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

Robert Tyree
Robert Tyree
13,335 Points
Posted by Robert Tyree
Robert Tyree
13,335 Points

Extra Credit Solution

Wanted to get a little more practice with JavaScript, especially adding objects to a new array, so went ahead and geeked out on the bonus challenge he mentions at the end of video.

Just starting with JavaScript, so I'm sure the code could be more elegant. But sharing in case it's helpful to anyone! 

//Asks question until 'quit' or cancel

var query;

while (true) {
  query = prompt ('What student? Quit to exit');
  if (query === null || query.toLowerCase() === 'quit'){
    break;
  } else {
      searcher(query);
    }
}


//Searches for student name and sends matches to msgBuild

function searcher(query){
  var currentStudent;
  var foundStudent = [];

  for (var i = 0; i < students.length; i += 1) {
    currentStudent = students[i];
    if (query === currentStudent.name){  
      foundStudent.push(currentStudent);
    }
  }

  if (query !== '' && foundStudent.length === 0){
     alert(query + ' is not in our roster!');
  }else {
    msgBuild(foundStudent);
  }
}


//Builds message and sends message to print

function msgBuild(studentMatch) {
  var htmlMsg = '';
    for (var i = 0; i < studentMatch.length; i += 1) {
            htmlMsg += '<h1> Name: ' + studentMatch[i].name + '</h1>';
            htmlMsg += '<p> Track: ' + studentMatch[i].track + '</p>';
            htmlMsg += '<p> Achievements: ' + studentMatch[i].achievements + '</p>';
            htmlMsg += '<p> Points: ' + studentMatch[i].points + '</p>';
            }

  print(htmlMsg);
  if (studentMatch.length > 1){
    alert("We've got more than one student named " + studentMatch[0].name + "!");
  }
}


//Prints message by inserting into HTML

function print(message) {
  var outputDiv = document.getElementById('output');
  outputDiv.innerHTML = message;
}
Dashmiho Dosadku
Dashmiho Dosadku
Courses Plus Student 417 Points

Why are you complicating things? The extra solution is just adding "+" symbol to function print

function print(message) {
  var outputDiv = document.getElementById('output');
  outputDiv.innerHTML += message;
}

1 Answer

Iain Simmons
Iain Simmons
Treehouse Moderator 32,305 Points

You'd probably want to 'normalise' the query by converting both it and the names you're checking it against to either all lowercase or uppercase, that way it won't matter if the user doesn't capitalise the name correctly.

As an extension of that, you could make use of the indexOf method for strings so you can return partial matches (e.g. 'rob' would return your name).

Note that if you were doing this, you'd probably want to move the alert for multiple results back to your searcher function and change it to indicate that there are multiple students matching the user's query, not the particular name.

Otherwise, good use of functions to separate the code! :)

Robert Tyree
Robert Tyree
13,335 Points
Robert Tyree
Robert Tyree
13,335 Points

Thanks Iain! Really appreciate the pointers.