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Java Java Objects Harnessing the Power of Objects Overload Methods

Andrei Oprescu
Andrei Oprescu
9,547 Points
Posted by Andrei Oprescu
Andrei Oprescu
9,547 Points

Can you help me with this java question? I am struggling.

I am currently doing the 'Java objects' course and I have been given a quiz. The objective is this:

Create a new method named drive that accepts no arguments. It should call the newer drive method passing in a 1 for the default.

Currently my code looks like this:

class GoKart {
  public static final int MAX_BARS = 8;
  private String color;
  private int barCount;
  private int lapsDriven;

  public GoKart(String color) {
    this.color = color;
  }

  public String getColor() {
    return color;
  }
  public void charge() {
    barCount = MAX_BARS;
  }

  public boolean isBatteryEmpty() {
    return barCount == 0;
  }

  public boolean isFullyCharged() {
    return MAX_BARS == barCount;
  }

  public void drive(int laps) {
      lapsDriven += laps;
    barCount -= laps;
  }  
}

Thank you!

GoKart.java 
class GoKart {
  public static final int MAX_BARS = 8;
  private String color;
  private int barCount;
  private int lapsDriven;

  public GoKart(String color) {
    this.color = color;
  }

  public String getColor() {
    return color;
  }
  public void charge() {
    barCount = MAX_BARS;
  }

  public boolean isBatteryEmpty() {
    return barCount == 0;
  }

  public boolean isFullyCharged() {
    return MAX_BARS == barCount;
  }

  public void drive(int laps) {
      lapsDriven += laps;
    barCount -= laps;
  }  
}

2 Answers

Steve Hunter
Steve Hunter
57,712 Points

Hi again,

Let's take the drive method:

public void drive(int laps){
  // do stuff
}

The laps integer is the parameter. Many people, including me, will use the two words interchangeably but they aren't quite the same thing. When the method is written, that's a parameter, as above. When you use the method:

drive(32);

then the 32 is the argument. But they relate to the same thing.

So, when I said, call the existing drive method and pass in 1 for its parameter., I should have said argument as this is the terms used when the method is being called.

Either way, they both refer to the things being sent into the method to do something with.

Does that help?

Steve.

Andrei Oprescu
Andrei Oprescu
9,547 Points
Andrei Oprescu
Andrei Oprescu
9,547 Points

Hi!

Thank you very much for your response. It was very helpful.

Steve Hunter
Steve Hunter
57,712 Points

No problem! :+1:

Steve Hunter
Steve Hunter
57,712 Points
Steve Hunter
Steve Hunter
57,712 Points

Hi there,

You have an existing drive method that takes a parameter of the number of laps to drive. We want to create a new method, also called drive that doesn't take any parameters but which uses the existing drive method to just drive one lap.

So, make a public method called drive. It returns nothing and takes no parameters. Inside it, call the existing drive method and pass in 1 for its parameter.

Make sense?

Steve.

Andrei Oprescu
Andrei Oprescu
9,547 Points
Andrei Oprescu
Andrei Oprescu
9,547 Points

I understand your response, but I am still a bit uninformed of what parameters and arguments mean. could you explain to me what they mean?