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JavaScript

Posted by Andy Heavens
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree
Andy Heavens
Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree Student 2,960 Points

Hmmm brain hurting!

I don't know about anyone else, but I found this challenge very difficult. Knew that I had to use the while loop, but couldnt see how to search the object within the array. Anyhow I just followed along with Dave in the end and can see how hid code works, so copied it to see it in action and for some reason it doesnt want to work (to me - mine matches exactly)....any ideas peeps?

var message = '';
var student;
var search;

function print(message) {
  var outputDiv = document.getElementById('output');
  outputDiv.innerHTML = message;
}

function getStudentReport (student) {
  var report = '<h2>Student: ' + student.name + '</h2>';
  report += '<p>Track: ' + student.track + '</p>';
  report += '<p>Points: ' + student.points + '</p>';
  report += '<p>Achievements: ' + student.achievements + '</p>';
  return report;
}

while (true) {
  search = prompt ('Type Students Name, or type "quit" to leave store.');
  if ( search === null || search.toLowerCase() === 'quit') {
     break;
  } 
  for (var i = 0; i < students.length; i += 1) {
     student = students[i];
     if (student.name === search) {
     message = getStudentReport(student);
       print(message);

  }
}
}```

2 Answers

Thomas Nilsen
Thomas Nilsen
14,957 Points

That only thing i spotted was this check:

search === null

According to the Mozilla docs:

When the user clicks the OK button, text entered in the input field is returned. If the user clicks OK without entering any text, an empty string is returned.

Meaning you should change that check to either:

!search

//or

search === ''

I put together a quick example that works:

var search;
var students = [
    {id: 1, name: 'Tom'},
    {id: 2, name: 'Jane'},
    {id: 3, name: 'Milo'},
    {id: 4, name: 'Jane'},
    {id: 5, name: 'Tom'}
];



while (true) {
    search = prompt('Type Students Name, or type "quit" to leave store.');
    if (!search || search.toLowerCase() === 'quit') {
         break;
    } 
    for (var i = 0; i < students.length; i += 1) {
         student = students[i];
         if (student.name === search) {
            document.write(JSON.stringify(student));
        }
    }

}

Also, I gave this answer to another post sometime ago:

An alternative way to perform the search is via regex:

var search = function(what) {
    var pattern = new RegExp('\\b' + what + '\\b', 'g');
    return (students.map(student => student.name).join()).match(pattern);
};

var result = search('Tom');

console.log(result); //returns [ 'Tom', 'Tom' ]
Jason Anello
Jason Anello
Courses Plus Student 94,610 Points

Hi Thomas,

The reason for the null check is because the prompt will return null if you cancel it.

The intention is to quit the program if they cancel the prompt or type quit.

With an empty string you would still perform the search but you won't match anything.

Using search === '' would lead to a type error if they cancelled the prompt because you would be calling the .toLowerCase() method on null.

!search would work out but you're changing the behavior of the original code.

Andy Heavens
seal-mask
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree
Andy Heavens
Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree Student 2,960 Points
Andy Heavens
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree
Andy Heavens
Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree Student 2,960 Points

Thanks for the input Thomas, Jason can you see where I am going wrong?

Jason Anello
Jason Anello
Courses Plus Student 94,610 Points

Looking at the code, nothing is standing out.

Can you post a workspace snapshot? Or link to the video you're on?