How do I implement the A* algorithm in Java?

How do I implement the A* algorithm in Java?

To implement the A* algorithm in Java, you'll need to define a few key components: the graph, the heuristic function, and the open and closed lists.

What data structures should I use for the open and closed lists?

You can use a priority queue for the open list to efficiently get the node with the lowest cost, and a HashSet for the closed list to quickly check if a node has been visited.

Can you give me a simple code example?

Sure! Here's a basic structure:

class Node {
    int x, y, cost, heuristic;
    Node parent;
}

public List<Node> aStar(Node start, Node goal) {
    // Implementation here
}

What heuristic function should I use?

A common heuristic for grid-based maps is the Manhattan distance, which calculates the distance between two points in a grid.