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Java Java Objects (Retired) Delivering the MVP Wrapping up

Abe Daniels
PLUS
Abe Daniels
Courses Plus Student 2,781 Points

Need help either converting to string, or changing my constructor type.

"Alright so now let's focus on ForumPost. It's going to need a constructor that takes a User author a String title and a String description."

So I am having 1 error pop up telling me that author = mAuthor isn't possible because one is a string and the other isn't. If i try to change the constructor type. (public post (blahblahblah) opposed to (public String post(blahblahblah) my error log shows a bunch more issues.

I am wondering exactly how I am supposed to get (User author) to be defined in my constructor. To me String title and String description make complete sense, and I understand that User author can't technically work, (with the code I have) I just need to know how to fix that.

ForumPost.java
public class ForumPost {
  private User mAuthor;
  private String mTitle;
  private String mDescription;

  public User getAuthor() {
    return mAuthor;
  }

  public String getTitle() {
    return mTitle;
  }

  public String getDescription() {
    return mDescription;
  }

  public String post(User author, String title, String description) {
    author = mAuthor;
    title = mTitle;
    description = mDescription;
    return author;
    return title;
    return description;
  }

  // TODO: We need to expose the description
}
User.java
public class User {
    private String mFirstName;
    private String mLastName;

  public User(String firstName, String lastName) {
    // TODO:  Set the private fields here
    mFirstName = firstName;
    mLastName = lastName;
  }
  public String getFirstName() {
    return mFirstName;
  }
  public String getLastName() {
    return mLastName;
  }

}
Forum.java
public class Forum {
  private String mTopic;

  public Forum (String topic) {
    mTopic = topic;
  }

  public String getTopic() {
      return mTopic;
  }

  public void addPost(ForumPost post) {
    /*
      System.out.printf("New post from %s %s about %s.\n",
                         post.getAuthor().getFirstName(),
                         post.getAuthor().getLastName(),
                         post.getTitle());
*/
  }
}
Example.java
public class Example {

  public static void main(String[] args) {
    System.out.println("Starting forum example...");
    if (args.length < 2) {
       System.out.println("first and last name are required. eg:  java Example Craig Dennis");
    }
    // Forum forum = new Forum("Java");
    // Take the first two elements passed args
    // User author = new User();
    // Add the author, title and description
    // ForumPost post = new ForumPost();
    // forum.addPost(post);
  }
}

3 Answers

Also, if you wish to keep author as type User, then you could utilize User constructor and do something along the lines of

author = new User(mAuthor.getFirstName(), mAuthor.getLastName());

Again, this is javascript, not sure how to do in Java

Abe Daniels
Abe Daniels
Courses Plus Student 2,781 Points

This was the key thing that lit the lightbulb. Thank you.

Lol no problem glad to help :)

Seth Kroger
Seth Kroger
56,413 Points

First, a constructor always has the same name as the class. Second, constructors don't have a return type (not even void).

Abe Daniels
Abe Daniels
Courses Plus Student 2,781 Points

That's what I thought! I continually got errors expressing that I NEEDED a return type though. That thoroughly threw me off.

So really, I do not know Java, but it looks like you are assigning a variable with a class type to another variable with a class type, which doesn't work in C++. What you could do is, change author to a type of String, and then access the two properties (firstName, lastName) from the variable mAuthor, by using the getter methods and do

author = mAuthor's firstName + mAuthor's lastName

Does this make sense? The code I have is psuedo and wouldn't be what you would actually code, but just the idea.

Assuming you are familiar with javascript the code would look like

author = mAuthor.getFirstName() + " " + mAuthor.getLastName();
Abe Daniels
Abe Daniels
Courses Plus Student 2,781 Points

This does make sense and I am going to play with it a little more. Thanks for the input!