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GNU Go Documentation

8. The Board Library

8.1 Board Data structures		Board Data Structures
8.2 Board Functions		Board Setup Functions
8.2.2 Move Functions
8.2.3 Status Functions
8.2.4 String and Miscellaneous Functions

The foundation of the GNU Go engine is a library of very efficient routines for handling go boards. This board library, called `libboard', can be used for those programs that only need a basic go board but no AI capability. One such program is `patterns/joseki.c', which compiles joseki pattern databases from SGF files.

The library consists of the following files:

• `board.c'

  The basic board code. It uses incremental algorithms for keeping track of strings and liberties on the go board.

• `hash.c'

  Code for hashing go positions.

• `globals.c'

  Global variables needed in the rest of the files. This file also contains global variables needed in the rest of the engine.

• `sgffile.c'

  Implementation of output file in SGF format.

• `showbord.c'

  Print go boards.

• `printutils.c'

  Utilities for printing go boards and other things.

To use the board library, you must include `liberty.h' just like when you use the whole engine, but of course you cannot use all the functions declared in it, i.e. the functions that are part of the engine, but not part of the board library. You must link your application with libboard.a.