String and Regex Lab

Part $1$: Strings and String Methods in Java:

Take the given example code which is part of a simple conversation$/$messaging system. Review the code to make sure you are familiar with the String methods that it is currently using. We are going to be adding more functionality to it$.$ Currently, we have Topics, that consist of a title, some content, and some options. The user is shown the content and then the options allow the user to respond. Those responses then link to another topic.

:: Yes

Thank you stranger, we are lost in the woods. Can you help us find the way out?

$[[$Okay I can help$]]$

$[[$Find your own way$]]$

Objective $1$: Adding decoration text

So right now what the user$$s response options are exactly what topic it goes to$.$ We need to have some way of saying one thing that goes to another named topic. It would be really annoying to have a player option say $3$ or $4$ sentences and then have to name a topic those same $3$ or $4$ sentences. Instead lets do something like:

$[[$Okay I can do that$->$ Accept$]]$

Now what it shows to the user is the text at the beginning but if that option is selected it will go to the Accept topic.

Objective $2$: Adding variables

We will be adding a way to set variables based on where the user goes in the conversation. The format for how variables will be set should look something like:

$<>$

We will be focusing on integer $($whole numbers$)$ and string datatypes. Floating or any other datatypes are not required to be implemented. I typically do not consider capitalization for either the command $($set$)$ or the variable name but I will leave that option up to you. You can choose however you want to store$/$save the variables for later, but keep in mind that later we will need to retrieve them.

Bonus $5-10\%$: include some basic math for the integer type variables $($make sure you indicate this on the submission page if you want credit$)$

Objective $3$: Getting Variables

Now we need to add the ability to retrieve variables. So we will add a get command that looks something like:

$<>$

This doesn$$t have a lot of utility but will be used in the next objective. It could be used to say count the number of times you$$ve done stuff $($if some simple math was added to the variables to allow them to count$).$ This could also be used to store names like storing the player name and getting it whenever another player said hello for instance:

:: Greet

Hello $<>.$ How are you doing

$[[$Well I could be better $->$ Okay$]]$

Objective $4$:

The last objective is to add a conditional statement. I$$m fine with you guys working out the format of this command a bit for yourself but this is how I do it:

$<>=1>>$Since you are helping us how about I cheer you on$!<>$

So conditionals do nothing if you aren$$t getting variables $($though if you wanted to make the if statement automatically get variables without having to use the get command that would work too$).$ And the goal of the if statement is to check a variable to either open up content text $($like in the example above$)$ or open up player options $($that would take you to other topics$).$

$<>=1>>[[$Your cheers are greatly appreciated $->$ Yes$]]<>$

This example shows a player option that is only available if the AcceptMission variable is set to $1.$ I also typically abbreviate this as:

$<>[[$Your cheers are greatly appreciated $->$ Yes$]]<>$

Since I often want to know just if a variable exists $($note this does automatically use the get command$).$ One final note is that I end all of my if statements with an $<>$ this is because text could be multiple lines long. The endif is a clear indication of when I$$m through with the if statement.