How can a boolean variable store a statement, as it is supposed to store only boolean values: either true/false, or 0/1;

Perfect! Makes sense

Hi Steve,

Do you know how to attach a link to workspace for code readability to others in our community as and when required?

Yep - click the "camera" icon in the top right of your workspace (it looks like a suitcase, to me!). And that'll get you a link to share, like: http://w.trhou.se/0o9djkculx

Other users can then 'fork' your code and use it in one of their workspaces.

public boolean applyGuess(Char letter) {
    boolean isHit = answer.indexOf(letter) != -1;
    if (isHit) {
      hits += letter;
    } else {
      misses += letter;
    }
    return isHit;
  }

why it is supposed to return ishit;? can u explain?

Hi Alex.

With the code you posted. isHit is false then what is inside the curly braces never gets executed. That line of code only runs if isHit evaluates to true.

Does that help, or do you need more? shout if you do.

Steve.

Try it!

But, yes. You can do that. Or you can test for not true:

if(!isHit){
  misses += letter;
}

BUT this is a mutually exclusive scenario - isHit can only have one of two values. So you can use the else clause of your initial ifstatement. If the first condition isn't met, i.e. you're no adding letter to hits, you must be adding letter to misses - there's no other scenario. So:

if(isHit){
  hits += letter;
} else {
  misses += letter
}

Make sense?

Steve.

Hi Alex,

In short, no; neither of those will work.

Let's talk through my use of the not operator, !, as that's what's caused this confusion.

An if statement executes the statement when the condition is true. So:

if(condition == true){
  // execute these statements
}

Your initial question was (I don't know if this formatting will work so an edit may be required!):

what if isHit is false?

if(isHit){
    hits += letter;
}

does this mean that if the condition is false then the wrong letter will be appended to hits?

You wanted to know how to handle a false answer. I suggested three ways. First, you came up with the idea of testing for isHit == false - that's fine, yes. I then added that you could test for !isHit - this is the same thing.

Going to your last two examples:

boolean isHit = false;
if (isHit){
  // this won't execute as isHit isn't true
}

and:

boolean isHit = true;
if (!isHit){
  // this won't execute either
}

Neither will execute the statements as, in both scenarios, the condition isn't true. The statement only executes if the condition is true.

You can test specifically to handle the false scenario, negate the true scenario or just add an else clause to your if conditional. These are the same in the management of the false scenario:

if(isHit == false){
  // executes when isHit is false
}

or:

if(!isHit){
  // executes if isHit is false
}

and:

if(isHit){
  // executes when isHit is true
} else {
  // executes when isHit is false
}

Make sense? Let me know!

Steve.

No problem!