README.md

The Connect 4 Game

Built with typescript and webpack.

Installation

1. Prerequisite: yarn

Install yarn if you haven't.

2. Setup

In your terminal, run commands:

git clone https://github.com/zzhjerry/connectFour.git
cd connectFour
yarn install
yarn run serve

3. Start playing

open http://localhost:8080/

Have fun!

Development notes

1. workflow

All development source files are inside app folder. If you run yarn run build, the typescript files will be compiled, bundled and copied into dist/application.js. The command will also copy app/index.html into dist/index.html. Note dist folder is a new generated folder in the project root directory. So now if you open dist/index.html, you should be able to play the game. The dist/index.html file and dist/application.js file are the only two files you need in production.

If you run yarn run serve, you are actually running webpack-dev-server. Then when you make any changes to index.html or the typescript files and save them, http://localhost:8080 will be reloaded to reflect the change. Keep one terminal session running this command during development will kill lots of overheads (run command to compile typescript, refresh browser etc.).

2. directory structure

app
├── index.html
└── typescript
    ├── connect4.ts
    ├── elements.ts
    ├── game.ts
    └── main.ts

• main.ts is the entry point of the game. It initiates a Game instance and starts it. This file is also the one that webpack will check to resolve source file dependencies for compilation purpose.
• game.ts handles the graphical rendering logic for the game. All drawing works are done by using <canvas> API.
• connect4.ts implements the core win & lose logic for the game. It uses bitboard to record moves and detect whether the balls are lined properly. The idea is borrowed from https://github.com/qu1j0t3/fhourstones/blob/master/Game.java
• elements.ts abstracted Ball and Player, which are the most ofen referred objects in lower level codes.