Task: Solve a Hidato puzzle
C++: #include <iostream>
#include <sstream>
#include <iterator>
#include <vector>


using namespace std;


struct node
{
    int val;
    unsigned char neighbors;
};

class hSolver
{
public:
    hSolver()
    {
	dx[0] = -1; dx[1] = 0; dx[2] = 1; dx[3] = -1; dx[4] = 1; dx[5] = -1; dx[6] = 0; dx[7] = 1;
	dy[0] = -1; dy[1] = -1; dy[2] = -1; dy[3] = 0; dy[4] = 0; dy[5] = 1; dy[6] = 1; dy[7] = 1;
    }

    void solve( vector<string>& puzz, int max_wid )
    {
	if( puzz.size() < 1 ) return;
	wid = max_wid; hei = static_cast<int>( puzz.size() ) / wid;
	int len = wid * hei, c = 0; max = 0;
	arr = new node[len]; memset( arr, 0, len * sizeof( node ) );
	weHave = new bool[len + 1]; memset( weHave, 0, len + 1 );
		
	for( vector<string>::iterator i = puzz.begin(); i != puzz.end(); i++ )
	{
	    if( ( *i ) == "*" ) {    arr[c++].val = -1; continue; }
	    arr[c].val = atoi( ( *i ).c_str() );
	    if( arr[c].val > 0 ) weHave[arr[c].val] = true;
	    if( max < arr[c].val ) max = arr[c].val;
	    c++;
	}

	solveIt(); c = 0;
	for( vector<string>::iterator i = puzz.begin(); i != puzz.end(); i++ )
	{
	    if( ( *i ) == "." )
	    {
		ostringstream o; o << arr[c].val;
		( *i ) = o.str();
	    }
	    c++;
	}
	delete [] arr;
	delete [] weHave;
    }

private:
    bool search( int x, int y, int w )
    {
	if( w == max ) return true;

	node* n = &arr[x + y * wid];
	n->neighbors = getNeighbors( x, y );
	if( weHave[w] )
	{
	    for( int d = 0; d < 8; d++ )
	    {
		if( n->neighbors & ( 1 << d ) )
		{
		    int a = x + dx[d], b = y + dy[d];
		    if( arr[a + b * wid].val == w )
		    if( search( a, b, w + 1 ) ) return true;
		}
	    }
	    return false;
	}

	for( int d = 0; d < 8; d++ )
	{
	    if( n->neighbors & ( 1 << d ) )
	    {
		int a = x + dx[d], b = y + dy[d];
		if( arr[a + b * wid].val == 0 )
		{
		    arr[a + b * wid].val = w;
		    if( search( a, b, w + 1 ) ) return true;
		    arr[a + b * wid].val = 0;
		}
	    }
	}
	return false;
    }

    unsigned char getNeighbors( int x, int y )
    {
	unsigned char c = 0; int m = -1, a, b;
	for( int yy = -1; yy < 2; yy++ )
	    for( int xx = -1; xx < 2; xx++ )
	    {
		if( !yy && !xx ) continue;
		m++; a = x + xx, b = y + yy;
		if( a < 0 || b < 0 || a >= wid || b >= hei ) continue;
		if( arr[a + b * wid].val > -1 ) c |= ( 1 << m );
	    }
	return c;
    }

    void solveIt()
    {
	int x, y; findStart( x, y );
	if( x < 0 ) { cout << "\nCan't find start point!\n"; return; }
	search( x, y, 2 );
    }

    void findStart( int& x, int& y )
    {
	for( int b = 0; b < hei; b++ )
	    for( int a = 0; a < wid; a++ )
		if( arr[a + wid * b].val == 1 ) { x = a; y = b; return; }
	x = y = -1;
    }

    int wid, hei, max, dx[8], dy[8];
    node* arr;
    bool* weHave;
};

int main( int argc, char* argv[] )
{
    int wid;
    string p = ". 33 35 . . * * * . . 24 22 . * * * . . . 21 . . * * . 26 . 13 40 11 * * 27 . . . 9 . 1 * * * . . 18 . . * * * * * . 7 . . * * * * * * 5 ."; wid = 8;
    
    

    istringstream iss( p ); vector<string> puzz;
    copy( istream_iterator<string>( iss ), istream_iterator<string>(), back_inserter<vector<string> >( puzz ) );
    hSolver s; s.solve( puzz, wid );

    int c = 0;
    for( vector<string>::iterator i = puzz.begin(); i != puzz.end(); i++ )
    {
	if( ( *i ) != "*" && ( *i ) != "." )
	{
	    if( atoi( ( *i ).c_str() ) < 10 ) cout << "0";
	    cout << ( *i ) << " ";
	}
	else cout << "   ";
	if( ++c >= wid ) { cout << endl; c = 0; }
    }
    cout << endl << endl;
    return system( "pause" );
}


Java: import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Collections;
import java.util.List;

public class Hidato {

    private static int[][] board;
    private static int[] given, start;

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String[] input = {"_ 33 35 _ _ . . .",
            "_ _ 24 22 _ . . .",
            "_ _ _ 21 _ _ . .",
            "_ 26 _ 13 40 11 . .",
            "27 _ _ _ 9 _ 1 .",
            ". . _ _ 18 _ _ .",
            ". . . . _ 7 _ _",
            ". . . . . . 5 _"};

        setup(input);
        printBoard();
        System.out.println("\nFound:");
        solve(start[0], start[1], 1, 0);
        printBoard();
    }

    private static void setup(String[] input) {
        

        String[][] puzzle = new String[input.length][];
        for (int i = 0; i < input.length; i++)
            puzzle[i] = input[i].split(" ");

        int nCols = puzzle[0].length;
        int nRows = puzzle.length;

        List<Integer> list = new ArrayList<>(nRows * nCols);

        board = new int[nRows + 2][nCols + 2];
        for (int[] row : board)
            for (int c = 0; c < nCols + 2; c++)
                row[c] = -1;

        for (int r = 0; r < nRows; r++) {
            String[] row = puzzle[r];
            for (int c = 0; c < nCols; c++) {
                String cell = row[c];
                switch (cell) {
                    case "_":
                        board[r + 1][c + 1] = 0;
                        break;
                    case ".":
                        break;
                    default:
                        int val = Integer.parseInt(cell);
                        board[r + 1][c + 1] = val;
                        list.add(val);
                        if (val == 1)
                            start = new int[]{r + 1, c + 1};
                }
            }
        }
        Collections.sort(list);
        given = new int[list.size()];
        for (int i = 0; i < given.length; i++)
            given[i] = list.get(i);
    }

    private static boolean solve(int r, int c, int n, int next) {
        if (n > given[given.length - 1])
            return true;

        if (board[r][c] != 0 && board[r][c] != n)
            return false;

        if (board[r][c] == 0 && given[next] == n)
            return false;

        int back = board[r][c];
        if (back == n)
            next++;

        board[r][c] = n;
        for (int i = -1; i < 2; i++)
            for (int j = -1; j < 2; j++)
                if (solve(r + i, c + j, n + 1, next))
                    return true;

        board[r][c] = back;
        return false;
    }

    private static void printBoard() {
        for (int[] row : board) {
            for (int c : row) {
                if (c == -1)
                    System.out.print(" . ");
                else
                    System.out.printf(c > 0 ? "%2d " : "__ ", c);
            }
            System.out.println();
        }
    }
}