        ConverterParameter=True}"
                        Foreground="{Binding State, Mode=OneWay, 
                        Converter={StaticResource StateToBrushConverter}, 
                        ConverterParameter=False}" />
                    </Button>
                </DataTemplate>
            </ItemsControl.ItemTemplate>
            <ItemsControl.ItemsPanel>
                <ItemsPanelTemplate>
                    <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal"/>
                </ItemsPanelTemplate>
            </ItemsControl.ItemsPanel>
        </ItemsControl>
    </Viewbox>
    <CommandBar VerticalAlignment="Bottom">
        <AppBarButton Icon="Accept" Label="Accept" Click="Accept"/>
        <AppBarButton Icon="Page2" Label="New" Click="New"/>
    </CommandBar>
</Grid>

This XAML contains a Grid with Resources using the StateToBrushConverter and also contains a Viewbox which will Scale an ItemsControl which has a DataTemplate which contains a Button and Piece which will be bound using Data Binding. It has a Loaded event handler for New which is also shared by the AppBarButton along with one for Accept.

Step 16

Within Solution Explorer for the Solution select the arrow next to MainWindow.xaml then double-click on MainWindow.xaml.cs to see the Code for the Main Window.

Step 17

In the Code for MainWindow.xaml.cs there be a Method of myButton_Click(...) this should be Removed by removing the following:


private void myButton_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
    myButton.Content = "Clicked";
}

Step 18

Once myButton_Click(...) has been removed, within the Constructor of public MainWindow() { ... } and below the line of this.InitializeComponent(); type in the following Code:


private readonly Library _library = new();

private void Accept(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) =>
    _library.Accept();

private void New(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) =>
    _library.New(Display);

Here an Instance of Library is created then below this is the Method of Accept and New that will be used with Event Handler from the XAML, these Methods use Arrow Syntax with the => for an expression body which is useful when a Method only has one line.

Step 19

That completes the Windows App SDK application. In Visual Studio 2022 from the Toolbar select CodesGame (Package) to Start the application.

Step 20

Once running you win the game by selecting four numbers between 1 and 9 to guess the secret Code by selecting the numbers you can go through them to find the correct combination and once happy select Accept if you guessed a number incorrectly then it will turn Black with White text or if correct it will be White with Black text, or you can select New to start a new game.

Codes Game Running and Output

Step 21

To Exit the Windows App SDK application, select the Close button from the top right of the application as that concludes this Tutorial for Windows App SDK from tutorialr.com!

Codes Game PDF