LinkedIn ZIP Game Solver 🧩

Automated solver for the LinkedIn ZIP puzzle: Hamiltonian path visiting all free cells exactly once, hitting numbered checkpoints (1→N) in order, avoiding walls. Uses DFS backtracking (not A/shortest-path).*

Features

• ✅ Live extraction: Auto-opens Chrome, scrapes puzzle from LinkedIn game page.
• ✅ Test mode: 5x5 mock puzzle for quick verification.
• ✅ Animated visualization: Step-by-step path replay (play/pause/step, speed control).
• ✅ Validation: Checks path coverage, numbers order, no crossings/walls.

Installation

1. Clone/download project.
2. Install deps:

   pip install -r LinkedinZipSolver/requirements.txt
   

   (selenium, webdriver-manager – auto-downloads ChromeDriver)

Requirements: Python 3.8+, Chrome browser.

Quick Start

cd LinkedinZipSolver
python main.py

GUI opens:

Button	Action
🎮 Solve Live Puzzle	Opens browser → LinkedIn ZIP → extracts → solves → animates. no need to Login to LinkedIn!
🧪 Test 5x5 Puzzle	Mock grid → solves → animates (for testing).
❌ Exit	Quit.

Live Workflow:

1. Navigate browser to LinkedIn ZIP.
2. Click "Solve Live" → Auto-extracts grid/numbers/walls → Finds path → Opens viz window.
3. Use controls: ▶ Play, ⏮ Start, ⏩ Next, speed slider.

Viz Controls:

• Step through path, see green lines/dots (red current), numbers always visible.
• Status: Position/Value, progress bar.

Full Workflow

GUI (main.py)
├── Test: Mock puzzle (worker.py) → Solver → Visualizer
└── Live: Worker thread → Selenium browser → Extractor → Parser (models) → Solver → Queue → Visualizer

ASCII Flow:

Live Puzzle (LinkedIn)
     ↓ (Selenium)
Extractor.py (grid, numbers, walls)
     ↓
Models.py (GridParseResult)
     ↓
Solver.py (BFS reachable + DFS backtrack)
     ↓ Validate
Visualizer.py (Tkinter animation)

File Structure

File	Purpose
main.py	Tkinter GUI: Buttons, status, result polling, viz launcher.
worker.py	Background threads: Selenium setup, mock puzzle, queue results.
extractor.py	Parses live DOM → grid (0=free, N=number), walls (blocked edges).
models.py	Data: GridParseResult (grid, rows/cols, blocked_edges, etc.).
solver.py	ZipSolverCore: _neighbors, reachable BFS, solve_zip_game (backtrack), validate_solution.
visualizer.py	Tkinter canvas: Grid/walls/path animation (lines/dots, numbers on top).
requirements.txt	selenium, webdriver-manager.

How It Works

1. Extraction: Selenium loads game → Finds canvas/elements → Computes positions → Builds grid/walls.
2. Parsing: Grid[int[][]]: 0=empty, N=checkpoint. Walls as frozenset({(r1,c1),(r2,c2)}) edges.
3. Solve:
   • BFS: All reachable from #1.
   • Backtrack: From #1, extend path to unvisited neighbors, match next number, full coverage + end at max N.
4. Viz: Canvas grid (blue=#cells), black walls, green path lines, small dots (red current), numbers overlaid.

Puzzle Rules (enforced):

• Start #1 → End max N, numbers in order.
• Visit all reachable free cells exactly once (no crosses/revisits).
• Walls block moves.
• Backtrack if stuck.

Customization

• Mock puzzle: Edit create_mock_puzzle() in worker.py.
• Viz tweaks: Colors/sizes/speed in visualizer.py.
• Solver: Adjust neighbor order for faster paths.

Enjoy solving! 🚀