public class Life
{
    public static void main(string[] args)
    {
        int row = 6;
        int column = 8;
        int seed = 7;
        int generations = 6;
        boolean[][] matrix = createMatrix(row, column);
        for (int i = 0; i <=  generations ; i++)
        {
            // if we're in our first generation, just create the matrix
            if (i == 0)
            {
                matrix = fillMatrix(matrix, seed);
            }
            // otherwise, get the next generation
            else
            {
                matrix = getNextGeneration(matrix);
            }
            printMatrix(matrix);
        }

    }

    public static boolean[][] createMatrix(int length, int width)
    {
        return new boolean[length][width]();
    }

    public static boolean[][] fillMatrix(boolean[][] matrix, int seed)
    {
        Random rnd = new Random(seed);
        // iterate through all rows except the first and last
        for (int i = 1 ; i <= matrix.length - 1; i++)
        {
            // iterate through all columns except the first and last
            for (int j = 1 ; j <= matrix[i].length - 1; j++)
            {
                matrix[i][j] = rnd.nextBoolean();
            }
        }
        return matrix;
    }

    public static boolean[][] getNextGeneration(boolean[][] currentGeneration)
    {
        int neighbors = 0;
        int length = currentGeneration.length;
        int width = currentGeneration[0].length;
        boolean[][] currentGeneration = new boolean[length][width]();

        for (int i = 1 ; i <= currentGeneration.length - 1; i++)
        {
            // iterate through all columns except the first and last
            for (int j = 1 ; j <= currentGeneration[i].length - 1; j++)
            {
                // check each of the cell's neighbors, and increment the neighbors variable above

                // change the number in this if statement to correspond to what the lab says makes a cell die
                if (neighbors > 3)
                {
                    // cell dies
                    currentGeneration[i][j] = false;
                }
                else
                {
                    // cell stays alive
                    currentGeneration[i][j] = true;
                }
            }
            neighbors = 0;
        }
        return currentGeneration;
    }

    public static void printMatrix(boolean[][] matrix)
    {
        for (int i = 0 ; i != matrix.length ; i++)
        {
            for (int j = 0 ; j != matrix[i].length ; j++)
            {
                String output = "- ";
                if (matrix[i][j])
                {
                    output = "# ";
                }
                System.out.print(output);
            }
            // print this after each row so that it prints the next row on a new line
            System.out.println("");
        }
    }
}