Elevator Saga Help and API Documentation

About the game

This is a game of programming!
Your task is to program the movement of elevators, by writing a program in JavaScript.
This version is based on destination dispatch mode.

The goal is to transport people in an efficient manner. Depending on how well you do it, you can progress through the ever more difficult challenges. Only the very best programs will be able to complete all the challenges.

How to play

Enter your code in the input window below the game view, and press the Apply button to start the challenge. Press Apply with right button to simulate the code with some presets. You can increase or decrease the speed of time by pressing the ➕ and ➖ buttons. You can create custom challenges with your own options. To get current option, right press the button on the right of the challenge.

If your program contains an error, you can use the developer tools in your web browser to try and debug it. If you want to start over with the code, press the Reset button. This will revert the code to a simplistic implementation. If you have a favorite text editor, such as Sublime Text, feel free to edit the code there and paste it into the game editor. Your code is automatically saved in your local storage by default, right click Save button to toggle.

Basics

Your code must declare an object containing at least two functions called init and update. Like this:

{
    init: function(elevators, floors) {
        // Do stuff with the elevators and floors, which are both arrays of objects
    },
    update: function(dt, elevators, floors) {
        // Do more stuff with the elevators and floors
        // dt is the number of game seconds that passed since the last time update was called
    }
}

These functions will then be called by the game during the challenge. init will be called when the challenge starts, and update repeatedly during the challenge.

Normally you will put most of your code in the init function, to set up event listeners and logic.

Code examples

How to control an elevator

elevator.goToFloor(1);

Tell the elevator to move to floor 1 immediately, interrupting current task.

if(elevator.currentFloor > 2) { ... }

CurrentFloor gets the floor number that the elevator currently is on. Note that this is a rounded number and does not necessarily mean the elevator is in a stopped state.

Listening for events

It is possible to listen for events, like when stopping at a floor, or a button has been pressed.

elevator.on("idle", function() { elevator.goToFloor(0); });

Listen for the "idle" event issued by the elevator, when the task queue has been emptied and the elevator is doing nothing. In this example we tell it to move to floor 0.

elevator.on("floor_button_pressed", function(floorNum) { ... } );

Listen for the "floor_button_pressed" event, issued when a passenger pressed a button inside the elevator. This indicates that the passenger wants to go to that floor.

floor.on("call_button_pressed", function(destinationFloor) { ... } );

Listen for the "call_button_pressed" event, issued when a passenger pressed the call button on the floor they are waiting on. This indicates that the passenger wants to go to another floor.

API documentation

Elevator object

elevator.goToFloor(3); // Do it before anything else

elevator.stop();

if(elevator.currentFloor === 0) {
    // Do something special?
}

if(elevator.getExactCurrentFloor() === 0) {
    // This elevator is probably stopped at floor 0
}

if(elevator.velocityY > 0 && elevator.getExactFutureFloorIfStopped() < 1) {
    // This elevator is suitable for stopping at floor 1
}

if(elevator.isApproachingFloor(0)) {
    // Do something special?
}

if(elevator.directionalIndicators[0]) {
    elevator.directionalIndicators[1] = false;
}

if(elevator.serviceStates[0]) {
    // This elevator is suitable for passengers going to floor 0
}

if(elevator.maxUsers >= 8) {
    // Use this elevator for something special, because it's big
}

if(elevator.loadFactor() < 0.5) {
    // Maybe use this elevator, since it's less than half full yet?
}

if(elevator.isEmpty()) {
    // Equivalent to elevator.loadFactor() === 0
}

if(elevator.getMaxSpeed() > 5) {
    // This elevator is rather fast
}

//C-LOOK algorithm
elevator.destinationQueue.sort();
elevator.checkDestinationQueue();

if(elevator.getPressedFloors().length > 0) {
    // Maybe go to some chosen floor first?
}

elevator.pressFloorButton(0);
// Should trigger floor_button_pressed event for valid pressing

elevator.on("idle", function() { ... });

elevator.on("floor_button_pressed", function(floorNum) {
    // Maybe tell the elevator to go to that floor?
})

elevator.on("passing_floor", function(floorNum, direction) { ... });

elevator.on("stopped_at_floor", function(floorNum) {
    // Maybe decide where to go next?
})

Floor object

if(floor.level > 3) { ... }

if(floor.buttonStates[0]) {
    // Maybe call an elevator to pick up, then go to floor 0?
}

floor.pressButton(1);
// Should trigger call_button_pressed event for valid pressing

floor.on("call_button_pressed", function(destinationFloor) {
    // Maybe call an elevator to go to this floor, then go to destination floor?
})