Liren Large Software Subsidy 14/14.iso/s/s005/12.ddi/MAHJONGG/OS2_HELP_MAHJONGG.HLP

OS/2 Help File | 1993-04-22 | 63.1 KB | 1,042 lines

ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. Mahjongg Solitaire ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The tile matching game Mahjongg Solitaire is a one-player version derived from
the famous Chinese game Mahjongg. Matching tile pairs can be removed in a
simple 'point-and-click' manner, using a mouse.

The rest of this help material is organized as follows:

o How to play Mahjongg

   - Explanations and rules of the Mahjongg game

o Menus and Commands

   - Game
   - Moves
   - View
   - Help

o Creating your Own Games

   - Editing a Mahjongg Game.

o Command Line Syntax

  Mahjongg takes the following command line arguments:

    MAHJONGG filename [/MIN] /[MAX] [/AUToplay] [/TILES=tiles]

   filename    Start Mahjongg with this game file loaded
   MIN         Start Mahjongg minimized
   MAX         Start Mahjongg maximized
   AUToplay    Start Mahjongg in autoplay mode
   tiles       filename of dynamic link library containing the tile set to be
               used

o Acknowledgements

   - Acknowledgements.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. How to Play the Game ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

When Mahjongg is first started, a set of Tiles, arranged in a geometric
pattern, can be seen. Tiles are 3-dimensional blocks. In a real Mahjongg game
they are made out of bamboo and can be stacked on top of each other. This
3-dimensionality of the tiles is visualized by showing the top, left and front
parts of each tile. The next two pictures show a tile and two tiles stacked on
top of each other.

Suits of tiles:

There are different suits of tiles and for each suit there is a rule of how the
pairs can be matched. Tiles can only be matched when they are of the same suit.

Character Suit

Bamboo Suit

Dots Suit

Dragons Suit

Winds Suit

Note:   For the above 5 suits an exact match is required. For instance, a
bamboo 1 tile matches only to another bamboo 1 tile.

Flowers Suit

Seasons Suit

Note:   For the above 2 suits any tile matches any other tile in the same suit.

Number of tiles:

There are a total of 144 tiles. For the flowers and seasons suits, there is
only one of each tile. For all other suits, there are four of each tile.

Removable Tiles:

A tile is said to be removable if it is free on the left or right side and if
there is no other tile stacked on top of it. Hence tiles can be removed from
the left or right side or from the top of the stack of piles.

Using the Mouse to remove Tiles:

When the mouse pointer passes over a removable tile (and if the Use Hand Cursor
option is turned on) the pointer turns into a pointing hand . Such tiles can be
selected by clicking the select mouse button over them. A border in the color
of sizing window borders will be drawn around the tile to emphasize its
selected state. Once a tile is selected, the general arrow pointer will only
turn into a hand when the pointer is over a tile that is removable and matches
the already selected tile. Clicking such a tile will remove both tiles. This is
called "removing a pair of matching tiles".

If you click on a tile which is not selectable (no hand pointer shown) the
system will emit a beep. These warning beeps can be turned off in the Settings
Notebook, which is accessed via the View  menu.

Objective:

The objective of the game is to remove as many pairs of tiles as possible.

Showing a List of Possible Moves:

By selecting  Show in the  Moves  menu, each possible move will be briefly
shown by highlighting all tile pairs which can be removed. If there are no more
possible moves a panel will be displayed, giving you the option to start a new
game.

This function can also be accessed by pressing the direct manipulation button
on your mouse while over a tile. A pop-up menu will allow you to select Show

Starting a New Game:

By selecting  New (Deal) in the  Game  menu, all tiles are shuffled and laid
out in the 3-dimensional geometric pattern typical to this type of game.

Game Types:

By selecting  Open in the  Game  menu, you can switch among different layouts
of game tiles. These layouts are stored along with all the necessary
information in game files. The layout determines the difficulty of a game. From
the games shipped with Mahjongg, the Default, Gizeh, and Tower Bridge games are
not as often solvable as the Taj Mahal game. Hence, the last one is easier to
play, but not as challenging.

