General Reference Material: Annotated Web Links

The list of web links on this page will provide you with some information on a number of topics (which may be what we refer to as "additional" information, if you happen to be a student taking one or more of the courses hosted on this site). The link text is itself meant to be at least minimally self-explanatory, and may also be accompanied by a short comment indicating what you can expect to find at that particular site.

C++ Links

Java Links

eXtreme Programming Links

UML Links

OOA/OOD/OOP Links

Design Patterns Links

Mastermind Links

Thanks to members of the CSC 465 class of Winter, 2003, for discovering the following links.

  1. ( http://c-sharpcorner.com/Graphics/mastermindMG.asp)
    [C#] Appears to have 4 pegs, 8 colors and 10 guesses. No game to be played on-line, but supplies the source code to be downloaded. Includes Game Description, a very brief Strategy, UML diagrams, as well as discussion of interesting parts of the code, right on the site.
  2. ( http://express.howstuffworks.com/gameworks/mastermind/)
    [Javascript] Human codebreaker only. Has 4 pegs, 6 colors and an apparently unlimited number of guesses. User can choose from Rules or Play options. Nice-looking interface. Method of choosing guesses a bit unorthodox.
  3. ( http://kongtechnology.com/index.asp?im=mastermind)
    [Java] Human codebreaker only. Has 4 pegs, 6 colors and 10 guesses. Fairly decent interface, but be sure to scroll down the page and check out the instructions before starting. It would have improved the interface if the instructions were available directly from the game interface. Another very interesting feature of this site is its "Hall of Fame".
  4. ( http://mastermind.start4all.com/)
    [Java?] Human codebreaker only. Has 4 pegs, 3 to 6 colors (with a default of three, but both the colors and the number of them can be chosen by the user), and 8 guesses. Typical but quite pleasant interface. Be sure to scroll and read instructions since otherwise you may be confused about how many colors you are working with. This start4all.com site has quite a large number of games, and in particular a nice version of the 15-puzzle, though it doesn't seem to congratulate you upon solving it.
  5. ( http://mathcssun.emporia.edu/~hidro/game/)
    [Java] Human codebreaker only. Has 4 to 6 pegs, with 6 colors, and a variable number of guesses. Uses digits for pegs and thus has a somewhat less than full GUI interface. Does have a help screen available from a Help menu and also has Sun's "Duke" mascot waving at you while you're playing. Also has a "Hall of Fame" button, but it seems to be inactive. The program did, however, accept my name for entry into the Hall of Fame after I finished a game.
  6. ( http://muquit.com/muquit/software/fltkmm/fltkmm.html)
    [C++] Human codebreaker only. Has 4 pegs, 6 colors and 10 guesses, all of which are fixed. Cannot play over the web, as it is written in C++. The downloaded Windows executable ran fine. The interface is nice and the program easy and intuitive to use, but there is no help available from the program itself. The program is written using a special "toolkit" (FLTK=Fast Light ToolKit), which the author is quite fond of, and which you can download as well, for Windows or Linux.
  7. ( http://net4tv.com/net4tv/games/mastermind/index.htm)
    [Javascript] Has 4 to 8 pegs, 4 to 8 colors (with blanks also allowed) and 3 to 12 guesses. The default is 4 pegs and 8 colors. Excellent GUI, but uses white score peg for right color and position, which is opposite to the standard convention. Has a Rules button but provides almost no information. The meaning of a couple of options seemed unclear on a first glance, and the "Credits" link was broken.
  8. ( http://objectsfusion.com/applets/mastermind.html)
    No comment.
  9. ( http://scifi.squawk.com/java/MasterMind.html)
    Nice java interface, and very customizable, with a random feature. Text page with drop-down boxes for choosing number of pegs and number of colors (called Board Width) and a button to download the applet. I couldn't see all the display in my IE window and couldn't resize the window.
  10. ( http://thinks.com/java/mastermind/mastermind.htm)
    Not a bad-looking interface, except that the colors are a little fuzzy and the "circles" aren't quite round.
  11. ( http://www.arghhh.net/game.php?id=3&lang=en)
    Great graphics, with drag and drop, but not much in the way of help.
  12. ( http://www.crosswinds.net/~markf/mmind/)
    Has links to Pressman Toy Corporation and Invicta Toys and Games, Inc., manufacturers of the game, and has code, but clunky-looking and without options.
  13. ( http://www.crosswinds.net/%7emarkf/mmind)
    Has some documentation in javadoc format, and the program appears in two versions: an applet and a standalone.
  14. ( http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/code/2002/July/MastermindAI.asp)
    This is an interesting one. Done in C# using genetic algorithms. Has both codemaker and codebreaker.
  15. ( http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/code/2002/May/MasterMindWithDragDrop.asp)
    Also done in C#, with "drag and drop".
    Has only codemaker for the computer.
  16. ( http://www.cut-the-knot.com/ctk/Mastermind.shtml)
    Describes the mathematical background of Mastermind, along with variations on the game.
  17. ( http://www.cut-the-knot.org/Curriculum/Games/ComputerMastermind.shtml)
    You are the codemaker.
  18. ( http://www.cylog.org/games_1.asp)
    Nice GUI.
  19. ( http://www.delphiforfun.org/Programs/MasterMind.htm)
    Provides both "hider" and "seeker" and has a pretty good GUI. This one is written in Delphi, which is Pascal based.
  20. ( http://www.freegames.ws/games/javagames/mastermind/mindgames.htm)
    Seems close to what we have to do.
  21. ( http://www.geocities.com/phantome_gr/wmmind.html)
    GUI is pretty good; "comfortable" to use.
  22. ( http://www.imagiware.com/masterweb/)
    Good options, but not much to look at.
  23. ( http://www.interjeux.net/jeux/mastermind/index_en.html)
    Great site.
  24. ( http://www.inthe70s.com/games/mastermind/index.shtml)
    Most common GUI; pretty good playability.
  25. ( http://www.irt.org/games/js/mind)
    A lot of different game options. Allows you to change some settings.
  26. ( http://www.javaonthebrain.com/java/mastermind)
    Nice interface; provides some customization (can choose number of colors, from 2 to 6). Has code. Shows how to play the game.
  27. ( http://www.javaonthebrain.com/brain.html)
    No comment.
  28. ( http://www.lizardpoint.com/fun/mastermind/mastmind.html)
    No options; choosing code is odd. Nice interface and "well informed".
  29. ( http://www.maa.org/mathland/mathtrek_10_11_99.html)
    Does not have a game to play, but has some examples, and mentions a 1999 book by Matthew Mitchell called Mastermind Mathematics and published by Keypress.
  30. ( http://www.math.psu.edu/bdavis/Mastermind/index.html)
    Has 720 game variations.
  31. ( http://www.millstone.demon.co.uk/games/mastermind/start.htm)
    No comment.
  32. ( http://www.start4all.com/mastermind/mastermind.htm)
    Nice Java applet with good graphics.
  33. ( http://www.tnelson.demon.co.uk/mastermind/)
    Has some math info.
  34. ( http://www.unc.edu/~radu/mm/MMS.html)
    Visually pleasing interface, allowing the user to be either "Mastermind" or "Solver" (seems to be using non-standard terminology).
  35. ( http://www.webcom.com/duane/java/master/mstrmind.html)
    No comment.
  36. ( http://www.xs4all.nl/~griffel/java/mastermind.html)
    The best codebreaker/maker interface I found. I like the idea of developing the game as closely to the actual game as possible, with drag and drop features. Gives full source code. Allows codemaker/breaker.

Other Useful Links