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JavaScript JavaScript Loops, Arrays and Objects Simplify Repetitive Tasks with Loops A Closer Look At Loop Conditions

Kyle Bolton
Kyle Bolton
2,493 Points
Posted by Kyle Bolton
Kyle Bolton
2,493 Points

What am I doing wrong here?

Think I'm doing everything correct here but get a 'code took too long' to run error. Any help?

app.js 
var continueToPrompt = true;
var secret = prompt("What is the secret password?");

while(continueToPrompt) {
  if(secret !== "sesame"){
    continueToPrompt = false;
  }
}

document.write("You know the secret password. Welcome.");
index.html 
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <title>JavaScript Loops</title>
</head>
<body>
<script src="app.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

4 Answers

Roberto Alicata
PLUS
Roberto Alicata
Courses Plus Student 39,959 Points
Roberto Alicata
Roberto Alicata
Courses Plus Student 39,959 Points

You need to put the comparison in the while condition and the prompt into the while loop:

var secret = "" ;

while( secret !== "sesame" ){
    secret = prompt("What is the secret password?");
}

document.write("You know the secret password. Welcome.");
Kyle Bolton
Kyle Bolton
2,493 Points
Kyle Bolton
Kyle Bolton
2,493 Points

Could you explain further with this? Still struggling to make heads or tails of this.

Tyler Haas
Tyler Haas
20,623 Points
Tyler Haas
Tyler Haas
20,623 Points

you need to move the secret variable down into the while loop so that it prompts the user to enter another secret password. right now you have an endless loop as once the password matches there is nothing to break it out of the loop. also I think you want to test if the password entered === "sesame".

Kyle Bolton
Kyle Bolton
2,493 Points
Kyle Bolton
Kyle Bolton
2,493 Points

Could you provide the right code? Tried your explanation but is asking me to use "!==" instead of "===".

Michael Singleton
Michael Singleton
6,253 Points
Michael Singleton
Michael Singleton
6,253 Points

var secret = "sesame"; // this sets your secret password.
var guess; // this will hold the user's guesses

//this loop will ask the user for input until their input matches secret while (guess !== secret) { guess = prompt("What is the secret password?"); // here you're just re-setting the guess variable with the user's input }

//we've now exited the loop, which means the user gave us the right input (the secret password) document.write("You know the secret password. Welcome.");

Roberto Alicata
PLUS
Roberto Alicata
Courses Plus Student 39,959 Points
Roberto Alicata
Roberto Alicata
Courses Plus Student 39,959 Points

It just start the while loop testing the variable secret. The first time secret is equal to "" so the test returns False and the program enter the loop. In the loop the variable secret is associated to the returning value of the prompt and then it tests again for the while loop.