Java Program for Shortest distance between two cells in a matrix or grid

Given a matrix of N*M order. Find the shortest distance from a source cell to a destination cell, traversing through limited cells only. Also you can move only up, down, left and right. If found output the distance else -1.
s represents 'source'
d represents 'destination'
* represents cell you can travel
0 represents cell you can not travel
This problem is meant for single source and destination.
Examples:

Input : {'0', '*', '0', 's'},
        {'*', '0', '*', '*'},
        {'0', '*', '*', '*'},
        {'d', '*', '*', '*'}
Output : 6

Input :  {'0', '*', '0', 's'},
         {'*', '0', '*', '*'},
         {'0', '*', '*', '*'},
         {'d', '0', '0', '0'}
Output :  -1

The idea is to BFS (breadth first search) on matrix cells. Note that we can always use BFS to find shortest path if graph is unweighted.

Store each cell as a node with their row, column values and distance from source cell.
Start BFS with source cell.
Make a visited array with all having "false" values except '0'cells which are assigned "true" values as they can not be traversed.
Keep updating distance from source value in each move.
Return distance when destination is met, else return -1 (no path exists in between source and destination).

Java

/*package whatever //do not write package name here */
// Java Code implementation for above problem
import java.util.LinkedList;
import java.util.Queue;
import java.util.Scanner;

// QItem for current location and distance
// from source location
class QItem {
  int row;
  int col;
  int dist;
  public QItem(int row, int col, int dist)
  {
    this.row = row;
    this.col = col;
    this.dist = dist;
  }
}

public class Maze {
  private static int minDistance(char[][] grid)
  {
    QItem source = new QItem(0, 0, 0);
    
    // To keep track of visited QItems. Marking
    // blocked cells as visited.
    firstLoop:
    for (int i = 0; i < grid.length; i++) {
      for (int j = 0; j < grid[i].length; j++) 
      {
        
        // Finding source
        if (grid[i][j] == 's') {
          source.row = i;
          source.col = j;
          break firstLoop;
        }
      }
    }
    
    // applying BFS on matrix cells starting from source
    Queue<QItem> queue = new LinkedList<>();
    queue.add(new QItem(source.row, source.col, 0));

    boolean[][] visited
      = new boolean[grid.length][grid[0].length];
    visited[source.row][source.col] = true;

    while (queue.isEmpty() == false) {
      QItem p = queue.remove();
      
      // Destination found;
      if (grid[p.row][p.col] == 'd')
        return p.dist;

      // moving up
      if (isValid(p.row - 1, p.col, grid, visited)) {
        queue.add(new QItem(p.row - 1, p.col,
                            p.dist + 1));
        visited[p.row - 1][p.col] = true;
      }

      // moving down
      if (isValid(p.row + 1, p.col, grid, visited)) {
        queue.add(new QItem(p.row + 1, p.col,
                            p.dist + 1));
        visited[p.row + 1][p.col] = true;
      }

      // moving left
      if (isValid(p.row, p.col - 1, grid, visited)) {
        queue.add(new QItem(p.row, p.col - 1,
                            p.dist + 1));
        visited[p.row][p.col - 1] = true;
      }

      // moving right
      if (isValid(p.row - 1, p.col + 1, grid,
                  visited)) {
        queue.add(new QItem(p.row, p.col + 1,
                            p.dist + 1));
        visited[p.row][p.col + 1] = true;
      }
    }
    return -1;
  }
  
  // checking where it's valid or not
  private static boolean isValid(int x, int y,
                                 char[][] grid,
                                 boolean[][] visited)
  {
    if (x >= 0 && y >= 0 && x < grid.length
        && y < grid[0].length && grid[x][y] != '0'
        && visited[x][y] == false) {
      return true;
    }
    return false;
  }
  
  // Driver code
  public static void main(String[] args)
  {
    char[][] grid = { { '0', '*', '0', 's' },
                     { '*', '0', '*', '*' },
                     { '0', '*', '*', '*' },
                     { 'd', '*', '*', '*' } };

    System.out.println(minDistance(grid));
  }
}

// This code is contributed by abhikelge21.

Output:

Please refer complete article on Shortest distance between two cells in a matrix or grid for more details!

Java Program for Shortest distance between two cells in a matrix or grid

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