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JavaScript JavaScript Basics (Retired) Working With Numbers The Random Challenge

Posted by Michelle Brecunier
Michelle Brecunier
3,788 Points

Better way to write this where the order of high and low can be switched?

I wanted to write a program where it doesn't matter if the second number the user inputs is lower or higher than the first. Is there a simpler/more elegant way to write this? This code seemed to work in the browser as far as I have tested it. I am also not sure what should happen if the values are equal.

var usernumber1 = parseInt(prompt('Enter a number:'));
var usernumber2 = parseInt(prompt('And another, please:'));
if (usernumber1 > usernumber2) {
  alert(Math.floor(Math.random() * usernumber1) + usernumber2)};
if (usernumber2 > usernumber1) {
  alert(Math.floor(Math.random() * usernumber2) + usernumber1)};
Jacob Mishkin
Jacob Mishkin
23,117 Points

What are you trying to do? from the code presented it looks like you want to do is have a user input a number then randomize a number added by the second number. is that right?

if you want to change your code a bit, you could remove the second conditional statement then use an else clause, as the second conditional statement is redundant.

Michelle Brecunier
Michelle Brecunier
3,788 Points

I want to return a random number that is between the two numbers collected from the user, but I want the user able to enter a high number first and a low number second or the other way around while still have the random number come out correctly.

1 Answer

heidiatwood
heidiatwood
6,013 Points
heidiatwood
heidiatwood
6,013 Points

Yes, you can use a couple of other Math objects that have not yet been covered in the course - Math.max and Math.min - to define a variable for the higher and lower numbers. This is how I would do that:

var userNumberA = parseInt(prompt("Enter a number."));
var userNumberB = parseInt(prompt("Enter another number"));

var higher = Math.max(userNumberA,userNumberB);
var lower = Math.min(userNumberA,userNumberB);

alert(Math.floor(Math.random() * (higher - lower)));

One caveat is that this method did not work when I included a number in my first two var names. (this is the first time I've tried to paste code into the forums, so bear with me if it's not correctly formatted ...)

Justin Kraft
Justin Kraft
26,327 Points
Justin Kraft
Justin Kraft
26,327 Points

In your last alert message, simply add the lower number to get a number between the two:

var numberMin = parseFloat(prompt("Enter a number: "));
var numberMax = parseFloat(prompt("Enter a second number: "));

if(numberMax < numberMin) {
  var temp = numberMax;
  numberMax = numberMin;
  numberMin = temp;
}

var newNumber = Math.floor(Math.random() * (numberMax - numberMin)) + numberMin;
document.write("A number between " + numberMin + " and " + numberMax + " is: " + newNumber);