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Java Java Objects Creating the MVP Conference Registration Assistant

I cannot figure out what I am doing wrong here on Challenge to fix getLineNumber.

I have probably just over complicated it. I know the code below has errors, I just have tried about 30 different ways and I cant figure out what is going on. Im getting so frustrated. Any help would be appreciated, Id like to move forward

ConferenceRegistrationAssistant.java
public class ConferenceRegistrationAssistant {

  /**
   * Assists in guiding people to the proper line based on their last name.
   *
   * @param lastName The person's last name
   * @return The line number based on the first letter of lastName
   */
  public int getLineNumberFor(String lastName) {
    int lineNumber = 0;
    /*
      lineNumber should be set based on the first character of the person's last name
      Line 1 - A thru M
      Line 2 - N thru Z

     */
    String lastName = lastName.charAt(0); 

    if ('M' <= 'M'){ 
      int lineNumber == 1;
    } else {
      int lineNumber == 2;
    } 
    return lineNumber;
  }

}
Example.java
public class Example {

  public static void main(String[] args) {
    /*
      IMPORTANT:  You can compare characters using <, >. <=, >= and == just like numbers
     */
    if ('C' < 'D') {
      System.out.println("C comes before D");
    }

    if ('B' > 'A') {
      System.out.println("B comes after A");
    }

    if ('E' >= 'E') {
      System.out.println("E is equal to or comes after E");
    }

    // This code is here for demonstration purposes only...
    ConferenceRegistrationAssistant assistant = new ConferenceRegistrationAssistant();
    /*
      Remember that there are 2 lines.
      Line #1 is for A-M
      Line #2 is for N-Z
     */
    int lineNumber = 0;
    /*
      This should set lineNumber to 2 because
      The last name is Zimmerman which starts with a Z.
      Therefore it is between N-Z
     */
    lineNumber = assistant.getLineNumberFor("Zimmerman");

    /*
      This method call should set lineNumber to 1, because 'A' from "Anderson" is between A-M.
     */
    lineNumber = assistant.getLineNumberFor("Anderson");

    /*
      Likewise Charlie Brown's 'B' is between 'A' and 'M', so lineNumber should be set to 1
     */
    lineNumber = assistant.getLineNumberFor("Brown");
  }

}

2 Answers

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
230,995 Points

Here's a few hints:

  • a variable should only be defined once, so references to "lineNumber" should not have "int" in front
  • "lastName" is already defined as a String argument, use a different name for a new variable
  • the variable to hold the result of a "charAt" should be Character type
  • the comparison "'M' <= 'M'" will always be true, you probably meant to have a variable on one side
  • the assignment operator is "=", a "==" is a comparison operator

Thank you for the help. I knew I was just going down a code rabbit hole! Over complicating, as usual. I started over and got much closer but I am not sure how to do the else correctly. I have never seen something passed into it because as far I know thats not how else works. So I have been messing with it but basically my line #1 seems to be catching everything and if I change the <,>,= then it just pulls everything into line 2. You did help alot but can you tell what I am doing wrong here?

Here is what I have now :

public int getLineNumberFor(String lastName) { int lineNumber = 0; lastName.charAt(0);

if ('A' < 'M') {
  lineNumber = 1; 
} else {
  lineNumber = 2; 
}
/*
  lineNumber should be set based on the first character of the person's last name
  Line 1 - A thru M
  Line 2 - N thru Z

 */
return lineNumber;

}

I got it!

if ( lastName.charAt(0) <= 'M' ) { lineNumber = 1; } else { lineNumber = 2; }