public static boolean diagonals(char[][] b, int row, int col, int l) {

            int counter = 1; // because we start from the current position
            char charAtPosition = b[row][col];
            int numRows = b.length;
            int numCols = b[0].length;
            int topleft = 0;
            int topright = 0;
            int bottomleft = 0;
            int bottomright = 0;
            for (int i=row-1,j=col-1;i>=0 && j>=0;i--,j--) {
                if (b[i][j]==charAtPosition) {
                    topleft++;
                } else {
                    break;
                }
            }
            for (int i=row-1,j=col+1;i>=0 && j<=numCols;i--,j++) {
                if (b[i][j]==charAtPosition) {
                    topright++;
                } else {
                    break;
                }
            }
            for (int i=row+1,j=col-1;i<=numRows && j>=0;i++,j--) {
                if (b[i][j]==charAtPosition) {
                    bottomleft++;
                } else {
                    break;
                }
            }
            for (int i=row+1,j=col+1;i<=numRows && j<=numCols;i++,j++) {
                if (b[i][j]==charAtPosition) {
                    bottomright++;
                } else {
                    break;
                }
            }
            return topleft + bottomright + 1 >= l || topright + bottomleft + 1 >= l; //in this case l is 5
    }

After I was done posting the code above here, I couldn't help but wanted to simplify the code by merging the four pretty much the same loops into one method.

Here's the kind of method I want to have:

public int countSteps(char horizontal, char vertical) {

}

Two parameters horizontal and vertical can be either + or - to indicate the four directions to walk in. What I want to see if possible at all is i++; is generalized to i horizontal horizontal; when horizontal taking the value of +.

What I don't want to see is if or switch statements, for example:

public int countSteps(char horizontal, char vertical) {
     if (horizontal == '+' && vertical == '-') {
         for (int i=row-1,j=col+1;i>=0 && j<=numCols;i--,j++) {
                if (b[i][j]==charAtPosition) {
                    topright++;
                } else {
                    break;
                }
            }
     } else if (horizontal == '+' && vertical == '+') {
          for (int i=row+1,j=col+1;i>=0 && j<=numCols;i++,j++) {
                if (b[i][j]==charAtPosition) {
                    topright++;
                } else {
                    break;
                }
            }
     } else if () {

     } else {

     }
}

Since it is as tedious as the original one. Note also that the comparing signs for the loop condition i>=0 && j<=numCols; for example, >= && <= have correspondence with the value combination of horizontal and vertical.

Sorry for my bad wording, please let me know if anything is not clear.