Document the Game class, attributes & constructor

There was no documentation explaining the purpose of the Game class, what its fields represent, and what the constructor does. This fix provides detailed, yet succinct comments for the class, constructor, and the fields. The code is now easier to understand and much more maintainable.

Author: Michael Balas

src/com/redomar/game/Game.java

@@ -20,76 +20,91 @@
 import java.awt.image.BufferedImage;
 import java.awt.image.DataBufferInt;
 
+/*
+ * This module forms the core architecture of the JavaGame. It coordinates the various
+ * audio and input handler components, generates the frame, renders the screen graphics, spawns 
+ * NPCs and customizes the player. Game is also responsible for changing the maps and levels, as well
+ * as displaying various messages on the screen (e.g. fps)
+ */
 public class Game extends Canvas implements Runnable {
 
 	// Setting the size and name of the frame/canvas
 	private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
-	private static final String game_Version = "v1.8.3 Alpha";
-	private static final int WIDTH = 160;
-	private static final int HEIGHT = (WIDTH / 3 * 2);
-	private static final int SCALE = 3;
-	private static final String NAME = "Game";
+	private static final String game_Version = "v1.8.3 Alpha";	// Current version of the game
+	private static final int WIDTH = 160;				// The width of the screen
+	private static final int HEIGHT = (WIDTH / 3 * 2);	// The height of the screen (two thirds of the width)
+	private static final int SCALE = 3;					// Scales the size of the screen (in either the x-direction, y-direction, or both)
+	private static final String NAME = "Game";			// The name of the JFrame panel
 	private static Game game;
-	private static Time time = new Time();
-	private static int Jdata_Host;
-	private static String Jdata_UserName = "";
-	private static String Jdata_IP = "127.0.0.1";
-	private static boolean changeLevel = false;
-	private static boolean npc = false;
-	private static int map = 0;
-	private static int shirtCol;
-	private static int faceCol;
-	private static boolean[] alternateCols = new boolean[2];
-	private static int fps;
-	private static int tps;
-	private static int steps;
-	private static boolean devMode;
-	private static boolean closingMode;
-
-	private static JFrame frame;
-	private static AudioHandler backgroundMusic;
-	private static boolean running = false;
-	private static InputHandler input;
-	private static MouseHandler mouse;
-	private static InputContext context;
+	private static Time time = new Time();				// Date object that represents the calender's time value, in hh:mm:ss
+	
+	// The properties of the player, npc, and fps/tps
+	private static int Jdata_Host;						// The host of a multiplayer game (only available in earlier versions)
+	private static String Jdata_UserName = "";			// The player's username (initialized as an empty string)
+	private static String Jdata_IP = "127.0.0.1";		// Displays an IP address
+	private static boolean changeLevel = false;			// Determines whether the level should change (initialized to not change)
+	private static boolean npc = false;					// Non-player character (NPC) initialized to non-existing
+	private static int map = 0;							// Map of the level, initialized to no map (0)
+	private static int shirtCol;						// The colour of the character's shirt
+	private static int faceCol;							// The colour (ethnicity) of the character (their face)
+	private static boolean[] alternateCols = new boolean[2];	// Boolean array with 2 elements (for determining shirt and face colour), all initialized to false
+	private static int fps;								// The frame rate (frames per second), frequency at which images are displayed on the canvas 
+	private static int tps;								// The ticks (ticks per second), unit measure of time for one iteration of the game logic loop.
+	private static int steps;							
+	private static boolean devMode;						// Determines whether the game is in developer mode
+	private static boolean closingMode;					// Determines whether the game will exit
+
+	// Audio, input, and mouse handler objects
+	private static JFrame frame;						// Frame with support for JFC/swing component architecture
+	private static AudioHandler backgroundMusic;		// AudioHandler object that can play music in the background (but can't turn it off)
+	private static boolean running = false;				// Determines whether the game is currently in process (i.e. whether the game is running)
+	private static InputHandler input;					// InputHandler object that accepts keyboard input and follows the appropriate actions
+	private static MouseHandler mouse;					// MouseHandler object that tracks mouse movement and clicks, and follows the appropriate actions
+	private static InputContext context;				// InputContext object that provides methods to control text input facilities
 	private int tickCount = 0;
-	private BufferedImage image = new BufferedImage(WIDTH, HEIGHT,
-			BufferedImage.TYPE_INT_RGB);
-	private int[] pixels = ((DataBufferInt) image.getRaster().getDataBuffer())
+	
+	// Graphics
+	private BufferedImage image = new BufferedImage(WIDTH, HEIGHT,			// Describes a rasterized image with dimensions WIDTH and HEIGHT, and RGB colour
+			BufferedImage.TYPE_INT_RGB);	// Set to TYPE_INT_ARGB to support transparency
+	private int[] pixels = ((DataBufferInt) image.getRaster().getDataBuffer())	// Array of red, green and blue values for each pixel, as well as an alpha value (if there is an alpha channel)
 			.getData();
-	private int[] colours = new int[6 * 6 * 6];
+	private int[] colours = new int[6 * 6 * 6];			// Array of 216 unique colours
 	private BufferedImage image2 = new BufferedImage(WIDTH, HEIGHT - 30,
 			BufferedImage.TYPE_INT_RGB);
-	private Screen screen;
+	private Screen screen;						// Screen object that accepts a width, height, and sprite sheet - to generate and render a screen
 	private WindowHandler window;
-	private LevelHandler level;
-	private Player player;
-	private Dummy dummy;
-	private Vendor vendor;
-	private Font font = new Font();
-	private String nowPlaying;
-	private boolean notActive = true;
-	private int trigger = 0;
-	private Printing print = new Printing();
+	private LevelHandler level;					// LevelHandler object that loads and renders levels along with tiles, entities, projectiles and more. 
+	
+	//The entities of the game
+	private Player player;						// This is the actual player	
+	private Dummy dummy;						// This is a dummy npc (follows the player around)
+	private Vendor vendor;						// This is a vendor npc (random movement)
+	private Font font = new Font();				// Font object capable of displaying 2 fonts: Arial and Segoe UI
+	private String nowPlaying;					
+	private boolean notActive = true;			
+	private int trigger = 0;					
+	private Printing print = new Printing();	// Print object that can display various messages and error logs
 
