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Java Java Objects Delivering the MVP Applying a Discount Code

Posted by Atul Varma
Atul Varma
4,285 Points

Code for finding if String contains only letters and $ character..?? 

  private String normalizeDiscountCode(String discountCode){
    if( discountCode != "[a-zA-z]" || char!= '$'){
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid Discount Code");
    }

1 Answer

Steve Hunter
Steve Hunter
57,712 Points

Hi Atul,

You need to break the parameter that is passed in into a char array and iterate over each char in turn. There, test to see if the character is a letter (Use the class method isLetter()). Also test if the character is a dollar sign. It is better to test whether the character is not a letter and not a dollar sign. Use the not operator, !.

So, set up a for loop and break the discountCode (or whatever you called your parameter) down to an array using toCharArray(). Then do the test, !Character.isLetter(c) where c is your loop local variable && also c != '$'. If that evaluates to true, throw the IllegalArgumentException, else return the upper case discountCode and exit the method. That all looks like: 

  private String normalizeDiscountCode(String code){
    for(char c : code.toCharArray()){
      if(!Character.isLetter(c) && c != '$'){
        throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid discount code.");
      }
    }
    return code.toUpperCase();
  }

This post Goes into a little more detail of this, should you need it.

Steve.