Simple Lotto Game

Question

I have developed a Lotto Game in C for my Assignment, it allows a user to enter one of the 6 menu options.

From the menu the user would be able to view the numbers they have chosen, another option would sort the numbers in ascending order, in this case I used bubble sort.

What it does in the 1st menu is read the 6 numbers that the user has entered from the keyboard. The number must range from 1-42 and if the user enters any number out of bounds it will give an error message. It also gives an error message if the user enters a number that they has entered already.

Another option will compare the users numbers with the winning numbers and see if they match.

It will also display how many times a number has been entered, for example if the user entered 5 twice from 4 games it will display Number 5 has been selected 2 times. without exiting the program. This can be selected from the menu too.

Last but not least, the last option from the menu exits the program.

I added key features such as displaying the menu after finishing with the current option from the menu and options 2,3,4 and 5 only to be selected if option 1 has been selected from the menu.

Please take a look and let me know how this code could be improved to make this a better Lotto Game.

Here is the code:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#define SIZE 6           // Size of the array as only 6 numbers are entered.
#define MAXOUT 43       // For Frequency use when displaying the numbers.
#define ZERO 0         // Replacing 0 with Zero.
#define ARRAYSIZE 500 // Storing the frequency, 500 should be enough.

/*Prototypes*/

//For Option 1
//
void menu_1(int*, int*);

//For Option 2
//
void menu_2(int*);

//For Option 3
//
void menu_3(int*);

//For Option 4
//
void menu_4(int*, int*); 

//For Option 5
//
void menu_5(int*, int*);

//For Option 6
//
void menu_6();

//Ninja fix for entering the number twice.
//
int error_dubhandle(int *user_lottonumber);

//Out of bound error fix
//
void error_handle1();

//Main
//
int main(void)
{
    //Main Variables.
    //
    int start; // Used to select from the menu.
    int loop; // To display the menu over and over.

    loop = ZERO; // To display the menu over and over in the do while loop.

    //User error checking select 1 before selecting other options.
    //
    int selectOnefirst = 0;

    //Where the user numbers are stored.
    //
    int user_lottonumber[SIZE];

    //The winning numbers.
    //
    int winning_numbers[SIZE] = {1,3,5,7,9,11};

    //Frequency array storage
    //
    int frequencyChecker[ARRAYSIZE] = {ZERO};

    //The loop for the main to be displayed over and over
    //Until the program ends.
    //
    do
    {
        //Printing out the menu. With a nice boarder around it.
        //
        printf("\n--------------------------------------------Gabriel Grimberg---------------------------------------------------");
        printf("\n***************************************************************************************************************");
        printf("\n* 1. - Enter your numbers in to play.                                                                         *");                                                                                       
        printf("\n* 2. - Display the numbers you enters.                                                                        *");
        printf("\n* 3. - Sort your numbers in an increasing order.                                                              *");
        printf("\n*      (This is mandatory, it will sort the numbers you entered in an increasing order.)                      *");
        printf("\n* 4. - See if you won the lotto!                                                                              *");
        printf("\n* 5. - Display the frequency of the numbers. (Record of times a number has been selected.)                    *");
        printf("\n* 6. - Exit the Lotto Game.                                                                                   *");    
        printf("\n***************************************************************************************************************\n\n");

        //Letting the user know to press 1 before pressing 2-5.
        //
        printf("You must complete option 1 from the menu before moving on.");

        printf("\n\nPlease select from the menu: ");

        //Entering from the menu.
        //
        scanf("%d", &start);

        fpurge(stdin); //Clears the buffer of given stream.

        //Making sure the user can only select the options from 1-6 from the menu.
        //
        if(start > 6)
        {
            error_handle1();
        }

        //Calling the function to allow the user to enter the numbers.
        //
        if(start == 1)
        {
            menu_1(user_lottonumber,frequencyChecker);
            selectOnefirst++;
        }

        //Calling the function to show the user entered numbers.
        //
        if(start == 2 && selectOnefirst == 1)
        {           
            menu_2(user_lottonumber);
        }

        //Calling the function to sort the numbers in an increasing order.
        //
        if(start == 3 && selectOnefirst == 1)
        {
            menu_3(user_lottonumber);
        }

        //Calling the function to see if the user won the lotto.
        //
        if(start == 4 && selectOnefirst == 1)
        {
            menu_4(user_lottonumber,winning_numbers);
        }

        //Calling the function to see the frequency of numbers
        //
        if(start == 5 && selectOnefirst == 1)
        {
            menu_5(user_lottonumber, frequencyChecker);
            selectOnefirst--;
        }

        //Calling the function to exit the program.
        //
        if(start == 6)
        {
            menu_6();
        }

