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Java Java Objects Creating the MVP Counting Scrabble Tiles

Austin Miller
Austin Miller
5,171 Points

I'm very lost on how I need use the loop and the if statement...

I have no idea what to do through from lines 7 - 11. I feel like I just don't understand if my loop is right and what to put in my if statement.

ScrabblePlayer.java
public class ScrabblePlayer {
  // A String representing all of the tiles that this player has
  private String tiles;

  public int getCountOfLetter(char letter) {
    int count = 0;
    for (char newLetter : tiles.toCharArray()) {
      if () {
        ++count;
      }
    }
    return count;
  }

  public ScrabblePlayer() {
    tiles = "";
  }

  public String getTiles() {
    return tiles;
  }

  public void addTile(char tile) {
    tiles += tile;
  }

  public boolean hasTile(char tile) {
    return tiles.indexOf(tile) != -1;
  }
}
Example.java
// This code is here for example purposes only
public class Example {

  public static void main(String[] args) {
    ScrabblePlayer player1 = new ScrabblePlayer();
    player1.addTile('d');
    player1.addTile('d');
    player1.addTile('p');
    player1.addTile('e');
    player1.addTile('l');
    player1.addTile('u');

    ScrabblePlayer player2 = new ScrabblePlayer();
    player2.addTile('z');
    player2.addTile('z');
    player2.addTile('y');
    player2.addTile('f');
    player2.addTile('u');
    player2.addTile('z');

    int count = 0;
    // This would set count to 1 because player1 has 1 'p' tile in her collection of tiles
    count = player1.getCountOfLetter('p');
    // This would set count to 2 because player1 has 2 'd'' tiles in her collection of tiles
    count = player1.getCountOfLetter('d');
    // This would set 0, because there isn't an 'a' tile in player1's tiles
    count = player1.getCountOfLetter('a');

    // This will return 3 because player2 has 3 'z' tiles in his collection of tiles
    count = player2.getCountOfLetter('z');
    // This will return 1 because player2 has 1 'f' tiles in his collection of tiles
    count = player2.getCountOfLetter('f');
  }
}

1 Answer

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,269 Points

You're really close! The loop is fine, and all you need yet is to add an expression in the "if" that compares the tile letter with the argument:

      if (newLetter == letter) {
Austin Miller
Austin Miller
5,171 Points

Thank you! I thought it had to be
if (newLetter.equals(letter)). I didn't think == would work

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,269 Points

You're absolutely right, I was thinking in another language there!
It does happen to pass in the challenge, but the correct test would be as you suggest:

      if (newLetter.equals(letter)) {
Brendon Butler
Brendon Butler
4,254 Points

Steven Parker Just a heads up, it's always best practice to use .equals() when comparing strings in Java. .equals() only compares the exact text contained in the variable. == compares the entire variable/instance. Which can cause the output to be false even if "newLetter" and "letter" were both equal to say "e".

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,269 Points

Good point. A "==" is a reference equality test, but ".equals()" is a value equality test which is what should be used in this case.