I'm stuck at the very beginning on the CS50 pset3 Runoff. Ive used several external resources but nothing is making sense. Please help me, this set has me about to quit because I do not understand.
Here are the instructions:
- The function takes arguments voter, rank, and name. If name is a match for the name of a valid candidate, then you should update the global preferences array to indicate that the voter voter has that candidate as their rank preference (where 0 is the first preference, 1 is the second preference, etc.).
- If the preference is successfully recorded, the function should return true; the function should return false otherwise (if, for instance, name is not the name of one of the candidates).
- You may assume that no two candidates will have the same name.
Here is my code:
#include <cs50.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
// Max voters and candidates
#define MAX_VOTERS 100
#define MAX_CANDIDATES 9
// preferences[i][j] is jth preference for voter i
int preferences[MAX_VOTERS][MAX_CANDIDATES];
// Candidates have name, vote count, eliminated status
typedef struct
{
string name;
int votes;
bool eliminated;
}
candidate;
// Array of candidates
candidate candidates[MAX_CANDIDATES];
// Numbers of voters and candidates
int voter_count;
int candidate_count;
// Function prototypes
bool vote(int voter, int rank, string name);
void tabulate(void);
bool print_winner(void);
int find_min(void);
bool is_tie(int min);
void eliminate(int min);
int main(int argc, string argv[])
{
// Check for invalid usage
if (argc < 2)
{
printf("Usage: runoff [candidate ...]\n");
return 1;
}
// Populate array of candidates
candidate_count = argc - 1;
if (candidate_count > MAX_CANDIDATES)
{
printf("Maximum number of candidates is %i\n", MAX_CANDIDATES);
return 2;
}
for (int i = 0; i < candidate_count; i++)
{
candidates[i].name = argv[i + 1];
candidates[i].votes = 0;
candidates[i].eliminated = false;
}
voter_count = get_int("Number of voters: ");
if (voter_count > MAX_VOTERS)
{
printf("Maximum number of voters is %i\n", MAX_VOTERS);
return 3;
}
// Keep querying for votes
for (int i = 0; i < voter_count; i++)
{
// Query for each rank
for (int j = 0; j < candidate_count; j++)
{
string name = get_string("Rank %i: ", j + 1);
// Record vote, unless it's invalid
if (!vote(i, j, name)) // if vote bool is Not true
{
printf("Invalid vote.\n");
return 4;
}
}
printf("\n");
}
// Keep holding runoffs until winner exists
while (true)
{
// Calculate votes given remaining candidates
tabulate();
// Check if election has been won
bool won = print_winner();
if (won)
{
break;
}
// Eliminate last-place candidates
int min = find_min();
bool tie = is_tie(min);
// If tie, everyone wins
if (tie)
{
for (int i = 0; i < candidate_count; i++)
{
if (!candidates[i].eliminated)
{
printf("%s\n", candidates[i].name);
}
}
break;
}
// Eliminate anyone with minimum number of votes
eliminate(min);
// Reset vote counts back to zero
for (int i = 0; i < candidate_count; i++)
{
candidates[i].votes = 0;
}
}
return 0;
}
// Record preference if vote is valid
bool vote(int voter, int rank, string name)
{
for (int i = 0; i < candidate_count; i++)
{
if (strcmp (name, candidates[i].name) == 0)
{
preferences[voter][rank]++;
return true;
}
}
// TO DO
return false;
}