    }
    while (loop == ZERO); //end loop

}//End Int Main()

/*Implementing Functions*/

//Getting the users numbers
//
void menu_1(int* user_lottonumber, int* frequencyChecker)
{
    //Declaring the Variables.
    //
    int i;
    int number_checker;
    number_checker = 1;

    //Resetting the Array to 0.
    //
    for(i = ZERO; i < SIZE; i++)
    {
        *(user_lottonumber + i) = ZERO;
    }

    //Displaying to the user the information.
    //
    printf("Welcome to the Lotto Game! Time to pick your numbers.\n");

    printf("Note: You must pick from 1-42\n\n"); //Telling the user to pick from 1-42.

    for(i = ZERO; i < SIZE; i++) 
    {
        do
        { 
            number_checker = 1;

            //Telling the user to enter in their 6 numbers.
            //
            printf("\nPlease enter your %d numbers in: ",SIZE);
            scanf("%d", user_lottonumber + i);

            fpurge(stdin); //Clears the buffer of given stream.

            //Error checking.
            //
            if(error_dubhandle(user_lottonumber) || (!(*(user_lottonumber + i) > ZERO && *(user_lottonumber + i) < 43) )) 
            {
                number_checker = ZERO;
                printf("\nThe number you have selected is either already selected or invalid.\n");
                printf("\nPlease select a number between 1-42 also don't select the same number again.\n");
            }

            //Calculating the Frequency.
            //
            if(number_checker == 1) 
            {
                //Checking the numbers entered on against the numbers on the frequencyChecker.
                //
                *(frequencyChecker + *(user_lottonumber + i)) = *(frequencyChecker + *(user_lottonumber + i)) + 1;
            }

        }//End do

        while(!number_checker); //While not 0 run the code.

    }//End for

}//End menu_1()

//Displaying the user entered numbers.
//
void menu_2(int *user_lottonumber)
{
    //Declaring the Variables.
    //
    int i;

    printf("Here are the numbers that you have selected: \n");

    for(i = ZERO; i < SIZE; i++)
    {
        printf("%d ",*(user_lottonumber+i));
    }

}//End main2()

//Organising the User Lotto numbers.
//
void menu_3(int *user_lottonumber)
{
    //Declaring the Variables.
    //
    int n;
    int m;
    int place;

    //Sorting using Bubble Sort.
    //
    for(n = ZERO; n < SIZE; n++)
    {
        for(m = n; m < SIZE; m++)
        {
            if(*(user_lottonumber+n) > *(user_lottonumber+m)) //Sorting in an ascending order. 
            {
                place = *(user_lottonumber+n);
                *(user_lottonumber+n) = *(user_lottonumber+m);
                *(user_lottonumber+m) = place;

            }//End if.

        }//End for.

    }//End for.

    //Displaying the ordered numbers.
    //
    printf("Here are your numbers ordered: \n");

    for(n = ZERO; n < SIZE; n++)
    {
        printf("%d ", *(user_lottonumber+n) );
    }

}//End main3()

//Seeing if the user won
//
void menu_4(int *user_lottonumber, int *winning_numbers)
{
    //Declaring the Variables.
    //
    int i;
    int c;
    int compareNum;
    int bonusNum;
    int bonusCount;
    bonusNum   = 42; //Setting the bonus number.
    bonusCount = ZERO;
    compareNum = ZERO;

    //The counter that checks if the user matches the winning numbers.
    //
    for(i = ZERO; i < SIZE; i++)
    {
        for(c = ZERO; c < SIZE; c++)
        {
            if(*(user_lottonumber+i) == *(winning_numbers+c))
            {
                compareNum++; //Incrementing.
            }
        }
    }

    //The counter that checks if the user has the bonus number
    //
    for(i = ZERO; i < SIZE; i++)
    {
        if(*(user_lottonumber) == bonusNum)
        {
            bonusCount++; //Incrementing.
        }
    }

    //If 6 numbers match the user wins this.
    //
    if(compareNum == 6)
    {
        printf("Congratulations, You have won the Jackpot!");
    }

    //If 5 numbers and the bonus matches, the user wins this.
    //
    if(compareNum == 5 && bonusCount == 1)
    {
        printf("Congratulations, You have won a Car!");
    }

    //If 5 numbers match the user wins this.
    //
    if(compareNum == 5)
    {
        printf("Congratulations, You have won a Holiday!");
    }

    //If 4 numbers and the bonus matches, the user wins this.
    //
    if(compareNum == 4 && bonusCount == 1)
    {
        printf("Congratulations, You have won a Weekend Away!");
    }

    //If 4 numbers match the user wins this.
    //
    if(compareNum == 4)
    {
        printf("Congratulations, You have won a Night Out!");
    }

