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JavaScript JavaScript Loops, Arrays and Objects Tracking Data Using Objects The Student Record Search Challenge Solution

Peter Ajuzie
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.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree
Peter Ajuzie
Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree Student 2,719 Points
Posted by Peter Ajuzie
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree
Peter Ajuzie
Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree Student 2,719 Points

My if statement did not work for when student was not found. Please help.

Please help me figure out why the if statement (i commented out near the bottom) did not work for when my student was not found. I actually returned not found for all searches :(

Thanks in advance!

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('Search student records: type a name [Jody] (or type "quit" to end)');
  if (search === null || search.toLowerCase() === 'quit') {
    break;
  }
  for (var i = 0; i < students.length; i += 1) {
    student = students[i];
    if ( search.toLowerCase() === student.name.toLowerCase() ) {
      message += getStudentReport( student );
      print(message);
    }

    //THIS WORKED BUT THE ONE BELOW IT DID NOT WORK. Why?
    if ( message == '' ) {
      print('Student <i>' + search + '</i> was not found.');
    }

    // THIS DID NOT WORK BUT THE ABOVE "if (message == '')" worked. Why??
    // if ( search.toLowerCase() !== student.name.toLowerCase() ) {
    //   print('Student <i>' + search + '</i> was not found.');
    // }

  }
}

1 Answer

Neil McPartlin
Neil McPartlin
14,662 Points
Neil McPartlin
Neil McPartlin
14,662 Points

Hi Peter,

Your troubled 2nd entry will work, but only when searching for 'Trish' (the last entry in the students object), I'll try and explain.

The students object currently comprises 5 students. If we search for Dave who is at index 0, your for loop will check the 1st if statement and will find a match and populate the 'message' variable. The 2nd if statement will not match BUT the loop continues and will check indexes 1 thru 4 meaning that during this final loop, your 2nd if statement is correct (Dave does not match Trish) and we get the erroneous message that 'Student Dave was not found'. Hopefully you can see that if instead you had searched for Trish, her records are returned.

So your solution of using ( message == '' ) is better because the response to your 2nd if statement during the final loop is the one that matters, when intending to report that no match was found.