JavaScript Card Objects

The Stack Object

See the card stacks demo.

The Stack object is designed to make it easier for a programmer to use Card objects in a manner similar to how a real deck or stack of cards is used. Basically, it creates an ordered set of cards that can be drawn from, added to, shuffled or combined with other Stacks.

The constructor for the Stack object is shown below.

function Stack() {

  // Create an empty array of cards.

  this.cards = new Array();

  this.makeDeck  = stackMakeDeck;
  this.shuffle   = stackShuffle;
  this.deal      = stackDeal;
  this.draw      = stackDraw;
  this.addCard   = stackAddCard;
  this.combine   = stackCombine;
  this.cardCount = stackCardCount;
}

There's not much to it other than creating an empty array for the cards and assigning the methods. Many of these methods will in fact make use of the methods already provided by the built-in JavaScript Array object to manipulate the set of cards.

Building a Deck of Cards

The first method, makeDeck(), is provided save a user of the object some work by generating a full deck of cards in the stack.

function stackMakeDeck(n) {

  var ranks = new Array("A", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8", "9",
                        "10", "J", "Q", "K");
  var suits = new Array("C", "D", "H", "S");
  var i, j, k;
  var m;

  m = ranks.length * suits.length;

  // Set array of cards.

  this.cards = new Array(n * m);

  // Fill the array with 'n' packs of cards.

  for (i = 0; i < n; i++)
    for (j = 0; j < suits.length; j++)
      for (k = 0; k < ranks.length; k++)
        this.cards[i * m + j * ranks.length + k] =
          new Card(ranks[k], suits[j]);
}

Note that it takes an integer argument. Some card games may require you to combine two or more regular packs of cards into a single deck for play. This argument let's you specify how many packs to include in the deck.

The first step is to recreate the array of Card objects based on the number of cards needed. Then it loops through the rank and suit values, creating a Card object for each and placing it in the cards array. The process is repeated n times.

This creates a nicely ordered set of cards. Of course, the first thing you'll probably want to do with a new deck is destroy that nice order by shuffling them.

Shuffling a Stack

The shuffle() method accomplishes this by randomizing the order of the cards currently in the stack.

function stackShuffle(n) {

  var i, j, k;
  var temp;

  // Shuffle the stack 'n' times.

  for (i = 0; i < n; i++)
    for (j = 0; j < this.cards.length; j++) {
      k = Math.floor(Math.random() * this.cards.length);
      temp = this.cards[j];
      this.cards[j] = this.cards[k];
      this.cards[k] = temp;
    }
}

It takes a numeric argument which defines how many times the stack should be shuffled. For each shuffle it simply loops though every card in the array and swaps it with another card randomly selected from the array.

Dealing Cards from a Stack

The deal() method simulates dealing a single card from the stack. The first card is removed from the stack and returned to the caller.

function stackDeal() {

  if (this.cards.length > 0)
    return this.cards.shift();
  else
    return null;
}

The draw() method does the same thing, except that it allows you to specify any card in the stack by passing an index value in the call.

function stackDraw(n) {

  var card;

  if (n >= 0 && n < this.cards.length) {
    card = this.cards[n];
    this.cards.splice(n, 1);
  }
  else
    card = null;

  return card;
}

The index value is zero-based, so draw(0) is equivalent to deal(). Note that if no cards are left in a stack or if an invalid value is given, null is returned. You can find out how many cards are in a stack at any given time using the cardCount() method.

function stackCardCount() {

  return this.cards.length;
}

Adding Cards to a Stack

The addCard() method appends a Card object to the end of the stack's card array.

function stackAddCard(card) {

  this.cards.push(card);
}

As and example, you could define one Stack for a deck and one for a poker hand, then deal from the deck to the hand.

var deck = new Stack();
var hand = new Stack();
var i;

deck.makeDeck(1);
for (i = 0; i < 5; i++)
  hand.addCard(deck.deal());

Combining Stacks

The final method let's you combine two stacks.

function stackCombine(stack) {

  this.cards = this.cards.concat(stack.cards);
  stack.cards = new Array();
}

It takes a Stack object as an argument and appends its cards to the current stack. Note that the stack being appended is emptied of cards. So if stack1 contained A♣, 7♥, 3♦, Q♥ and stack2 contained K♠, 5♣, the call

stack1.combine(stack2);

would leave stack1 with A♣, 7♥, 3♦, Q♥, K♠, 5♣ while stack2 would be empty.

With the Stack object in place, you can play around with a demo to see how they might be put to use in managing sets of cards.

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