Lab 3 Part 2: Graphics and user input

At the moment, your random-evolver for lists displays its interim generations using text only. This part will uses Python's graphics to display those lists. In addition, we will use graphics-based input in order to interact with the functions.

Displaying the lists graphically

The csplot.py module contains a function named show that will display lists as patches of color in a window. To use csplot, follow these steps:

1. Be sure that you download csplot.py to the same directory that your hw3pr1.py file is located.
   This is the link to csplot.py. Use right-click on a PC or control-click on a Mac
   You should re-download the file from the link above - it has changed since the last HW.
2. Include the line from csplot import * at the top of your hw3pr1.py file near the other import lines - this will provide access to the graphics functions in csplot.
3. Include the line show(L) right above the print(L) line that is already in your runGenerations function. This is the command to display your list graphically.

How does it display lists?

Try the function call

show( [1,0,1,1,0] )

and you should see a window that looks like the following:

NOTE: csplot has the same "frozen window" problem as turtle graphics had. After csplot finishes each command its window will become unresponsive. This is OK; as soon as you give it another command it will update to show this command. However, if you want to see the result of your previous command (and end your interaction with the csplot window) you can type done() at the python prompt and the csplot window will respond again. However, after typing done(), you will have to close the csplot window before you can interact with the python shell again. For most of the assignment, you will not need to use the done() command. When we add mouse input, the window will respond just fine.

Try it out

Alter your runGenerations code by adding the line show(L) above the line print(L) that is already there. Try it out with runGenerations( [0,0,0,0,0] ) or variants... .

Want different colors?

You can set each value's color at the Python prompt, as follows:

>>> setColor( 0, "purple" )

>>> setColor( 1, "blue" )

>>> setColor( 2, "green" )

>>> show( [0,1,2,0,1] )

resulting in the image

We will be using only 0s and 1s, but this example shows that other values are also possible.

Accepting user input

The approach to evolving lists thus far is, well, a bit too random. This section will enable the user to guide the process by clicking on the graphical representation of the list.

Getting mouse input

Replace your evolve and setNewElement functions by copying these at the bottom of your file:

def evolve( L ):

""" evolve takes in a list of integers, L,

and returns a new list of integers

considered to be the "next generation"

"""

N = len(L) # N now holds the size of the list L

x = sqinput() # Get mouse input from the user

return [ setNewElement( L, i, x ) for i in range(N) ]

def setNewElement( L, i, x=0 ):

""" setNewElement returns the NEW list's ith element

input L: any list of integers

input i: the index of the new element to return

input x: an extra, optional input for future use

"""

if i == x: # if it's the user's chosen column,

return choice( [0,1] ) # return a random 0 or 1

else: # otherwise

return L[i] # return the original

Note that sqinput() is a function from the csplot module which takes mouse input from the user. It returns the index of the square closest to the mouse click.

Try running runGenerations( [0,0,0,0,0,0] ). Now, the execution should pause and wait for you to click on one of the squares in the window. Note that the square does not simply change from 0 to 1 and 1 to 0 - the call to choice randomizes the result.

Toggling the lights

Change the setNewElement function so that the light the user clicks on toggles from 0 to 1 or from 1 to 0, as appropriate. Hint: if the old value of the light is L[i], what will you get if you subtract that value from 1?

Be sure to test your code by running

runGenerations( [0,0,0,0,0,0] )

Admittedly, the "game" is not difficult to win in this case, but the next part of the lab adds the wrinkle that makes it much more challenging.

This link continues the lab with the same hw3pr1.py file.