Note:   The solvability of a game can be forced by selecting the solvable
option in the Settings Notebook.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. Menus and Commands ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The menus are organized into the following main topics:

o Game
o Moves
o View
o Help


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.1. The Game Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The game menu contains choices to start a new (freshly dealt) game, to load and
save game files, to have the computer play in demo mode and to exit this
program.

o New (Deal)

   - Random
   - Same
   - Select

o Default Game
o Open a Game File
o Save a Game File
o Save a Game File under a New Name
o Auto Play
o Exit


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.1.1. New (Deal) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Takes all tiles, shuffles and redistributes them. Hence, a new game is started.

If the game options are set to generate solvable games, an attempt is made to
generate a game which is solvable.

By default, the tiles are shuffled in a random fashion. However, it is also
possible to have the same game redealt, or a selected game may be dealt
instead.

Random    Shuffle the tiles randomly.
Same      Redeal the same game as the previous one.
Select    Select a specific game (see also 'Select A Game').


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.1.2. Default Game ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Mahjongg. comes with one default game layout built into the program. This menu
choice selects this game layout and starts a fresh game. Other game layouts are
provided as *.MAH game files. They can be loaded with the Open a Game File menu
choice, or by dragging a *.MAH game file onto the currently running Mahjongg
game.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.1.3. Open a Game File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The essence of a Mahjongg game is the geometrical configuration of the tiles.
This configuration, plus some information about this game (like title, author
etc.), is saved in *.MAH files. Initially Mahjongg comes with the following
game files:

Castle    The tiles build the outline of a medieval castle.
Gizeh     The tiles build three larger pyramids similar to the ones in Gizeh.
Taj Mahal The tiles build the outlines of the Taj Mahal mausoleum.
Tower Bridge The tiles build a bridge modeled after the Tower Bridge in London.

For a description of the structure of *.MAH files see Mahjongg Game File
Structure


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.1.4. Save a Game File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Saves the current geometrical configuration to the current game file. If there
is no current game file, a prompt for a file name appears.

The default games delivered with Mahjongg are protected with the read-only
attribute; they can not be saved under their own names. If variations of those
files are desired, they must be saved under another name.

Note:   Only the geometrical configuration is saved, not the position of the
tiles. Ongoing games can not be saved to continue playing later on!


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.1.5. Save a Game File under a New Name ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Same as Save a Game File but it always prompts for a new file name.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.1.6. Auto Play ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Starts to play the game automatically. This is very useful for demos, since it
always starts a new game after it has finished one, and keeps on playing.

The speed of the auto play can be adjusted in the Settings Notebook, which is
accessed via the View  menu.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.1.7. Exit ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Quits this program. If you have changed any of the Settings you will be asked
whether to save them before the game is finished.

Note:   This is the same as selecting Close on the system menu.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2. The Moves Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The moves menu allows the editing of moves by either taking the last move back
or replaying the last move that was taken back. If you are desperate, it allows
you to cheat a little bit on the next move and it can show you all the
currently possible moves.

o Tack Back
o Replay
o Show Replay
o Cheat on the next move
o Show next moves


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.1. Take Back the Previous Action ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

A rather large list of the last user actions is kept by this program.  The Take
Back choice will undo the most recent user action.  The Take Back command may
be repeated as many times as there are actions on the Take Back list.  Take
Back actions may be redone by the  Replay command.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.2. Replay the Last Take Back Action ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Replay re-executes the most recent Take Back action on the Take Back list. It
may be repeated as many times as there are still moves on the Take Back list.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.3. Show the Last Replayed Action ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Show Replay highlights the most recently replayed move from the Replay list.
The color used to highlight the tiles is blue (a blueprint to the solution :-).

