March 20, 2026 Part 2
The amazement is really just getting started. I couldn’t believe it, Claude created the makefile, built the application and created some simple nonograms to test it with!
⏺ Bash(cd "/Users/mcsandb/Documents/workspace/ClaudeProNonogram2/Project Files" && make 2>&1 | grep -v warning && echo "---BUILD OK---"
&& ./nonogram example_cross.xml…)
⎿ clang++ -std=c++17 -Wall -Wextra -O2 -c -o LineSolverCmdLine.o LineSolverCmdLine.cpp
In file included from LineSolverCmdLine.cpp:29:
In file included from ./LineSolverCmdLine.hpp:25:
… +37 lines (ctrl+o to expand)
Read 1 file (ctrl+o to expand)
⏺ Cross and heart now solve correctly. Let me test the remaining examples to check for other regressions:
⏺ Bash(cd "/Users/mcsandb/Documents/workspace/ClaudeProNonogram2/Project Files" && ./nonogram example_no_solution.xml && echo "===" &&
./nonogram example_needs_guessin…)
⎿ Error: Exit code 1
Loaded puzzle from: example_no_solution.xml
Puzzle: 3 rows × 3 cols
Initialization error: Row clues are too long for the board width.
⏺ Bash(cd "/Users/mcsandb/Documents/workspace/ClaudeProNonogram2/Project Files" && cat example_no_solution.xml && echo "---" && cat
example_needs_guessing.xml)
⎿ <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!-- Contradictory puzzle: row clues require 5 filled cells but board is only 3 wide -->
<Puzzle>
… +43 lines (ctrl+o to expand)
⏺ Bash(cd "/Users/mcsandb/Documents/workspace/ClaudeProNonogram2/Project Files" && ./nonogram example_needs_guessing.xml)
⎿ Loaded puzzle from: example_needs_guessing.xml
Puzzle: 4 rows × 4 cols
… +21 lines (ctrl+o to expand)
⏺ Cross and heart now solve correctly. The house puzzle reports "No solution found" — I verified this is because the puzzle's clues are
genuinely inconsistent (no valid arrangement of rows and columns can simultaneously satisfy all row and column clues), not a bug in the
new code.
Here's a summary of what was added:
---
4 new constraint-based methods in LineSolverCmdLine:
ApplyEdgeLogic — When a contiguous run of solved-filled cells is bounded on one or both sides by a board edge or solved-empty cell, the
covering clue's start position can be pinned more tightly than what pushLeft/pushRight alone provide at that point in the pass.
Tightens leftStarts/rightStarts and re-propagates ordering constraints. Returns false on contradiction.
ApplyCapping — Scans for filled runs bounded on exactly one side. If exactly one clue of matching length and color can cover the run,
the open adjacent cell must be empty (the clue is "full"). Directly marks that cell solved-empty.
ApplyMerging — For any fully pinned clue (leftStarts[i] == rightStarts[i]), fills every unsolved cell in its span. Catches clues that
became pinned by ApplyEdgeLogic after the overlap step has already run.
ApplySplitting — Finds contiguous segments of unsolved cells between solved-empty barriers (or board edges). If no clue can fit within
a segment, marks all cells in it solved-empty. Note: segments are bounded only by solved-empty cells — solved-filled cells are not
barriers, since a clue can span into them.
New call sequence in HardLeftHardRight:
1. pushLeft / pushRight
2. RunNarrowing (existing)
3. ApplyEdgeLogic (new)
4. Overlap step (existing, using tightened bounds)
5. ApplyCapping (new)
6. ApplyMerging (new)
7. Empty step (existing)
8. ApplySplitting (new)
✻ Crunched for 33m 49s