 	/**
 	 * @author Redomar
 	 * @version Alpha 1.8.3
 	 */
 	public Game() {
-		context = InputContext.getInstance();
+		context = InputContext.getInstance();	// Stores the input context for the window
+		
+		// The game can only be played in one distinct window size
 		setMinimumSize(new Dimension(WIDTH * SCALE, HEIGHT * SCALE));
 		setMaximumSize(new Dimension(WIDTH * SCALE, HEIGHT * SCALE));
 		setPreferredSize(new Dimension(WIDTH * SCALE, HEIGHT * SCALE));
 
-		setFrame(new JFrame(NAME));
-		getFrame().setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
-		getFrame().setLayout(new BorderLayout());
-		getFrame().add(this, BorderLayout.CENTER);
-		getFrame().pack();
-		getFrame().setResizable(false);
-		getFrame().setLocationRelativeTo(null);
-		getFrame().setVisible(true);
+		setFrame(new JFrame(NAME));									// Creates the frame
+		getFrame().setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);	// Exits the program when user closes the frame
+		getFrame().setLayout(new BorderLayout());					// Border lays out a container
+		getFrame().add(this, BorderLayout.CENTER);					// The centre layout constraint (middle of container)
+		getFrame().pack();											// Sizes the frame so that all its contents are at or above their preferred sizes
+		getFrame().setResizable(false);								// Prevents the user from resizing the frame
+		getFrame().setLocationRelativeTo(null);						// Centres the window on the screen
+		getFrame().setVisible(true);								// Displays the frame
 
 		requestFocus();
 		setDevMode(false);