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JavaScript The Solution

Step 7: Calculation doesn't work

If I type in the numbers 5 and 10, 510 shows up even though I put num1 and num2 in parentheses as shown in the video. I'm looking for a mistake for 20 min and can't spot any mistake. What did I do wrong? Line: message += num1 + ' + ' + num2 + ' = ' + (num1 + num2);

Here's the full workshop code

// 1. Attach this file -- math.js -- to the index.html file using a <script> tag
//done
// 2. Add an alert to announce the program with a message like "Let's do some math!"
alert('let\'s do some math!');
// 3. Create a variable and use the prompt() method to collect a number from a visitor
var num1 = prompt('Type a number');
// 4. Convert that value from a string to a floating point number
parseFloat(num1);
// 5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to create a second variable and collect a second number
var num2 = prompt('Type a second number');
parseFloat(num2);
// 6. Create a new variable -- message -- which you'll use to build
//    a complete message to print to the document
//    Start by creating a string that includes <h1> tags as well
//    and the two input numbers. The string should look something like this:
//    "<h1>Math  with the numbers 3 and 4</h1>" where the two numbers are
//    the values input from the user. Use string concatenation to create this
//    and make sure you actually perform the math on the values by 
//    using the + symbol to add their values together
var message = '<h1>Math with the numbers ' + num1 + ' and ' + num2 + ' looks like this:</h1>';
// 7. Add another string to the message variable. 
//    The string should look something like this after concatenation:
//    "3 + 4 = 7"
message += num1 + ' + ' + num2 + ' = ' + (num1 + num2);
// 8. Add a linebreak tag -- <br> -- to the message variable

// 9. Continue to add to the message variable to include strings
//    demonstrating multiplication, division and subtraction
//    For example:
//    "3 * 4 = 12"
//    "3 / 4 = 0.75"
//    "3 - 4 = -1"

// 10. Use the document.write() method to print the message variable 
//     to the web page. Open the finished.png file in this workspace
//     to see what the completed output should look like


document.write(message);

Made more readable - Dane E. Parchment Jr. (Moderator)

1 Answer

In steps 4 and 5 the results of parseFloat need to be assigned to variables num1 and num2 respectively. Otherwise num1 and num2 are still strings.

Zach Hope
Zach Hope
12,486 Points

I had this exact same issue, great explanation, thank you!