OldTexasCode/CodeSamples/codeSamples/EightQueens.java

import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.ArrayList;

public class EightQueens {


	public static void main(String[] args) {
			solveNQueens(8);
			ArrayList<char[][]> solutions = getAllNQueens(8);
			System.out.println( solutions.size() );
			for( int i = 0; i < solutions.size(); i++){
				System.out.println("\n\nSolution " + (i+1));
				if( queensAreSafe(solutions.get(i)) )
					printBoard(solutions.get(i));
				else
					System.out.println("UH OH!!!!! BETTER FIX IT!!!!!");

	}

	/**
	 * determine if the chess board represented by board is a safe set up
	 * <p>pre: board != null, board.length > 0, board is a square matrix.
	 * (In other words all rows in board have board.length columns.),
	 * all elements of board == 'q' or '.'. 'q's represent queens, '.'s
	 * represent open spaces.<br>
	 * <p>post: return true if the configuration of board is safe,
	 * that is no queen can attack any other queen on the board.
	 * false otherwise.
	 * @param board the chessboard
	 * @return true if the configuration of board is safe,
	 * that is no queen can attack any other queen on the board.
	 * false otherwise.
	*/
	public static boolean queensAreSafe(char[][] board)
	{	char[] validChars = {'q', '.'};
		assert (board != null) && (board.length > 0)
				&& isSquare(board) && onlyContains(board, validChars)
				: "Violation of precondition: queensAreSafe";


		return true;
	}

	public static ArrayList<char[][]> getAllNQueens(int size){
		ArrayList<char[][]> solutions = new ArrayList<char[][]>();
		char[][] board = blankBoard(size);
		solveAllNQueens(board, 0, solutions);
		return solutions;
	}

	public static void solveAllNQueens(char[][] board, int col, ArrayList<char[][]> solutions){
		// am I done? if so, add this solution to the ArrayList of solutions
		if( col == board.length){
			solutions.add( makeCopy(board));
			// all done
		} else {
			for(int row = 0; row < board.length; row++){
				// place queen
				board[row][col] = 'q';
				if( queensAreSafe(board) )
					// if safe go on to next column
					solveAllNQueens(board, col + 1, solutions);
				board[row][col] = '.';
			}
		}
	}

	// pre: mat != null, mat is rectangular
	public static char[][] makeCopy(char[][] mat){
		assert mat != null;
		char[][] copy = new char[mat.length][mat[0].length];
		for(int r = 0; r < mat.length; r++)
			for(int c = 0; c < mat[0].length; c++)
				copy[r][c] = mat[r][c];
		return copy;
	}

	public static void printBoard(char[][] board){
		for(int r = 0; r < board.length; r++){
			for(int c = 0; c < board[r].length; c++)
				System.out.print(board[r][c]);
			System.out.println();
		}
	}

	public static void solveNQueens(int n){
		char[][] board = blankBoard(n);
		//start in column 0
		boolean solved = canSolve(board, 0);
		if( solved ){
			System.out.println("Solved the " + n + " queen problem.");
			printBoard(board);
		}
		else
			System.out.println("Can't solve the " + n + " queen problem.");
	}

	public static boolean
		canSolve(char[][] board, int col){


		//know when you are done!
		if( col == board.length)
			return true; // solved!!!!!

		// not done, try all the rows
		boolean solved = false;
		for(int row = 0; row < board.length && !solved; row++){
			//System.out.println(row + " " + col);
			// place queen
			board[row][col] = 'q';
			if( queensAreSafe(board) )
				solved = canSolve(board, col + 1);
			if( !solved )
				board[row][col] = '.';
		}
		return solved; //could be true(solved) or false(not solved)!!
	}


	private static char[][] blankBoard(int size){
		char[][] result = new char[size][size];
		for(int r = 0; r < size; r++)
			Arrays.fill(result[r], '.');
		return result;
	}

	private static boolean inbounds(int row, int col, char[][] mat){
		return row >= 0 && row < mat.length && col >= 0 && col < mat[0].length;
	}

	/* pre: mat != null
	   post: return true if mat is a square matrix, false otherwise
	*/
	private static boolean isSquare(char[][] mat)
	{	assert mat != null : "Violation of precondition: isSquare";

		final int numRows = mat.length;
		int row = 0;
		boolean square = true;
		while( square && row < numRows )
		{	square = ( mat[row] != null) && (mat[row].length == numRows);
			row++;
		}
		return square;
	}

	/* pre: mat != null, valid != null
	   post: return true if all elements in mat are one of the characters in valid
	*/
	private static boolean onlyContains(char[][] mat, char[] valid)
	{	assert mat != null && valid != null : "Violation of precondition: onlyContains";

		int row = 0;
		int col;
		boolean correct = true;
		while( correct && row < mat.length)
		{	col = 0;
			while(correct && col < mat[row].length)
			{	correct = contains(valid, mat[row][col]);
				col++;
			}
			row++;
		}
		return correct;
	}

	/* pre: list != null
	   post: return true if c is in list
	*/
	private static boolean contains(char[] list, char c)
	{	assert ( list != null ) : "Violation of precondition: contains";

		boolean found = false;
		int index = 0;
		while( !found && index < list.length)
		{	found = list[index] == c;
			index++;
		}
		return found;
	}

}