Question

A theater seating chart is implemented as a table of ticket prices, like this: $$ \begin{array}{llllllllll} 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 \\ 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 \\ 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 \\ 10 & 10 & 20 & 20 & 20 & 20 & 20 & 20 & 10 & 10 \\ 10 & 10 & 20 & 20 & 20 & 20 & 20 & 20 & 10 & 10 \\ 10 & 10 & 20 & 20 & 20 & 20 & 20 & 20 & 10 & 10 \\ 20 & 20 & 30 & 30 & 40 & 40 & 30 & 30 & 20 & 20 \\ 20 & 30 & 30 & 40 & 50 & 50 & 40 & 30 & 30 & 20 \\ 30 & 40 & 50 & 50 & 50 & 50 & 50 & 50 & 40 & 30 \end{array} $$ Write a program that prompts users to pick cither a seat or a price, Mark sold seats by changing the price to 0 . When a user specifies a seat, make sure it is available. When a user specifies a price, find any scat with that price.

Short answer

Implement steps to select or find seats by price, and mark sold seats as zero in the seating chart.

Step-by-step solution

Define the Seating Chart

Start by defining the seating chart as a two-dimensional array in a programming language. Each element of the array represents the price of a seat. The array provided in the problem statement is: \[\begin{array}{llllllllll} 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 \ 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 \ 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 & 10 \ 10 & 10 & 20 & 20 & 20 & 20 & 20 & 20 & 10 & 10 \ 10 & 10 & 20 & 20 & 20 & 20 & 20 & 20 & 10 & 10 \ 10 & 10 & 20 & 20 & 20 & 20 & 20 & 20 & 10 & 10 \ 20 & 20 & 30 & 30 & 40 & 40 & 30 & 30 & 20 & 20 \ 20 & 30 & 30 & 40 & 50 & 50 & 40 & 30 & 30 & 20 \ 30 & 40 & 50 & 50 & 50 & 50 & 50 & 50 & 40 & 30 \end{array} \]".

Define User Input Mechanism

Create a function that prompts the user to choose either a specific seat (by entering row and column) or a price to search for a seat. For instance, the user can input "seat" or "price" to decide their choice mode.

Seat Selection

If the user chooses to select a seat, prompt them to enter the row and column indices. Check if the seat is available by verifying if its price is not zero. If available, mark the seat as sold by setting its price to zero and confirm the sale to the user.

Price Search

If the user chooses to search by price, prompt them to enter the desired price. Traverse the seating chart to find any seat with that specific price that is not zero. If a seat is found, reserve it by setting its price to zero and notify the user. If no seat is available at that price, inform the user that such a seat is not available.

Update and Display Seating Chart

After a seat has been marked as sold, update the seating chart and optionally display the updated chart to the user. This provides a visual confirmation of the available and sold seats.

Key concepts

2D Arrays

The two-dimensional array, or 2D array, is a fundamental concept in computer programming. It essentially serves as a table that organizes data into rows and columns. Think of it like a grid of values, where each cell holds a piece of information. In the context of the seating chart program, the 2D array allows us to represent the arrangement of seats in a theater, with each element corresponding to a specific seat's price.
To access a particular seat's price in this grid, you need two indices: one for the row and one for the column. This arrangement is particularly useful for tasks involving seating plans or matrices. It provides an intuitive way to visualize data and perform operations such as seat selection and price updates in a systematic manner.
By using a 2D array, operations like checking seat availability or updating the chart when a seat is sold become efficient and straightforward.

User Input

User input forms the interactive component of the seating chart program. It helps create an engaging experience by allowing users to make choices directly. The program prompts users to specify their preferences, either by selecting a particular seat or indicating a price they are willing to pay.
Handling user input correctly involves gathering data from users, usually through prompts that ask them for their choice. For seat selection, users provide specific row and column indices, pointing directly to a seat location. Alternatively, for price-based decisions, users state a preferred price, and the program searches the seating chart for available options within that price range.
Implementing user input effectively requires carefully designed prompts and validations to ensure the input is meaningful and helps guide the program to produce the correct actions.

Conditionals

Conditionals are vital programming elements when it comes to decision-making within code. They allow the program to execute different actions based on certain conditions. In the seating chart program, conditionals are used to verify the choices made by users and determine the next steps.
For instance, if a user picks a specific seat, the program uses conditionals to check whether the seat is still available. This is achieved by evaluating whether the seat's price is zero (indicating it has already been sold) or not. If it's available, the program can then proceed to mark it as sold.
Similarly, conditionals come into play when a user searches seats by price. The program checks through the 2D array, using conditionals to find a seat with the requested price and then determines whether it is still unsold. This logical flow, guided by conditionals, ensures that the program behaves correctly and efficiently based on user interactions.

Price Matching

Price matching in the context of the seating chart program involves searching for available seats that match a user's specified price. This feature adds flexibility for users who are budget-conscious and prefer selecting a ticket based on how much they want to spend.
The program traverses the seating chart, examining each seat's price to see if it corresponds with the user's inputted value. If a match is found, and the seat is still available (its price isn't zero), the seat is reserved for the user, and the program updates the price to zero, indicating the seat has been sold.
This process highlights the program's ability to efficiently match user preferences against available inventory, providing a convenient way to meet user needs while maintaining an updated and accurate seating chart.