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JavaScript JavaScript Loops, Arrays and Objects Tracking Data Using Objects The Student Record Search Challenge Solution

Hangyu Kang
Hangyu Kang
7,027 Points
Posted by Hangyu Kang
Hangyu Kang
7,027 Points

Creating a new array with search results, I'm able to display two Jodys

while(true){
       var input =  prompt("Search:");
       var search = [];
       if ( input === "" || input === "quit"){
           break;
       }
       for ( var i = 0; i < students.length; i += 1){
          if(input === students[i].name){
            search.push(students[i]);
            }
       }

       for ( var i = 0; i < students.length; i += 1){
           printStudent(search[i]);
        }
    }
Andrei Fecioru
Andrei Fecioru
15,059 Points

You have the i var defined twice in the same lexical scope once for each for loop.

It's not an error but it is not required. It's not optimal either because you allocate the i variable twice (the second definition hides the first one). In fact, some IDEs (such as the IntelliJ WebStorm) would flag this as an warning. I would re-write this as follows:

var i; // define this just once at the top
while(true) {
  ...
  // and use it as many times you want (eliminate the var keyword)
  for (i = 0; i < students.length; i += 1){
    if(input === students[i].name){
      search.push(students[i]);
    }
  }

  for (i = 0; i < students.length; i += 1){
    printStudent(search[i]);
  }
}

Also, in the section where you check the user input you also need to explicitly check for null because you use the strict equality operator and if the user clicks the Cancel button the return value from the prompt function is null. The null value will pass undetected through your input data validation phase.

Craig Williams
Craig Williams
2,883 Points

I used a similar method but realised you need to empty the search array after each time you call the function that prints it, otherwise multiple searches will continue to add more records to your search array, and each search will print out all of the array again as well as any additional records.

You can use an if statement to check the search array length instead of the second for loop, then call a function if there's items in the array and clear the array afterwards like so...

for ( var i = 0; i < students.length; i += 1){
      if (input === students[i].name) {
            search.push(students[i]);
      }
}
if (search.length > 0) {
      getStudentRecords();
      search = [];  /* Clears the array after the function runs, useful for multiple searches */
    }
else {
      print("<h2>No results found.</h2>");
}

Then the function you run in the if statement can loop through the search array and print the results, in this instance I called the function getStudentRecords.

function getStudentRecords() {

  /* Create the variable you will print to the page and also display the number of matching records */
  var record = "<h2>The search returned " + search.length + " record/s</h2>"; 

  /* Create an ordered list to see each matching result more clearly */
  record += "<ol>" 

  /* loop through the search array adding the results to the record variable */
  for (var j = 0; j < search.length; j += 1) { 
    record += '<li><ul><li>Student: ' + search[j].name + '</li>';
    record += '<li>Track: ' + search[j].track + '</li>';
    record += '<li>Points: ' + search[j].points + '</li>';
    record += '<li>Achievements: ' + search[j].achievements + '</li></ul></li>';
  } /* loop ends */

  record += "</ol>"; /* closes the opening <ol> tag */
  print(record);
}

1 Answer

Hangyu Kang
Hangyu Kang
7,027 Points
Hangyu Kang
Hangyu Kang
7,027 Points

Thank you! Great advice.