/*
 * Created on Jan 27, 2005
 */
package mvc373Hw3B;


/**  Interface for a Towers of Hanoi Game Controller.
 * See CSE373 05wi Homework #3.
 * The Controller is a JPanel it can have buttons, etc.
 * The Controller is also responsible for notifying the View whenever
 * state has changed.  It should do this simply by calling
 * towerView.repaint();
 * 
 * Concrete implementations MUST supply the following constructor:
 * 
 * public TowerController (ITowerModel towerModel, ITowerView towerView);
 * 
 * Normally, during the constructor the controller would place buttons, etc.
 * on the panel.
 * 
 */
public interface ITowerController {

    
    /** Start the game in operation.  This would be called once
     * (from the outside, such as TowerStarter)
     * to indicate that everything is ready for the first game to begin.
     * Quite possibly in some implementations there would be nothing
     * special to do.
     * 
     * @return true if the start request can be honored; false if it cannot.
     */
    boolean startUp();

    /** Start or restart the game from an initial configuration.
     * @see mvc373Hw3B.ITowerModel.start
     */
    boolean start(int towerCount, int discCount);

    
    /** End the game for good.
     * @return true iff the shutdown request is honored.
     */
    boolean shutDown();
    
    /** Move discs from one tower to another.  Reasons why this move
     * request might fail include:
     * <br>
     * The "from" tower doesn't contain at least the requested number of disks.
     * <br>
     * The top disk on the "to" tower is smaller than the largest disk to
     * be moved.
     * 
     * @param discCount the number of discs to move.
     * @param fromTower the tower which the disks are currently on.
     * @param toTower the tower to which the disks are to be moved.
     * @return true iff the move was successfully completed.
     * @throws IllegalArgumentException if any parameter value is illegal
     * on the face of it (the towers don't exist, the discCount is out
     * of range).
     */
    boolean massMove(int discCount, int fromTower, int toTower);
    
    /** Stack all disks on a given tower.
     * 
     * @param goalTower the tower on which all disks are to be stacked.
     * @return true iff the move succeeded.
     * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the goalTower does not exist.
     */
    boolean collect(int goalTower);
    
    /** Request repainting of the entire controller panel, from scratch.
     * If the concrete class extends a Component, this is covered already 
     * (you should NOT override it).  Unless you want to do some drawing
     * on the controller panel, you don't even need to override paintComponent.
     * If you do, see notes under "Getting Started".
     *
     */
    void repaint();

}