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Java Java Objects Creating the MVP Conference Registration Assistant

Posted by Varun Taneja
Varun Taneja
614 Points

Does my code solve the problem, If so why is the complier not letting it through ?, otherwise what have I done wrong ?

  • Been doing basic Java for a year
ConferenceRegistrationAssistant.java 
public class ConferenceRegistrationAssistant {
  public int getLineNumberFor(String lastName) {
    int lineNumber = 0;
    if  ( 'A' <= lastName.charAt(0) =< 'M') 
    {lineNumber = 1;
    }
    else if ('N' <= lastName.charAt(0) =< 'Z') 
    { lineNumber = 2;
    }
    return lineNumber;
  }

}

1 Answer

Steve Hunter
Steve Hunter
57,712 Points

Hi there,

You can't use tests like you have done:

if  ( 'A' <= lastName.charAt(0) =< 'M')

If you want to do two tests like this, you need to be explicit about it and check each condition completely:

if  (lastName.charAt(0) >= 'A' && lastName.charAt(0) <= 'M')

Also, this isn't valid: =<. It is the other way around, <=.

Now to the challenge. Your method is exactly right. You're testing the first character to see which line the person should be placed in. Correct. There's two tests that aren't required - the challenge assumes the names are correctly input, i.e. they start with a letter. So, there's no need to test for >= 'A' or <= 'Z' - all letters fit those tests!

And you only need to do one test. You just need to know if the first character is <= 'M'. That test is exclusive - the only other option is that the letter is > 'M' so there's no need to check if it is - that's a given! There's also no need for the lineNumber variable, although you could say the code is more readable with it in there? I think it is simple enough to omit it.

  public int getLineNumberFor(String lastName) {
    //int lineNumber = 0;
    if(lastName.charAt(0) <= 'M'){
      return 1;
    }
    return 2;
  }

Make sense?

Steve.