A game server for educational use, to implement a web based four in a row game
A simple Four In A Row / Connect 4 (TM) game server for educational use. The server is written in Python (3) Django, and provides a very basic API with text and data encoded in JSON. It is intended to need nothing other than simple HTTP GET requests.
The idea is to expose a simple API for students to write clients against. These clients will be a mixture of pure software based clients, as well as mixed hardware / software clients. The main objective of this project is to build paired robotic clients that allow students to play each other at distance. As such those logged in may be either individual students on a web client, or a student working with a robotic end point.
I have created a similar, and simpler API, for Battleships that can be found on GitHub (https://github.com/profcturner/battleships) which is designed to be playable (if a bit awkwardly) only using web browsers to understand API fundamentals.
Students may wish to read about HTTP response codes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_HTTP_status_codes and about Python and JSON https://www.w3schools.com/python/python_json.asp.
The code is written for Python Django, and needs Python 3.6 or higher.
NB. This API is in construction, aiming for a stable beta by the end of January 2024. Until then, lots of this content will be draft versions which lean on my Battleships API.
In version 1.0 of the API, all URLs are prefixed with api/1.0/. URLs are shown below, where data to be passed is shown like so. And a brief description of the function shown. More details to be added. All data is serialised using JSON. It is possible to use the response status code in many places to determine if the request is successful.
While this document records the current API, it may still have bugs and need tweaks, and should be considered experimental.
| URL | Function |
|---|---|
| players/index/ | List current registered players |
| players/register/name/ | Register a player with text name |
| players/delete/name/secret | Delete a player |
| locations/index/ | List current registered locations |
| games/index/ | List current registered games |
| games/register/name/ | Create a new game |
| games/delete/name/secret/ | Delete a game |
| games/addplayer/game/name/ | Add a player to a game |
| games/start/game/ | Generate ships and start game |
| games/history/game/ | Show actions so far in game |
| games/getgrid/game/player/secret/ | Get the current grid information |
| games/getwinner/game/ | Returns a winner, used to detect game over |
| drop/game/player/column/secret/ | Drop a token in a given column |
This API call provides a list of players registered on the server.
| outcome | status code | content |
|---|---|---|
| success | 200 | A list of dict objects for players, formatted name: player_name |
| failure | 500 | Unknown server error |
This API call allows a new player to be added to the server. The player name is specified as above in name and should be alphanumeric characters only and not include spaces. If successful, a secret will be generated and returned. This secret is used in several other API calls to authenticate the player, and so should be recorded by the client.
| outcome | status code | content |
|---|---|---|
| success | 200 | The secret code for that player, which should be recorded |
| failure | 403 | Forbidden, which may be due to the name being in use |
This API call deletes a player from the server. Note this will also delete ships belonging to the player, and actions from history, and so should be done with care. The player name is specified as above in name and the secret used in registering the player.
| outcome | status code | content |
|---|---|---|
| success | 200 | Player name deleted |
| failure | 403 | Invalid secret |
| failure | 404 | Could not find player name |
| failure | 500 | Unknown server error |
This API call provides a list of gamers registered on the server.
| outcome | status code | content |
|---|---|---|
| success | 200 | A list of dict objects for games, formatted name: game_name |
| failure | 500 | Unknown server error |
This API call allows a new game to be added to the server. The game name is specified as above in name and should be alphanumeric characters only and not include spaces. If successful, a secret will be generated and returned. This secret is used in several other API calls to authenticate the creator of the game, and so should be recorded by the client. Note that no ships are created until players are added and the game started.
| outcome | status code | content |
|---|---|---|
| success | 200 | The secret code for that game, which should be recorded |
| failure | 403 | Forbidden, which may be due to the name being in use |
This API call deletes a game from the server. Note this will also delete ships belonging to the game, and actions from history, and so should be done with care. The game name is specified as above in name and the secret used in registering the game.
| outcome | status code | content |
|---|---|---|
| success | 200 | Game name deleted |
| failure | 403 | Invalid secret |
| failure | 404 | Could not find game name |
| failure | 500 | Unknown server error |
This API call adds an existing player to an existing game. The name of the game and player should be entered as above. The API will not allow players to be added once the game is started and ships exist.
