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JavaScript JavaScript Foundations Functions Return Values

Posted by Drew Botka
Drew Botka
13,315 Points

What do?

So the problem is: "Around line 17, create a function named 'arrayCounter' that takes in a parameter which is an array. The function must return the length of an array passed in or 0 if a 'string', 'number' or 'undefined' value is passed in."

I coded the following:

function arrayCounter (array) {
        if (typeof array === 'string', 'number', 'undefined') {
        return 0;
        }
        return array.length;
        }

It's telling me: "Bummer! If I pass in an array in to 'arrayCounter' of '1,2,3' I get 0 and not the number 3." In my mind this should return the length of the array unless it's a 'string', 'number' or 'undefined', in which case it will return "0". What gives?

3 Answers

Jeff Busch
Jeff Busch
19,287 Points

Hi Drew,

Seems like a srewy code challenge. I tried double quotes. I tried an else statement, anyhow this finally passed:

function arrayCounter (array) {
  if (typeof array === 'string' || typeof array === 'number' || typeof array === 'undefined') {
    return 0;
  }
  return array.length;
}
James Barnett
James Barnett
39,199 Points
James Barnett
James Barnett
39,199 Points

> Seems like a srewy code challenge. I tried double quotes. I tried an else statement

I tried single quotes, double qoutes, else statement all worked fine. Although without you posting your code I can't tell you where you issue is.

However it is possible to make a semantic error with the code and not know it as their is no console.log.

So I made up little demo feel free to try out any ode that doesn't work in the code challenge.

Drew Botka
Drew Botka
13,315 Points

Thanks a lot, guys. This was the first one that stumped me. I get why it didn't work now. Thanks for your help!

Dino Paškvan
PLUS
Dino Paškvan
Courses Plus Student 44,108 Points
Dino Paškvan
Dino Paškvan
Courses Plus Student 44,108 Points

You are on the right track, but your if condition is incorrect. Use and (&&), or (||) logical operators, not commas to list additional conditions:

if ( someVar === somethingElse || someVar  == anotherThing) {
    // some code
}
Drew Botka
Drew Botka
13,315 Points

Thank you!

Nthulane Makgato
PLUS
Nthulane Makgato
Courses Plus Student 19,602 Points
Nthulane Makgato
Nthulane Makgato
Courses Plus Student 19,602 Points

Hi Drew,

I've just tried your solution in my text editor and javascript, it doesn't seem to acknowledge arrays, so everything one put in the arrayCounter is 0 even if its not a string, number or undefined. I'm not sure why this is the case.

Anyway, I suggest you compare them individually.

e.g.

function arrayCounter(array) { if (typeof array === "string") { return 0 }

  if (typeof array === "number") {
       return 0
  }

  if (typeof array === "undefined") {
       return 0
  }

  return array.length;

let me know how it goes.