# How to make the snake not move constantly

**URL:** <https://discourse.processing.org/t/how-to-make-the-snake-not-move-constantly/16453>\
**Category:** Coding Questions\
**Created:** [December 16, 2019, 7:08pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/how-to-make-the-snake-not-move-constantly/16453 "2019-12-16T19:08:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![crazybob5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@crazybob5](https://discourse.processing.org/u/crazybob5)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2019, 7:08pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/how-to-make-the-snake-not-move-constantly/16453/1 "2019-12-16T19:08:49Z")

</div>

Hi, How to make the snake not move constantly?

```auto
int angle=0;
int snakesize=10;
int time=0;
int[] headx= new int[2500];
int[] heady= new int[2500];
int applex=(round(random(47))+1)*8;
int appley=(round(random(47))+1)*8;
boolean redo=true;
boolean stopgame=false; //These are the variables necessary to plot the game characters and boundaries.

void setup()
{
  restart();
  size(400,400); //The size of the window.
  textAlign(CENTER);
}

void draw()
{
  if (stopgame)          
  {
  }
  
  else
  {
  time+=1;
  fill(255,0,0);
  stroke(0);
  rect(applex,appley,8,8);
  fill(0);
  stroke(0);
  rect(0,0,width,8);
  rect(0,height-8,width,8);
  rect(0,0,8,height);
  rect(width-8,0,8,height);        
  
  if ((time % 5)==0)
  {
    travel();
    display();
    checkdead();              
  }
  }
}

void keyPressed() // The controls are set to up, down, left and right arrows of the keyboard. you can change them accordingly.
{
  if (key == CODED)
  {
    if (keyCode == UP && angle!=270 && (heady[1]-8)!=heady[2])
    {
      angle=90;
    }
    if (keyCode == DOWN && angle!=90 && (heady[1]+8)!=heady[2])
    {
      angle=270;
    }if (keyCode == LEFT && angle!=0 && (headx[1]-8)!=headx[2])
    {
      angle=180;
    }if (keyCode == RIGHT && angle!=180 && (headx[1]+8)!=headx[2])
    {
      angle=0;
    }
    if (keyCode == SHIFT)
    {
      restart();
    }
  }
}

void travel()
{
  for(int i=snakesize;i>0;i--) // loop for the creation of snake.
  {
    if (i!=1)
    {
      headx[i]=headx[i-1];
      heady[i]=heady[i-1];
    }
    else
    {
      switch(angle)
      {
        case 0:
        headx[1]+=8;
        break;
        case 90:
        heady[1]-=8;
        break;
        case 180:
        headx[1]-=8;
        break;
        case 270:
        heady[1]+=8;
        break;
      }
    }
  }
  
}

void display() // displaying the snake as well as the apple.
{
  if (headx[1]==applex && heady[1]==appley)
  {
    snakesize+=round(random(3)+1);
    redo=true;
    while(redo)
    {
      applex=(round(random(47))+1)*8;
      appley=(round(random(47))+1)*8;
      for(int i=1;i<snakesize;i++)
      {     
        if (applex==headx[i] && appley==heady[i])
        {
          redo=true;
        }
        else
        {
          redo=false;
          i=1000;
        }
      }
    }
  }
  stroke(255,255,255);
  fill(0);
  rect(headx[1],heady[1],8,8);
  fill(255);
  rect(headx[snakesize],heady[snakesize],8,8);
}

void checkdead() //end game method to check if the snake is dead or alive.
{
  for(int i=2;i<=snakesize;i++)
  {
    if (headx[1]==headx[i] && heady[1]==heady[i])
    {
      fill(255);
      rect(125,125,160,100);
      fill(0);
      text("GAME OVER",200,150);
      text("Score: "+str(snakesize-1)+" apples eaten",200,175);
      text("Press SHIFT to RESTART",200,200);
      stopgame=true;
    }
    if (headx[1]>=(width-8) || heady[1]>=(height-8) || headx[1]<=0 || heady[1]<=0)
    {
      fill(255);
      rect(125,125,160,100);
      fill(0);
      text("GAME OVER",200,150);
      text("Score: "+str(snakesize-1)+" apples eaten",200,175);
      text("Press SHIFT to RESTART",200,200);
      stopgame=true;
    }
  }
}
void restart() //if we press shift then the game is restarted. SHIFT is the key to restart the game. You can change it as well to any other key.
{
  background(255);
  headx[1]=200;
  heady[1]=200;
  for(int i=2;i<1000;i++)
  {
    headx[i]=0;
    heady[i]=0;
  }
  stopgame=false;
  applex=(round(random(47))+1)*8;
  appley=(round(random(47))+1)*8;
  snakesize=10;
  time=0;
  angle=0;
  redo=true;
}

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Tiemen](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/tiemen/32/5477_2.png) [@Tiemen](https://discourse.processing.org/u/Tiemen)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2019, 7:24pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/how-to-make-the-snake-not-move-constantly/16453/2 "2019-12-16T19:24:53Z")

</div>

Right now you have the keys bound to swapping the snake’s angle. Based on that angle, the sketch automatically moves the snake forward in your function called `void travel()`. If you don’t want this automatic behaviour at all, you could merge these two together (replace the angle inside the key bindings with the location replacements in the travel function).

A quick fix, if you merely want to ‘freeze’ the snake for testing purposes, is by adding a boolean. When it’s `false` the snake won’t move, if you set it to `true` the snake automatically moves.

Were these the type of suggestions you were looking for?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Waboqueox](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/waboqueox/32/5643_2.png) [@Waboqueox](https://discourse.processing.org/u/Waboqueox)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 8:23am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/how-to-make-the-snake-not-move-constantly/16453/3 "2019-12-17T08:23:47Z")

</div>

Well, this pauses the game pressing ‘a’, if is what you want… not sure 😅

```auto
boolean redo=true, stop = false;
.
.
.

```

in draw:

```auto
void draw()
{
  if (stopgame)          
  {
  }
  
  else
  {
     time+=1;
  if(stop)
     time = 1;

// or just:
  
  //if ((time % 5)==0 && !stop)
  //{
  // travel();
  // display();
  // checkdead();              
  //}
...

```

in keyPressed:

```auto
  if (key=='a'){
    if(stop)
     stop = false;
    else
     stop = true;
   }

```