This option is useful for going backwards through a solvable game. For example,
when a new game was generated using the solvable options, continuous replays
should show the solution, as all necessary moves were put onto the undo stack
during the generation of the solution.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.4. Cheat on the next move ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This allows you to remove a non-matching pair of tiles on the next move. (Use
only when desperate to see the finishing fireworks :-).

You will notice that you always have to cheat at least a second time if you
cheated once.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.5. Show the Next Possible Moves ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Each pair of tiles that could be removed as the next move is highlighted for
half a second (depending on the selected speed option). The intent is to give
some help on how to proceed.

The highlighting of tiles is coded in the following colors:

Green     All four tiles of this suit and value can be removed. It is safe to
          remove these four tiles without blocking any future moves.
Red       Three tiles can be removed. This is the most dangerous situation as
          the removal of the wrong pair can block moves later on. Best delay
          the removing until it becomes clear which two of these three form a
          pair.
Yellow    These two tiles can be removed against each other. However, they
          might be paired up wrong and their removal could block possible moves
          in the future. Often there is no choice but to remove them in order
          to go on at all.

When no more moves are possible a message box is displayed to inform you.

The speed at which possible moves are displayed can be adjusted in the Settings
Notebook, which is accessed via the View  menu.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.6. Show all tiles matching the one pointed at with the mouse ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

All tiles that match the one pointed at by the mouse pointer are highlighted
for half a second (depending on the selected speed option). The intent is to
give some help on how to proceed, but note that the shown tiles are not
necessarily removable! The tiles are highlighted in the color violet.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.3. The View Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The view menu allows switching back and forth between play and edit mode,
bringing up a settings notebook, or saving the settings. The settings may be
saved from this menu into the file MAHJONGG.INI.

o Play
o Edit
o Timer
o Matches
o Settings
o Save Settings


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.3.1. Play Mode ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This is the normal mode. Games can be played in this mode. From Edit Mode a
switch back to Play Mode can only be made when there is a complete
configuration with 144 tiles.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.3.2. Edit Mode ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Switches to Edit Mode, where the geometric configuration of tiles and the game
information can be modified. More information about editing can be found in
Editing a Mahjongg Game.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.3.3. Timer Display ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Displays or hides the timer window. The timer is started when the window is
displayed. The timer is suspended when the Mahjongg window is deactivated and
resumed when the game is activated again. When there are no more moves, or the
game was finished successfully, the timer stops. The timer is reset upon
starting a new game.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.3.4. Timer Display Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The time since this game started is displayed here. The timer is suspended when
the Mahjongg window is deactivated and resumed when the game is activated
again. When there are no more moves, or the game was finished successfully, the
timer stops. The timer is reset upon starting a new game.

The timer window is initially overlaid on the titlebar. It can be moved
anywhere else on the desktop. However, once moved it will not follow the
Mahjongg window any more, but stay where you have placed it.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.3.5. Number of Possible Matches ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Optionally the number of possible matches can be displayed.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.3.6. Number of Possible Matches Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This window displays the number of the currently possible matches. A match
between three or four tiles is counted as one, despite the fact that there are
several ways in which such tiles can be paired for removal.

The matches window is initially overlaid on the titlebar. It can be moved
anywhere else on the desktop. However, once moved it will not follow the
Mahjongg window any more, but stay where you have placed it.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.3.7. Settings ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Brings up a Settings Notebook to adjust options of the Mahjongg game.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.3.8. Save Settings ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The settings, selectable in the settings notebook, are saved into the
MAHJONGG.INI file of the current directory, These settings are used as defaults
whenever the Mahjongg game program is started. The saved settings include the
warning beep, animation speed, game type, and background color.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.4. The Help Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The help menu contains choices for fast access to special sections of this help
information. The following choices are available:

o Help Contents
o General Help
o Keys Help
o Using Help
o Game Information
o Product Information


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.4.1. Help Contents ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Displays the table of contents to the help topics.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.4.2. General Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Explains the working of this program, its options, and how to play Mahjongg.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.4.3. Keys Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

