Beginning c++ through game programming code review

[dirtybryan007]

hey all so I'm on chapter 6 of this great book and one of the exercises says to redo the mad lib game using references, which I did but found it to be too easy. I decided to go back through and remake the hangman game using vectors, references, and functions. Some parts seem hack-ish to me so let me know what you think I could improve on!

thanks.

  #include "stdafx.h"
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <vector>
#include <algorithm>
#include <ctime>
#include <cctype>

using namespace std;
//Maybe not needed?
char askLetter();
string WORDS();
void instructions();
void winLose(const int& max_turns);
void displayBoard(const int& turns);
void makeGuess(char& guess, string& THE_WORD, int& turns);

int main()
{
	
	instructions();
	string word = WORDS();
	cout << word << endl;
	char guess = askLetter();
	int turns = 0;

	makeGuess(guess, word, turns);

	return 0;
}

void makeGuess(char& guess, string& THE_WORD, int& turns)
{
	string soFar(THE_WORD.size(), '-');
	string used = "";
	while ((turns != 7) && (soFar != THE_WORD))
	{

		while (used.find(guess) != string::npos)
		{
			cout << "already guessed that\n";
			guess = askLetter();
		}

		used += guess;

		if (THE_WORD.find(guess) != string::npos)
		{
			cout << "That is in the word!" << endl;

			for (unsigned int i = 0; i < THE_WORD.length(); i++)
			{
				if (THE_WORD[i] == guess)
				{
					soFar[i] = guess;
				}
			}
		}
		else
		{
			cout << "Sorry not in the word" << endl;
			turns++;
		}
		cout << "These are the letters you have used so far: " << used << endl;
		displayBoard(turns);
		cout << "So far the word is \n\t " << soFar << endl;
		//Hackish maybe? the while loop wasnt exiting when i got here and asked for another
		//letter even if i had the word or i used all my turns so i added this
		if (soFar == THE_WORD){
			break;
		}
		else if (turns == 7){
			break;
		}
		else{
			guess = askLetter();
		}
		//to create more space and not have each 'board' drawing so close
		cout << "\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n";

	}
	//display the final board and see if you won or not
	displayBoard(turns);
	winLose(turns);
}
string WORDS()
{
	vector<string> words;
	words.push_back("GUESS");
	words.push_back("WATER");
	words.push_back("GUITAR");
	words.push_back("FISHING");
	words.push_back("BOOKS");

	srand(static_cast<unsigned int> (time(0)));
	random_shuffle(words.begin(), words.end());
	const string THE_WORD = words[0];
	string soFar(THE_WORD.size(), '-');
	string used = "";
	return THE_WORD;
	return soFar;


}
char askLetter()
{
	char Letter;
	cout << "Please give me a letter: ";
	cin >> Letter;
	Letter = toupper(Letter);
	return Letter;
}


void instructions()
{
	cout << "Welcome to HangMan.\n\n";
	cout << "Try and guess the word before you get hanged.\n";
}

void winLose(const int& max_turns)
{
	if (max_turns == 7)
	{
		cout << "You were hanged and are now dead sorry!" << endl;
	}
	else
		cout << " You escaped with your life this time" << endl;
}
//ASCII drawing of my gameboard
void displayBoard(const int& turns)
{

	switch (turns)
	{
	case 0:
		cout << " ______  " << endl;
		cout << " |    |  " << endl;
		cout << " |    |  " << endl;
		cout << " |      " << endl;
		cout << " |     " << endl;
		cout << " |     " << endl;
		cout << " |     " << endl;
		cout << " |_______" << endl;
		break;

	case 1:
		cout << " ______  " << endl;
		cout << " |    |  " << endl;
		cout << " |    |  " << endl;
		cout << " |    O  " << endl;
		cout << " |    " << endl;
		cout << " |      " << endl;
		cout << " |     " << endl;
		cout << " |_______" << endl;
		break;

	case 2:
		cout << " ______  " << endl;
		cout << " |    |  " << endl;
		cout << " |    |  " << endl;
		cout << " |    O  " << endl;
		cout << " |    8  " << endl;
		cout << " |      " << endl;
		cout << " |     " << endl;
		cout << " |_______" << endl;
		break;

	case 3:
		cout << " ______  " << endl;
		cout << " |    |  " << endl;
		cout << " |    |  " << endl;
		cout << " |    O  " << endl;
		cout << " |    8  " << endl;
		cout << " |    8  " << endl;
		cout << " |    " << endl;
		cout << " |_______" << endl;
		break;

	case 4:
		cout << " ______  " << endl;
		cout << " |    |  " << endl;
		cout << " |    |  " << endl;
		cout << " |    O  " << endl;
		cout << " |    8\\  " << endl;
		cout << " |    8  " << endl;
		cout << " |     " << endl;
		cout << " |_______" << endl;
		break;

	case 5:
		cout << " ______  " << endl;
		cout << " |    |  " << endl;
		cout << " |    |  " << endl;
		cout << " |    O  " << endl;
		cout << " |   /8\\  " << endl;
		cout << " |    8  " << endl;
		cout << " |    " << endl;
		cout << " |_______" << endl;
		break;

	case 6:
		cout << " ______  " << endl;
		cout << " |    |  " << endl;
		cout << " |    |  " << endl;
		cout << " |    O  " << endl;
		cout << " |   /8\\  " << endl;
		cout << " |    8  " << endl;
		cout << " |   /  " << endl;
		cout << " |_______" << endl;
		break;
	
	case 7:
		cout << " ______  " << endl;
		cout << " |    |  " << endl;
		cout << " |    |  " << endl;
		cout << " |    O  " << endl;
		cout << " |   /8\\  " << endl;
		cout << " |    8  " << endl;
		cout << " |   / \\" << endl;
		cout << " |_______" << endl;
		break;
	}
}

[dirtybryan007]

P.S. I have the word printing out in the very beginning for debugging purposes and forgot to take it back out.

[AbstractionAnon]

Line 95: srand() should only ever be called once during a program. Calling it more than once in the same second will cause the RNG to be reset back to the beginning of the sequence. The best place to put a call to srand() is in the beginning of main.

Line 100-101: You have two return statements. The second one will never be reached.

line 98: soFar is never returned.

Line 99: used is never referenced.

Lines 69-77: The elses are not needed.

		if (soFar == THE_WORD)
			break;
		if (turns == 7)
			break;
    	        guess = askLetter();

As to hackish, I'd change the while loop to a do while loop.

  do 
  {  guess = ask_letter();
...
  }
  while  (! (turns == 7 || soFar == THE_WORD));