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JavaScript JavaScript Basics (Retired) Creating Reusable Code with Functions Create a max() Function

Joel Buzzanco
PLUS
Joel Buzzanco
Courses Plus Student 2,738 Points
Posted by Joel Buzzanco
Joel Buzzanco
Courses Plus Student 2,738 Points

creating a max function challenge

I do not understand what is wrong with my code. It is attached.

This section of the course in JS Basics has been a little confusing to me.

Please help, Thank you

function max () {
  var number1 = 1;
  var number2 = 2;
  if (number2 > number 1) {
    return true
  }
}
Joel Buzzanco
Joel Buzzanco
Courses Plus Student 2,738 Points
Joel Buzzanco
Joel Buzzanco
Courses Plus Student 2,738 Points

function max () { var number1 = 1; var number2 = 2; if (number2 > number 1) { return true } }

4 Answers

Ken Alger
STAFF
Ken Alger
Treehouse Teacher
Ken Alger
Ken Alger
Treehouse Teacher

Joel;

Your max() function isn't accepting any arguments. We need to do something like:

function max(number1, number2) {
    // do something magical in here
}

Make any sense?

Happy coding,
Ken

Joel Buzzanco
Joel Buzzanco
Courses Plus Student 2,738 Points
Joel Buzzanco
Joel Buzzanco
Courses Plus Student 2,738 Points

OK, thanks everyone for your help so far.

Hit a wall... again.

I don't know what is wrong with my code. Here is what I did:

function max (number1, number2) {
  var number1 = 1;
  var number2 = 2;

  if (number2 > number1) {
    return number2;
  }
}
Ken Alger
Ken Alger
Treehouse Teacher
Ken Alger
Ken Alger
Treehouse Teacher

Joel;

Your function declaration looks spot on. Nice work! Now let's take a look inside the function. We don't want to assign values to our function parameters, we want to use those numbers. So if we do something like:

function max (number1, number2) {
  if (number1 > number2) {
    return number1;
  } else if (number2 > number1) {
    return number2;
  }
}

We are doing what we need to accomplish. Does that make any sense? So, if we were to call max(5, 7) we would get 7 back from our function.

Inside the function then, it would check to see if 5 > 7, which it isn't so then it would go to the else if and do that comparison. Since that (7 > 5) does resolve as True our function would return, in this case, 7.

Post back if you are still stuck on the concept here.

Happy coding,
Ken

Karolin Rafalski
Karolin Rafalski
11,368 Points
Karolin Rafalski
Karolin Rafalski
11,368 Points

A few issues with your code.

  1. you have declared your arguments (the parameters for your function) inside your function -->move your var number1 & var number 2 outside of your function.
  2. it is asking that you return the larger number - not a true or false. --> in your if statement change to return number2
  3. in your current if statement you have a typo - it should by number1 not number 1

I hope this helps!

Karolin Rafalski
Karolin Rafalski
11,368 Points
Karolin Rafalski
Karolin Rafalski
11,368 Points

one more thing, you'll need to pass your variables number1 and number2 into your function. you can do so by putting them in the parenthesis after your function and separate them with a comma.

jason chan
jason chan
31,009 Points
jason chan
jason chan
31,009 Points

Hey Joel,

The whole point of programming is not to repeat yourself. So basically create a function that can be called later on. So always have that mindset.

DRY my friend. DRY.

Inge L
Inge L
30,058 Points
Inge L
Inge L
30,058 Points

Joel, delete variables from your code (because you are creating function you will later call with any two numbers) and provide else to if statement. So you need to return 

  if (number2 > number1) {
    return number2;
  } else {
      return number1;
  }