There is no full keyboard interface to play the Mahjongg game. A mouse is
required; there are, however, a couple of accelerator keys to access menu
functions:

Ctrl+C    Accelerator for Cheat

Ctrl+N    Accelerator for New (Deal)

Ctrl+P    Accelerator for Auto Play

Ctrl+R    Accelerator for Replay

Ctrl+S    Accelerator for Show

Ctrl+T    Accelerator for Take Back

Ctrl+Y    Accelerator for Show Replay

F1        Accelerator for Get help about this program

F3        Accelerator for Exit this program

Alt + Backspace The standard accelerator for Undo is mapped to Take Back


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.4.4. Using Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Explains how to use the help facility.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.4.5. Game Information ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If the loaded game contains some information in a help file, it can be accessed
via this menu item. If there is no such information, this item will not be
selectable.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.4.6. Product Information ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This choice shows a panel with the game's copyright, and its version and name.
It also shows the title, author and copyright notice of the current game file
loaded into Mahjongg.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4. The Settings Notebook ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This notebook is used to set the various options available. The options are:

o Animation Speed
o Warning Beeps
o Generation of solvable games
o Use Hand Cursor
o Automatic Hint Display
o Visibility Calculations
o Animate Tiles
o 3D View
o Sounds
o Background Color
o Background Bitmap
o Tile Set
o Game Information
o Game Icon


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1. The Options Page ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Mahjongg currently supports the following options:

o Animation Speed
o Warning Beeps
o Generation of solvable games
o Use Hand Cursor
o Automatic Hint Display
o Visibility Calculations
o Animate Tiles
o 3D View

Furthermore, it is possible to invoke the following actions on the controls
presented on this page.

o Undo
o Defaults

Note:   Options are saved in the MAHJONGG.INI file and changes apply to all
Mahjongg games!


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.1. Animation Speed ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The speed of the animation during 'Auto Play' and during the execution of the
'Show' command can be set with this option.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.2. Warning Beeps ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Mahjongg will issue a warning beep whenever the selected move would be illegal.
This option allows warning beeps to be turned off.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.3. Generation of solvable games ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

When this option is turned on, Mahjongg tries to generate a solvable game. The
algorithm used is not always able to find a solvable game. If no solution was
found, a message will say how many tiles could not be placed. If there are only
a small number of non placed tiles you might want to retry to get a solvable
game. If there is a large number of unplaced tiles, then the given
configuration is likely to not have solvable solutions at all.

Note: All configurations which come with Mahjongg are solvable. However, it is
possible to create completely unsolvable games in the Edit mode.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.4. Use Hand Cursor ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

When this option is turned on, Mahjongg will use a pointing hand cursor  to
indicate whether a tile under the cursor is selectable. Otherwise it just uses
an arrow cursor, not giving any hints about selectability of tiles.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.5. Automatic Hint Display ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

When this option is turned on, Mahjongg will automatically show all tiles which
can be removed against the current selected tile. The hints are colored
differently when a pair, three tiles, or all four tiles of the same suit and
value can be removed.

The highlighting of tiles is coded in the following colors:

Green     All four tiles of this suit and value can be removed. It is safe to
          remove these four tiles without blocking any future moves.
Red       Three tiles can be removed. This is the most dangerous situation as
          the removal of the wrong pair here can block moves later on. Best
          delay the removing until it becomes clear which two of these three
          form a pair.
Yellow    These two tiles can be removed against each other. However, they
          might be paired up wrong and their removal could block possible moves
          in the future. Often there is no choice but to remove them in order
          to go on at all.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.6. Visibility Calculations ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

When this option is turned off, Mahjongg will cut down on visibility
calculations for tiles. That might speed up the display time (especially for
initial and new game displays). However, it gives away some clues as to where
hidden tiles are located.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.7. Animate Tiles ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

When this option is turned on, Mahjongg will animate tile removals. Depending
on the tile set selected, all or just some of the tiles may be removed in an
animated fashion.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.8. 3D View ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

