Data Structure and Algorithm visualizations

Some visualizations of data structures and algorithms.

Insertion sort video: https://youtu.be/3Zxa4F3npBc

AVL Tree video: https://youtu.be/On3_j7sJzI4

Repo Structure

• /shell.bat - sets up the visual studio compiler for use. I am not sure if the path is valid on every Windows 10 machine.
• /include - Some 3rd party headers.
• /lib - Libraries needed to link to. Also links to opengl32.lib
• /src - all source code and a view .bat files for convenience.
• /textures - right now only used for the single background image.
• /zshaders - shaders for the basic objects used and for a background image. (It is named zshaders so I can easily navigate to src by pressing 's' and tabbing on the command line)
• /logs - created at runtime. stderr is redirected to a text file which I use to output any opengl errors.
• /build - created upon running build.bat. all build output goes here

Project structure

The basic structure for the project was learned from Casey Muratori's Handmade Hero project.

There are 3 primary files that drive the project:

1. /src/win32_main.cpp - This is the platform layer. This handles initializing opengl, file io, etc. and provides it's interface in /src/win32_main.h. Any other platform layer could also be set up. In that case it would probably make sense to provide a uniform interface for platform related stuff that the other parts of the code might need.

2. /src/engine.cpp - This is the main engine. The main function is GameUpdateAndRender(). It handles a few things such as navigating the different visualizations that are set up, moving the camera, and generating some basic objects. It provides an interface in /src/engine.h which contains some basic structures that might be used by the different visualizations e.g. cube, digit, background.

3. visualization files - Each visualization that is added would be in a separate .cpp file. This file would take care of getting buffers on the gpu, setting up whatever geometry/data it needs, updating the visualization, making draw calls, etc.

To add a visualization

Create the visualization in a .cpp file with an interface that can be called from /src/engine.cpp. Add an enum value for it in /src/engine.h. Create a switch case in GameUpdateAndRender() in /src/engine.cpp so it can be navigated to. Include the .cpp file in /src/win32_main.cpp above engine.cpp

Build structure

The build structure was also a technique used in the Handmade Hero project. The only file that gets built is the platform file. This file includes all of the headers and .cpp files. The structure can be seen at the top of /src/win32_main.cpp:

#include "engine.h"
#include "opengl.cpp"
#include "insertion_sort.cpp"
#include "engine.cpp"

engine.cpp is at the bottom so it can see and use everything in the visualization files which would be included above. Any visualization file that needs the engine structs/utilities or platform structs/utilites would include /src/engine.h or /src/win32_main.h.

TO USE

The input keys are only setup for dvorak right now

Navigation

• 'w'/'v' keys move through views

Camera

• ',' zoom in
• 'o' zoom out
• left/right/up/down moves camera along x/y axis

Insertion Sort

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/3Zxa4F3npBc

• '0-9' adjust speed setting
• 'p' pause/unpause animation
• 's' start animation OR return to original state if animation finished

AVL Tree

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/On3_j7sJzI4

• 'p' pause/unpause animation
• 'a' insert random node into tree