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A magic trick

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12 Nov 20032 min read 120.1K   1.5K   27   27
A magic trick that will astound you!

Introduction

While not a tool per se, this little "magic" program was inspired by a Web site that a friend sent me. I thought it neat enough to try and figure out how they did it. Within just a few minutes, a co-worker and I, with the help of a big whiteboard, figured out a solution. The result is a wizard-based dialog program that attempts to read your mind!

How to use

Following the on-screen instructions, it's self explanatory. Basically, you're going to jot down some numbers, scramble 'em up a bit, and the program will attempt to guess one of your numbers. If it guesses wrong, drop me a line and tell me the numbers you used. I may not have accounted for all exceptions.

The program is not fool-proof. It is possible to give it bogus numbers, and it will, in turn, give you a bogus answer. Making it totally fool-proof would have over-complicated the code, which I did once already.

The solution

I chose not to put a solution to the puzzle here, because then it would be way too easy for the casual Web surfer to find it, thus ruining any fun they might have had trying to figure it out the old fashioned way - using their head!

A solution is, however, in the code itself, and is very easy to comprehend (even easier when someone shows you how to simplify your math!). I would challenge you to try the program, or the referenced Web site, a few times before diving right in and looking at the solution.

References

Improvements

The UI is a bit blah, but since my intent was not a flashy program, it matters not. One of these days, I might be so inclined to dress it up a bit. If you like drawing and GDI type stuff, feel free.

License

This article has no explicit license attached to it but may contain usage terms in the article text or the download files themselves. If in doubt please contact the author via the discussion board below.

A list of licenses authors might use can be found here


Written By
Software Developer (Senior) Pinnacle Business Systems
United States United States

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Comments and Discussions

 
GeneralCompile error Pin
alrsds8-Sep-09 1:24
alrsds8-Sep-09 1:24 
QuestionRe: Compile error Pin
David Crow8-Sep-09 6:32
David Crow8-Sep-09 6:32 
AnswerRe: Compile error [modified] Pin
alrsds8-Sep-09 14:19
alrsds8-Sep-09 14:19 
QuestionRe: Compile error Pin
David Crow8-Sep-09 16:54
David Crow8-Sep-09 16:54 
AnswerRe: Compile error Pin
alrsds9-Sep-09 5:32
alrsds9-Sep-09 5:32 
Generaldidn't work Pin
donperry27-Jan-07 10:58
donperry27-Jan-07 10:58 
GeneralRe: didn't work Pin
David Crow29-Jan-07 2:46
David Crow29-Jan-07 2:46 
GeneralModified Code Pin
Douglas R. Keesler31-Dec-04 15:39
Douglas R. Keesler31-Dec-04 15:39 
Generalremember the ABACUS!! Pin
Douglas R. Keesler31-Dec-04 8:29
Douglas R. Keesler31-Dec-04 8:29 
GeneralYour works cause good discussions. Pin
LAT14-Nov-03 20:17
LAT14-Nov-03 20:17 
GeneralA Better Trick Pin
DanYELL14-Nov-03 13:39
DanYELL14-Nov-03 13:39 
GeneralRe: A Better Trick Pin
UltraJoe18-Nov-03 1:41
UltraJoe18-Nov-03 1:41 
GeneralMore magic Pin
Mr Scotty14-Nov-03 1:04
Mr Scotty14-Nov-03 1:04 
GeneralRe: More magic Pin
David Crow14-Nov-03 8:45
David Crow14-Nov-03 8:45 
GeneralThis is NOT magic. Pin
WREY13-Nov-03 19:33
WREY13-Nov-03 19:33 
GeneralRe: This is NOT magic. Pin
pistarino13-Nov-03 21:45
pistarino13-Nov-03 21:45 
GeneralRe: This is NOT magic. Pin
WREY14-Nov-03 6:27
WREY14-Nov-03 6:27 
GeneralRe: This is NOT magic. Pin
David Crow14-Nov-03 8:52
David Crow14-Nov-03 8:52 
GeneralRe: This is NOT magic. Pin
WREY14-Nov-03 15:04
WREY14-Nov-03 15:04 
GeneralOverly complex math Pin
John Plsek10-Oct-03 4:06
John Plsek10-Oct-03 4:06 
Umm, correct me if I'm wrong, but the over complicated if()...else if()... "math" in the source could simply be expressed as d=9-((a+b+c)%9);.
For a three digit response ... works a treat for me.
GeneralFido puzzle discussion Pin
Steve Mayfield9-Oct-03 20:38
Steve Mayfield9-Oct-03 20:38 
GeneralRe: Fido puzzle discussion Pin
David Crow10-Oct-03 2:26
David Crow10-Oct-03 2:26 
GeneralRe: Fido puzzle discussion Pin
John Plsek10-Oct-03 4:38
John Plsek10-Oct-03 4:38 
GeneralThis is a nice application. Pin
73Zeppelin9-Oct-03 16:00
73Zeppelin9-Oct-03 16:00 
GeneralRe: This is a nice application. Pin
John Plsek10-Oct-03 4:44
John Plsek10-Oct-03 4:44 

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