There are two different 3D views available. You may select either one according
to personal preference.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.9. Undo Options Page Modifications ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Any modifications done since the invocation of the settings notebook to this
page are undone, i.e. they are set to the values as they were upon opening the
notebook.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.10. Reset Options Page to Defaults ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The options on this page are reset to the system defaults. The defaults are
Warning Beeps on, Solvable game generation on, use the hand pointer, do not
automatically display hints, visibility calculations are off, and animation is
on.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.11. Getting help for the Options Page ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Pressing this button or the F1 accelerator key will bring you into the help
system.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2. The Sounds Page ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If your OS/2 has the multimedia extensions (MMPM/2) installed, Mahjongg will
allow the attachment of sounds to various events. For example, the selection
and removal of tiles can be accented by playing the sound of tiles clicking
against each other.

o Enable Sounds

Furthermore, it is possible to invoke the following actions on the controls
presented on this page.

o Undo
o Defaults
o Test Play a Sound


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2.1. Enable Sounds ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This decides whether the attached sounds are used or not.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2.2. Undo Sounds Page Modifications ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Any modifications done since the invocation of the settings notebook to this
page are undone, i.e. they are set to the values as they were upon calling this
dialog.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2.3. Reset Sounds Page to Defaults ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The options on this page are reset to the system defaults. The default sounds
are enabled and reset to the originally delivered sound files.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2.4. Test Play a Sound ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The sound currently shown in the entry field will be played.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2.5. Getting help for the Sounds Page ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Pressing this button or the F1 accelerator key will bring you into the help
system.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3. The Color Background Page ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Mahjongg allows the background color to be adjusted according to personal
preference.

o Background Color
o Use Color

Furthermore, it is possible to invoke the following actions on the controls
presented on this page.

o Undo
o Defaults
o Apply


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.1. Background Color ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

A background color can be selected by adjusting the red, green, and blue
components of the color. A preview rectangle shows the color of the current
selection.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.2. Use Color ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This decides whether this color is used or a bitmap file is displayed as the
background. There is one built-in background bitmap. Additional game files may
specify their own background bitmaps. For more details see Editing a Mahjongg
Game and Background Bitmap Page.

This toggle is coupled with the Use Bitmap field on the Background Bitmap Page.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.3. Undo Color Background Page Modifications ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Any modifications done since the invocation of the settings notebook to this
page are undone, i.e. they are set to the values as they were upon calling this
dialog.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.4. Reset Color Background Page to Defaults ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The options on this page are reset to the system defaults. The default
background color is composed of Red 24, Green 127 and Blue 223.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.5. Apply this Background Color ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The color currently selected is applied to the Mahjongg board, to see how it
looks.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.6. Getting help for the Color Background Page ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Pressing this button or the F1 accelerator key will bring you into the help
system.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.4. Bitmap Background Page ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Mahjongg allows the background bitmap to be selected according to personal
preference.

o Use Bitmap
o Background Bitmap File

Furthermore, it is possible to invoke the following actions on the controls
presented on this page.

o Undo
o Defaults
o Apply


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.4.1. Use Bitmap ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This decides whether this bitmap file is displayed as the background or a color
is used. There is one built-in 'DEFAULT' background bitmap. For more details
about background colors, see the Background Color Page.

This toggle is coupled with the Use Color field on the Background Color Page.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.4.2. Background Bitmap File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The file name of a background bitmap can be specified here.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.4.3. Undo Background Bitmap Modifications ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Any modifications done since the invocation of the settings notebook to this
page are undone, i.e. they are set to the values as they were upon opening this
notebook.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.4.4. Reset Background Bitmap Page to Defaults ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The options on this page are reset to the system defaults. The default
background bitmap, 'DEFAULT', is built into the Mahjongg program and is always
available.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.4.5. Apply this Background Bitmap ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The bitmap currently selected is applied to the Mahjongg board, to see how it
looks.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.4.6. Getting help for the Background Bitmap Page ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Pressing this button or the F1 accelerator key will bring you into the help
system.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.5. Tile Set Page ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Mahjongg allows a customized tile set to be selected according to personal
preference.

o Tile Set File

Furthermore, it is possible to invoke the following actions on the controls
presented on this page.

o Undo
o Defaults
o Apply


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.5.1. Tile Set File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The file name of the dynamic link library containing the tile set can be
specified here.