    //If 3 numbers and the bonus matches,c the user wins this.
    //
    if(compareNum == 3 && bonusCount == 1)
    {
        printf("Congratulations, You have won a Cinema Ticket!");
    }

    //If the none of the numbers the user entered match, the user doesn't win anything.
    //
    if(compareNum == ZERO || compareNum == 1 || compareNum == 2 || compareNum == 3)
    {
        printf("Hard luck, you have not won anything.");
    }

}//End menu_4()

//Frequency of numbers.
//
void menu_5(int *user_lottonumber, int *frequencyChecker)
{
    //Declaring the Variables.
    //
    int i;
    int j;
    int adder;

    //Prints the frequency of each element.
    //
    for(i = ZERO; i < MAXOUT; i++)  
    {  
        if(*(frequencyChecker+i) != ZERO)  
        {  
            printf("Number %d has been selected %d times.\n", i, *(frequencyChecker+i) );  
        }  
    }

}//End menu_5()

//Exiting the program
//
void menu_6()
{
    //Displaying an exit message.
    //
    printf("\nYou have chosen to exit the program. Thanks for playing the Lotto Game!\n");

    //Terminating the code.
    //
    exit(ZERO);

}//End menu_6()

//Error Checking making sure the user doesn't enter the same number in again.
//
int error_dubhandle(int *user_lottonumber)
{
    //Declaring the Variables.
    //
    int adding;
    int atk;

    for (adding = ZERO; adding < SIZE; adding++) 
    {
        for (atk = adding + 1; atk < SIZE; atk++) 
        {
            //Checks if the array has any duplicates.
            //
            if (*(user_lottonumber + adding) == *(user_lottonumber + atk) && *(user_lottonumber + atk) != ZERO) 
            {
                return(1); //If there is a duplicate then return 1.

            }//End if.

        }//End second for.

    }//End first for.

    return(ZERO); //If there is no duplicate return 0.

}//End error_dubhandle();

//Out of bound error fixer
//
void error_handle1()
{
    //Showing the user the problem, in this case if the user doesn't select
    //between 1-6 from the menu then this will show up.
    //
    printf("Invalid Option, please select again and read the instructions carefully!");
    printf("\n-->You are now going to be shown the menu again, please select appropriately.<--\n");

}//End error_handle1()

Answer 1

Comments

Comments should tell the reader why you're doing something, not what you're doing. Comments like this are redundant:

//For Option 6
//
void menu_6();

Method Naming

Consider giving your functions more meaningful names that describe what they do. Using the example above, menu_6. Unless you already have the menu in your head the name is meaningless. A better name might be menu_exit_game.

Magic Numbers Vs Defines

Replacing magic numbers with meaningful constants is a good thing, however simply replacing a magic number with it's word value adds little value. Consider:

#define ZERO 0

What should ZERO be used for? You're using it as a direct replacement for 0 in your code, but not always:

int selectOnefirst = 0;

Another example is SIZE, SIZE of what? NUM_LOTTERY_NUMBERS perhaps? Naming is hard, however if you get it right it makes your programs a lot more expressive.

Unused variables

If you change your plan for your program, don't forget to clean up after yourself. For example in menu_5, you're declaring two variables that you're not using (j and adder).

Expressive names

Consider how much easier this would be to read with more expressive names and meaningful constants:

//If 6 numbers match the user wins this.
//
if(compareNum == 6)
{
    printf("Congratulations, You have won the Jackpot!");
}
//If 5 numbers and the bonus matches, the user wins this.
//
if(compareNum == 5 && bonusCount == 1)
{
    printf("Congratulations, You have won a Car!");
}

becomes:

if(matched_numbers == NUM_LOTTERY_NUMBERS)
{
    printf("Congratulations, You have won the Jackpot!");
}
if(matched_numbers == (NUM_LOTTERY_NUMBERS - 1) && matched_bonus)
{
    printf("Congratulations, You have won a Car!");
}

Be Consistent

Your using different conventions for naming your variables. You've got both selectOnefirst and user_lottonumber. Pick a naming strategy and be consistent throughout the program.

Bug when matching 3 numbers and 1 bonus

You're not returning from your matches and you're not using ifs, so if compareNum == 3, both of these if clauses are matched:

if(compareNum == 3 && bonusCount == 1)
{
    printf("Congratulations, You have won a Cinema Ticket!");
}

if(compareNum == ZERO || compareNum == 1 || compareNum == 2 || compareNum == 3)
{
    printf("Hard luck, you have not won anything.");
}

You could either update your code flow, or change the final if to something like:

if(compareNum <= 2 || (compareNum == 3 && !bonusCount))