Another step.

55_Life/csharp/Program.cs

@@ -1,21 +1,23 @@
 // See https://aka.ms/new-console-template for more information
 
-const int MaxWidth = 70;
-const int MaxHeight = 24;
+IEnumerable<string> ReadPattern(int limitHeight)
+{
+    for (var i = 0; i < limitHeight; i++)
+    {
+        var input = Console.ReadLine();
+        if (input.ToUpper() == "DONE")
+        {
+            yield return string.Empty;
+            break;
+        }
 
-PrintHeader();
-
-int x1 = 1, y1 = 1;
-int x2 = 24, y2 = 70;
-var a = new float[24, 70];
-var b = new string[24];
-var c = 1;
-
-Console.WriteLine("ENTER YOUR PATTERN:");
-b[c] = Console.ReadLine();
-if (b[c] == "DONE")
-    b[c] = ""
+        // kept for compatibility
+        if (input.StartsWith('.'))
+            yield return input.Substring(1, input.Length - 2);
 
+        yield return input;
+    }
+}
 
 void PrintHeader()
 {
@@ -35,3 +37,124 @@ void PrintHeader()
     Console.WriteLine();    
 }
 
+(int index, string value) GetLongestInput(IEnumerable<string> strings)
+{
+    return strings
+        .Select((value, index) => (index, value))
+        .OrderByDescending(input => input.value.Length)
+        .First();
+}
+
+
+PrintHeader();
+
+Console.WriteLine("ENTER YOUR PATTERN:");
+// var pattern = ReadPattern(limitHeight: MaxHeight).ToArray();
+var pattern = new string[] { "a", "bdc", "", "pattern" }; // FOR DEBUGGING PURPOSES
+var (index, value) = GetLongestInput(pattern);
+Console.WriteLine("" + index + ", " + value);
+
+// B = pattern
+
+int x1 = (11 - index / 2) - 1;
+int y1 = (33 - value.Length / 2) - 1;
+const int MaxWidth = 70; // Y2
+const int MaxHeight = 24; // X2
+
+var a = new int[24, 70]; // TODO understand it
+int population = 0; 
+
+// count initial population?
+for (var x = 0; x < pattern.Length; x++)
+{
+    for (var y = 0; y < pattern[x].Length; y++)
+    {
+        if (pattern[x][y] != ' ')
+        {
+            a[x1 + x, y1 + y] = 1;
+            population++;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+void ProcessGeneration()
+{
+    void PrintPopulation(int generation, int population)
+    {
+        Console.WriteLine($"GENERATION: {generation}\tPOPULATION: {population}");
+        var i9 = false; // TODO understand
+        if (i9)
+            Console.WriteLine("INVALID!");
+    }
+    int generation = 1;
+    PrintPopulation(generation, population);
+
+    int x3 = MaxHeight, y3 = MaxWidth;
+    int x4 = 1, y4 = 1;
+    
+    for (int x = 0; x < x1; x++)
+    {
+        Console.WriteLine();
+    }
+
+    for (var x = x1; x < MaxHeight; x++)
+    {
+        Console.WriteLine();
+        for (var y = y1; y < MaxWidth; y++)
+        {
+            if (a[x, y] == 2)
+            {
+                a[x, y] = 0; // birth?
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            if (a[x, y] == 3)
+            {
+                a[x, y] = 1;
+                Console.WriteLine(new string('\t', y+1) + "*");
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            // TODO understand what it does
+            if (x < x3) x3 = x;
+            if (x > x4) x4 = x;
+            if (y < y3) y3 = y;
+            if (y < y4) y4 = y;
+        }
+    }
+    
+}
+
+PrintMatrix(a);
+void PrintMatrix(int[,] matrix)
+{
+    Console.WriteLine("Matrix:");
+    for (int x = 0; x < matrix.GetLength(0); x++)
+    {
+        for (int y = 0; y < matrix.GetLength(1); y++)
+        {
+            Console.Write(matrix[x, y].ToString());            
+        }
+        Console.WriteLine();
+    }
+}
+
+Console.WriteLine();
+Console.WriteLine();
+Console.WriteLine();
+ProcessGeneration();
+
+
+
+
+
+
+// int x1 = 1, y1 = 1;
+// int x2 = 24, y2 = 70;
+
+// var b = new string[24];
+
+
+
+
+