Then, behind the scenes, the demo uses the MSF library to solve the puzzle.

Next, it programmatically defines constraints (required conditions) that are common to all Sudoku puzzles, and then sets up the data constraints that are specific to the puzzle. The demo console application begins by setting up and displaying the data for a typical Sudoku puzzle. To get an idea of where this article is headed, take a look at the demo program in Figure 1. And third, you might just find that solving Sudoku puzzles programmatically is interesting and entertaining. Second, this article will introduce you to the MSF library and its capabilities. First, the techniques presented here can be used to solve many realistic problems.

Although it’s highly unlikely you’ll ever need to solve a Sudoku puzzle as part of your normal work responsibilities, there are at least three reasons why you might want to read this article. One way to tackle CSPs programmatically is to use the Microsoft Solver Foundation (MSF) library. Volume 29 Number 8 Test Run : Solving Sudoku Puzzles Using the MSF LibraryĪ Sudoku puzzle is an example of what’s called a constraint satisfaction problem (CSP).

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