Merge branch 'master' of https://gitlab.com/jlanders2/GameOfLife

README.md

@@ -1,18 +1,64 @@
 # GameOfLife
-My Conway's Game of Life project
+The program I have created is a clone I made from the ground up of the popular  
+Conway's Game of Life game.  
 
-***Not optimized yet***  
+***Please Note The Following:***
-This is just a little side project to work on optimization skills and mess around with different patterns in Conway's Game of Life.
+* This is just a little side project to work on my optimization skills and mess  
+  around with different patterns in Conway's Game of Life.
+* ***IMPORTANT: Requires Java 8 and Windows***
+  * You can download Java 8 here: [JAVA 8 JRE](https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/jre8-downloads-2133155.html)
 
-**To run**  
+## A little bit about the game
-Step 1 : Download Repository  
+If you have never heard of the "Game of Life", developed by John Conway in the  
-Step 2 : Open Command Prompt and navigate to the folder you downloaded  
+early 70's, I suggest that you check out the wikepedia page listed here:
-Step 3 : Enter the following commands:
+[Game of Life](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conway%27s_Game_of_Life). It is a fun little game   
-> cd gameoflife  
+that replicates cell automation. Below I will list some fun patterns to get you  
-> javac GameOfLife.java  
+started.    
-> javac Main.java  
+
-> jar cmvf manifest.mf GameOfLife.jar ./\*.java ./\*.class  
+## Patterns
-> java -jar GameOfLife.jar  
+### Still Patterns
-Step 4 : *Have fun using my Conway's Game of Life Program!!!*  
+![alt text](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Game_of_life_block_with_border.svg/66px-Game_of_life_block_with_border.svg.png) 
+![alt text](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/67/Game_of_life_beehive.svg/98px-Game_of_life_beehive.svg.png) 
+![alt text](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/Game_of_life_loaf.svg/98px-Game_of_life_loaf.svg.png) 
+![alt text](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/Game_of_life_boat.svg/82px-Game_of_life_boat.svg.png) 
+![alt text](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Game_of_life_flower.svg/82px-Game_of_life_flower.svg.png) 
+### Oscillating Patterns
+![alt text](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Game_of_life_blinker.gif) 
+![alt text](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Game_of_life_toad.gif) 
+![alt text](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Game_of_life_beacon.gif) 
+![alt text](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Game_of_life_pulsar.gif) 
+![alt text](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/I-Column.gif) 
+### Spaceship Patterns *(AKA - Patterns that move on their own)*
+![alt text](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Game_of_life_animated_glider.gif) 
+![alt text](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Game_of_life_animated_LWSS.gif)   
+### *These are not all the possible patterns but a few ones that are used alot*
+
+## To Run
+### QuickStart
+1. **Download Repository**  
+2. **Open Repository folder**
+3. **Run the first-start.bat file (This step only necessary once.)**
+4. **Run the run.bat file (This is how you will access the game from now on. Steps  
+1-3 no longer needed)**  
+  
+### Manually Start
+1. **Download Repository**  
+2. **Open command prompt and navigate to repository folder**
+3. **Enter the following commands:**
+> **cd gameoflife**  
+> **javac GameOfLife.java**  
+> **javac Main.java**  
+> **jar cmvf manifest.mf ../GameOfLife.jar ./\*.java ./\*.class**  
+> **cd ..**  
+> **java -jar /GameOfLife.jar**  
+4. **After doing steps 1-3 the game should have already ran once. The next times  
+that you wish to run the game just follow steps 1-2 and enter the following command:**  
+> **java -jar /GameOfLife.jar**  
+
+## Using the Application
+**What can you to in the application?**
+* Click the start button to start time
+* Clicking the stop button will stop time (**I suggest editing cells in this mode, then starting to see what your pattern does!**)
+* You can click on a square to make it "alive cells" or "dead cells"
+  * black squares are "alive cells" and white squares are "dead cells"  
 
-***Note: Requires Java 8***