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Java Java Objects Creating the MVP Counting Scrabble Tiles

Tom Schembri
Tom Schembri
1,450 Points

Need help with challenge in java objects! Need guidance!

I dont know how i would be able to compare a String to a char while also returning an int value to example.java without creating a compilation error. I'm a beginner so any help is greatly appreciated!

*****You'll need to use your skills to loop through each of the tiles, use an equality check, and then increment a counter if the tile and letter match. You got this!

Now in your new method, have it return a number representing the count of tiles that match the letter that was passed in to the method. Make sure to check Example.java for some example uses.*******

This is the question being asked above, Thanks!

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

  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;
  }

  public int getCountOfLetter(char letter){

    for(int count: tiles.toCharArray()){
      if(tiles.indexOf(letter) != -1){
        count+= count;
      }
    return count;
    }

  }

}
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');
  }
}

2 Answers

Alex Bratkovskij
Alex Bratkovskij
5,329 Points

Heya Tom,

No need to worry :) we're here to learn and all of uss struggled with some stuff at some point. so from what I have seen in Your code, its a for each loop that confuses you:

for(int count: tiles.toCharArray()){

ok, so to get for each loop working in my head Im reading " ; " as in . So by your code: for each int count(thats a number) in array of chars you want to do smth... So if you're looping through array of charrs, you want to be looking for chars. then just compare them. if letter from charArray equals to passed letter ;)

Good Luck!

-Alex

Tom Schembri
Tom Schembri
1,450 Points

Thanks for the help! I figured it out, thanks for the guidance.

Seth Kroger
Seth Kroger
56,413 Points

First, before anything else, the challenge is extra picky about variable names and the loop variable must be named tile.

Second, you're confusing the tile in the hand with the count of the letter. Using the correct name and adding a new variable for the count should help with that. Third, you're returning inside the for loop, so your exiting before the first loop is even complete. The return statement should be outside the loop. Fourth, you probably want to use the loop variable in the comparison in some way.