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Java Java Objects (Retired) Creating the MVP For Each Loop

Posted by Carolyn Sauck
Carolyn Sauck
976 Points

Can I create a method getTileCount with no char input that returns an integer and calls char tile in an enhanced forloop

I don't get any compiling errors when I run the code, but the system does not recognize the getTileCount method I created. Error: Bummer! Did you forget to create getTileCount method with char input?

ScrabblePlayer.java 
public class ScrabblePlayer {
  private String mHand;

  public ScrabblePlayer() {
    mHand = "";
  }

  public String getHand() {
   return mHand;
  }

  public void addTile(char tile) {
    // Adds the tile to the hand of the player
    mHand += tile;
  }

  public boolean hasTile(char tile) {
   return mHand.indexOf(tile) > -1;
  }
  public int getTileCount(){
    int tileCount = 0;
    for(char tile: mHand.toCharArray()){
      if(mHand.indexOf(tile)>=0){
        tileCount++;
      }
         }
     return tileCount;
         }
}

2 Answers

jcorum
jcorum
71,830 Points

The challenge wanted a method that takes a tile and counts how many of them are in a hand. So you need a parameter for the method. And then you need to see if each tile in the hand matches the one passed in to the method:

  public int getTileCount(char tile){
    int tileCount = 0;
    for(char t: mHand.toCharArray()){
      if(t == tile ){
        tileCount++;
      }
    }
    return tileCount;
  }
Sean Gallagher
Sean Gallagher
2,054 Points
Sean Gallagher
Sean Gallagher
2,054 Points

Great explanation here and below. Thanks!

Sean Gallagher
Sean Gallagher
2,054 Points
Sean Gallagher
Sean Gallagher
2,054 Points

I can see how jcorum's solution works, is there a reason you can't call hasTile to do the compare?

public int getTileCount() {
    int counter = 0;
    for (char tile: mHand.toCharArray()) {
      if (hasTile(tile)) {
        counter++;
      }
    } return counter;
  }
jcorum
jcorum
71,830 Points

There are several reasons.

First, the editor won't accept it, because the editor requires a char parameter for the getTileCount() method.

Second, even if we overlook what the editor wants, it still doesn't work. For any hand of 8 tiles this version will return a count of 8. Why? Because it is not comparing some given tile, say 'e', with the tiles in the hand, say 'srecihak' (the tile and hand the editor uses). In the loop it is taking each tile from the hand, and asking if the hand has that tile. And of course, the answer is always "Yes".