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Java Java Objects Delivering the MVP Applying a Discount Code

not able to convert the string into a char.

this is the code that i have added but is keeps tell me that im not able to convert a string to a char. what I'm i doing wrong here?

private String normalizeDiscountCode(String discountCode){ char ch = '$'; if (! Character.isLetter() || ch){ throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid discount code"); } return discountCode.toUpperCase();
}

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){
    char ch = '$';
    if (! Character.isLetter() || ch){
      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"
    }

  }
}
Mark Casavantes
Mark Casavantes
Courses Plus Student 13,401 Points

Good Morning Troy,

I think your problem is with this code. if (! Character.isLetter(ch) || ch){

I am sorry I do not have a remedy. I have tried to correct this code without success. Maybe someone else might be of more help.

Mark

I think Mark is on the right track in that Character.isLetter needs to have an argument passed in, but you don't just want to pass in ch, because it's always == $ this doesn't result in much of a test.

I think you'll have to loop over the discount code that is passed in to the method and check each char to see if it's a letter or a '$'

can write up a full solution for you, but it's probably better if you try yourself first. reply here again if you get stuck.

charAt() might be useful

1 Answer

thanks for your help. this is what i came up with and it worked.

private String normalizeDiscountCode(String discountCode){
for (char discode : discountCode.toCharArray()){ char ch = '$'; if(!Character.isLetter(discode) || discode == ch){ throw new IllegalArgumentException("not a letter"); } } return discountCode.toUpperCase();
}