To create a customized tile set see, the instructions in: Creating your own
Tile Set.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.5.2. Undo Tile Set Selections ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Any modifications done since the invocation of the settings notebook to this
page are undone, i.e. they are set to the values as they were upon opening this
notebook.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.5.3. Reset Tile Set to Defaults ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The options on this page are reset to the system defaults. The default tile
set, 'DEFAULT', is built into the Mahjongg program and is always available.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.5.4. Apply this Tile Set ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The currently selected tile set is applied to the Mahjongg board, to see how it
looks.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.5.5. Getting help for the Tile Set Page ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Pressing this button or the F1 accelerator key will bring you into the help
system.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.6. File Information Page ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This page allows the editing of the texts delivering descriptions of the game:

Title     Game Title which is displayed in the title bar of the window.
Author    Creator of this game. Displayed in the product information window.
Comment   Copyright notice or any line of information to be displayed along
          with the author's name in the product information window.
HelpFile  Name of a file containing specific information about this particular
          game. It will be displayed when Game Information choice in the Help
          menu is selected. This file must be an IPF compiled *.HLP file,
          containing at least one panel with the resource ID 2000. The ids
          2000-2999 are reserved for use in this file. See the file DEFAULT.IPF
          for an example.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.6.1. Undo Game Information Modifications ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Any modifications done since the invocation of the settings notebook to this
page are undone, i.e. they are set to the values as they were upon opening this
notebook.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.6.2. Reset Game Information Page to Defaults ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The options on this page are reset to the system defaults, which are empty
strings for each of the entries.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.6.3. Getting help for the Game Information Page ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Pressing this button or the F1 accelerator key will bring you into the help
system.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.7. Icon Page ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This page allows the editing of the icon for this game. The icon is stored as
an extended .ICON attribute of the game file.

o Create another...
o Edit...

Furthermore, it is possible to invoke the following actions on the controls
presented on this page.

o Undo
o Defaults
o Apply


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.7.1. Create another Icon ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This will bring up the Icon Editor with the default Mahjongg game icon loaded,
allowing you to generate your own customized icon.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.7.2. Edit the Icon ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This will bring up the Icon Editor with the current icon loaded, allowing you
to generate your own customized icon.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.7.3. Undo Icon Modifications ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Any modifications done since the invocation of the settings notebook to this
page are undone, i.e. they are set to the values as they were upon opening this
notebook.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.7.4. Reset Icon to Default ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The options on this page are reset to the system defaults. The default icon
will be loaded from the current game layout file or from the Mahjongg program
if the file does not have an icon.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.7.5. Apply this Icon ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The icon currently selected is applied to the Mahjongg game, to see how it
looks.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.7.6. Getting help for the Background Bitmap Page ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Pressing this button or the F1 accelerator key will bring you into the help
system.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. Editing a Mahjongg Game ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

In Edit mode, it is possible to change an existing game or to generate a
completely new game. A game consists of the geometric layout information of the
tiles, the board size, and some additional information like the author of this
game and a copyright statement or a comment line which will be displayed along
with the product information.

During Edit mode a dialog box with the following fields and buttons is
displayed, allowing the manipulation of some game aspects:

dx        Board Width
dy        Board Height
Level     Level currently being edited. The tiles on this level are drawn in
          red, tiles below this level are drawn in black to gray (the further
          down the more gray), and tiles above are displayed in blue.
Reset     Resets all fields to the state when edit mode was entered. This is a
          short cut to do a Cancel and then enter edit mode again.
Cancel    Cancel edit mode and go back to play mode without making any of the
          changes during edit mode permanent.
OK        This is only available when there are 144 tiles placed on the board.
          It will make this the current game to be played and returns to play
          mode. (same as Play Mode in the View menu).

