Perplexed by getTileCount

Question

I keep getting the error

./ScrabblePlayer.java:11: error: cannot find symbol if (letter == tile){ ^ symbol: variable letter location: class ScrabblePlayer 1 error

I can't seem to figure out why.

Thanks AJ

ScrabblePlayer.java

public class ScrabblePlayer {
  private String mHand;

  public ScrabblePlayer() {
    mHand = "";
  }

  public int getTileCount(char tile){
    int count = 0;
    for(char letter : mHand.toCharArray());{
      if (letter == tile){
      count ++;
      }
    }
   return count;
  }

  public String getHand() {
   return mHand;
  }

  public void addTile(char tile) {
    // Adds the tile to the hand of the player
    mHand += tile;
  }

  public boolean hasTile(char tile) {
   return mHand.indexOf(tile) > -1;
  }
}

Answer 1 · 2016-07-11T01:59:57Z

July 11, 2016 1:59am

you have an errant semicolon. try:

  public int getTileCount(char tile){
    int count = 0;
    for(char letter : mHand.toCharArray()){
      if (letter == tile){
      count ++;
      }
    }
   return count;
  }

I demoed:

class Main {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    //String noun ="barney the dinosaur";
    String mHand="this is such a fun string!";

    for(char letter : mHand.toCharArray());    {
    System.out.println("how often do i print.");
    }
  }
}

I think the ; ends the for, making the {} an unrelated scope in which the letter variable doesn't exist. The above demonstrates this. It only prints the once - reflecting its detachment from the for loop. It's horrible that this is valid code, but i'd assume the ; creates a empty statement attached to the loop.

Answer 2 · 2016-07-11T02:01:58Z

July 11, 2016 2:01am

Hi AJ - You have a semicolon in your for loop that shouldn't be there. The line:

for(char letter : mHand.toCharArray());{

should be

for(char letter : mHand.toCharArray()) {

Answer 3 · 2016-07-11T12:43:51Z

July 11, 2016 12:43pm

Thank you guys. I very much appreciate the explanation Simon.

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AJ Longstreet

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Perplexed by getTileCount

3 Answers

Simon Coates

Simon Coates

Kourosh Raeen

Kourosh Raeen

AJ Longstreet

AJ Longstreet