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Java Java Objects Delivering the MVP Applying a Discount Code

filip hessle
filip hessle
1,104 Points

I do not understand why I will not pass?

It works fine with the compiler. I would be very grateful if someone could help me understand and perhaps solve the problem.

Order.java
public class Order {
  private String itemName;
  private int priceInCents;
  private String discountCode;

  public Order(String itemName, int priceInCents) {
    this.itemName = itemName;
    this.priceInCents = priceInCents;
  }

  public String getItemName() {
    return itemName;
  }

  public int getPriceInCents() {
    return priceInCents;
  }

  public String getDiscountCode() {
    return discountCode;
  }

  public void applyDiscountCode(String discountCode) {
    this.discountCode = normalizeDiscountCode(discountCode);
  }
  private String normalizeDiscountCode(String discountCode) {
    for (char letter : discountCode.toCharArray()) { 
      if (! Character.isLetter(letter) || letter != '$') {
        throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid discount code.");
      }
    }
    return discountCode.toUpperCase();
  }
}
Example.java
public class Example {

  public static void main(String[] args) {
    // This is here just for example use cases.

    Order order = new Order(
            "Yoda PEZ Dispenser",
            600);

    // These are valid.  They are letters and the $ character only
    order.applyDiscountCode("abc");
    order.getDiscountCode(); // ABC

    order.applyDiscountCode("$ale");
    order.getDiscountCode(); // $ALE


    try {
      // This will throw an exception because it contains numbers
      order.applyDiscountCode("ABC123");
    } catch (IllegalArgumentException iae) {
      System.out.println(iae.getMessage());  // Prints "Invalid discount code"
    }
    try {
      // This will throw as well, because it contains a symbol.
      order.applyDiscountCode("w@w");
    }catch (IllegalArgumentException iae) {
      System.out.println(iae.getMessage());  // Prints "Invalid discount code"
    }

  }
}
Darcy John
Darcy John
2,576 Points

Hey Filip,

First of all let me say I'm no expert and I've just spend two days trying to figure out this same problem, my problem though was so simple I should slap myself I was using "$" instead of '$' good news you've obviously got that right.

I think the problem is that you are using || instead of &&. at the moment its looking at all the characters "ABC123" and its going PASS PASS PASS FAIL, so it fails the first part of the IF, and then its look at the second part and say oh look there is no $ so we will pass it.

if you use && it will need to pass both criteria.

sorry i understand whats wrong, but i cant quite phrase it as elegantly as i'd like, i don't understand the material quite well enough just yet to use the correct terminology.

I hope this helps

Regards Michael

1 Answer

Lena Hand
PLUS
Lena Hand
Courses Plus Student 1,575 Points

Michael from the comments is correct. Your logic is set that is EITHER of the 2 conditions is not met, then the exception will throw. So if you read it like English it's "If this letter IS NOT actually a letter OR if this letter IS NOT a dollar sign, then throw the exception." Since there is nothing is this world that would fail both of those conditions, it always throws the exception. You want to find cases where BOTH conditions fail, and so you would need the && operator not the ||.