| outcome | status code | content |
|---|---|---|
| success | 200 | Player player added to game game |
| failure | 403 | Player player is already in game game |
| failure | 403 | Game already started |
| failure | 404 | Could not find game game |
| failure | 404 | Could not find player player |
| failure | 500 | Unknown server error |
This API call generates random ships for all players currently registered in the game. Calls when ships already exist will be rejected.
| outcome | status code | content |
|---|---|---|
| success | 200 | Ships created and game game started |
| failure | 403 | Game already started |
| failure | 404 | Could not find game game |
| failure | 500 | Unknown server error |
This API call returns all the actions recorded for a game so far. If successful, a list of dict objects is returns, which contains:
"game" : game;
"player" : player;
"location" : a tuples of the form (x,y) with the location of an attempted dropped token;
"result" : the result text as provided by the strike API call;
"created" : the datestamp of the action.
| outcome | status code | content |
|---|---|---|
| success | 200 | A list of dict objects for an action as above |
| failure | 404 | Could not find game game |
| failure | 500 | Unknown server error |
This API call returns all the tokens within a current game for a given player.
"name" : the name of the ship;
"locations" : a list oftuples of the form (x,y) showing the grid squares the ship occupies.
| outcome | status code | content |
|---|---|---|
| success | 200 | A list of dict objects for ships as above |
| failure | 403 | Invalid secret for player player |
| failure | 404 | Could not find game game |
| failure | 404 | Could not find player player |
| failure | 500 | Unknown server error |
This API call is used to determine if the game has a winner, and if so who it is. It can be used to detect if the game is over.
| outcome | status code | content |
|---|---|---|
| success | 200 | null if there is no player |
| success | 200 | player if there is a winner |
| failure | 404 | Could not find game game |
| failure | 500 | Unknown server error |
This API call allows players to attempt to drop a token in a given column. It requires the game and player names, the player secret to authenticate the player, and a column into which to drop the token column.
The server enforces a turn based system. In any given turn any player can act in any order. However, the system will prevent a player taking a further turn until their peers have caught up. The server will not allow strikes until ships have been created, and prohibits players not added into a game being allowed to strike.
| outcome | status code | content |
|---|---|---|
| success | 200 | success: |
| failure | 403 | Invalid secret for player player |
| failure | 403 | ColumnFull |
| failure | 403 | NotInGame |
| failure | 403 | NotYourTurn |
| failure | 404 | Could not find game game |
| failure | 404 | Could not find player player |
| failure | 500 | Unknown server error |
There is currently a single html web page provided to help admins, and potentially players and students.
Note that this is not in the API tree, this URL goes straight onto your base url for the server.
Superusers who have logged in can use this to view any game and can omit the player and secret variables. If a superuser uses the player variable they do not have to use the secret, in case they want to demonstrate something to a student.
Normal users must specify all parts and only that player's ships in the game will be displayed.
This package requires Python 3.6+ and Django. Installing these on a production server isn't so hard, but beyond the scope of this documentation. Google is your friend here.
To install in a development environment, again you'll need Python and Django (and maybe git or GitHub to easily clone or fork the code). The details vary by OS and circumstance, but you may want to Google using pip or pip3 to install Django once you have Python. You may also want to explore the pros and cons of using a venv.
You may wish to tweak the database server, but you can create the initial database with
python3 manage.py migrate
Once installed, you probably want to create a superuser, find the directory containing manage.py and use this command.
python3 manage.py createsuperuser
will allow you to create a superuser account.
python3 manage.py runserver
will allow you to run a test server instance to play with.
You only need a superuser to manipulate the database directly, but it also allows an admin view of games that can be useful. For instance, in the main games list the games are hyperlinked, but the admin view is protected for obvious reasons (it shows all ship positions).
Go to the /admin/ directory of your project to get a login prompt. Once logged in go back to the main directory. Now you will be able to view games that are linked with more details.
Superusers can access the Django admin interface at <BASE_URL>/admin/ which can allow you to delete and create items as needed within the database without using the API. Note that this bypasses any API logic.