Tiles in the current level (displayed in red) can be removed by simply clicking
on them with the selection mouse button. Clicking on the background inserts a
tile if it does not overlap any other tile on that level. The tile is inserted
such that the clicked spot becomes the lower left corner of the tile.

Clicking with the direct manipulation button pops up a menu allowing you to
clear, insert or delete rows, columns, levels, or all tiles (clear only). These
functions are useful to operate on several tiles at once instead of having to
click on each one.

The additional information is accessible through the Settings Notebook.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.1. Mahjongg Game File Structure ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Mahjongg game files are written in a GML-like tag language. As these files can
be conveniently manipulated in Mahjongg's edit mode, it is not needed to edit
these files in a text editor at all. This file structure description is just
here for completeness:

:GAME  type    = "Mahjongg Solitaire 2.00"
       name    = "Mahjongg 2.00"
       help    = "MAHJONGG.HLP"
       tileset = "DEFAULT"
       author  = "JБrg von KДnel"
       about   = "The Original Game Layout"
       .
:BOARD dx     = 16
       dy     = 8
       x_stat = '14.0'
       y_stat = '6.5'
       bitmap = "DEFAULT"
       color  = "RGB(24,127,223)"
       use    = "BITMAP" | "COLOR"
       .
:LEVEL 0.
  (12.0, 7.0), (11.0, 7.0), ...
  ...
:LEVEL 1.
  ...
:LEVEL n.
  ...
:ELEVEL.
:EGAME.

The :GAME. and :Board. tags are obvious in their use. The type attribute on the
:GAME. tag defines the version of Mahjongg used to create this file. The use
attribute on the Board tag defines whether the background is painted in the
given color or the bitmap is used.

It is important to note that the dx and dy fields describe the board size in
number of tiles that can be placed on the board in x and y directions. The
editor is currently limited to handle only the following maximal values:
dx=3-30, dy=3-20 and Levels=0-12.

The :LEVEL. tags are used to describe the tiles on each level. Starting at
Level 0, each tile is described as a coordinate pair in board coordinates.
Tiles can only be placed on whole (.0) or half (.5) coordinates.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6. Various Dialog Windows ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Mahjongg makes use of various dialog windows to display information or messages
to the user.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.1. No more Moves Dialog ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

When the Show next moves choice from the Moves menu is selected or when the
Automatic Hint Display is active, and there are no more possible moves, this
dialog is displayed. It is possible to select 'New' which starts a new game,
'Retry' which restarts the current game, 'Exit' which quits Mahjongg
altogether, or 'Cancel' which just quits this dialog.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.2. Select Initial Level Dialog ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

When you play Mahjongg for the first time, or if you have not saved the
settings, this dialog will be shown. You may select between levels to start
with

Why not? It's free!
 This is the easiest mode. It generates only solvable games, uses the hand
 cursor, and displays automatically matching tiles.

I like subtle hints.
 This mode still generates only solvable games and uses the hand cursor. It
 does not display matching tiles automatically.

Hints? Me? Never!
 Well, you have asked for it. Neither does the generation of a new game ensure
 its solvability nor does it display a hand cursor or matching tiles.

Note:   All options can be changed separately in the Settings Notebook, which
is accessed via the View menu.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.3. Select A Game ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

New games are usually generated at random. By choosing the Select menu item in
the New Game submenu a dialog is shown which allows the selection of the random
seed which is used to generate a game. The Range is from 0 to 65536.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7. Acknowledgements ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

I would like to thank all those who have dared to try the Mahjongg Beta
releases. Your bug reports and suggestions have made the Mahjongg Solitaire
program what it is today.

Special thanks go to my wife Karin von KДnel who was patient enough to animate
the dragon in the product information box, and to Ki-Sook Chung for drawing the
Chinese mahjongg characters in the product information box.