I feel like I'm on the right track, but just can't push it over the finish line...

Question

Here's my code:

  public int getTileCount(char tile) {
    int count ;
    for (char letter: mHand.toCharArray()){
      count = 0;
      if(mHand.indexOf(tile)>-1){
        int newCount = count +=1;
       count = newCount;
      } else {
        count = 0;
      }
    }

      return count;
    }

What am I missing???

ScrabblePlayer.java

public class ScrabblePlayer {
  private String mHand;

  public ScrabblePlayer() {
    mHand = "";
  }

  public String getHand() {
   return mHand;
  }

  public void addTile(char tile) {
    // Adds the tile to the hand of the player
    mHand += tile;
  }

  public boolean hasTile(char tile) {
   return mHand.indexOf(tile) > -1;
  }

  public int getTileCount(char tile) {
    int count =0 ;
    for (char letter: mHand.toCharArray()){
      count = 0;
      if(mHand.indexOf(tile)>-1){
        int newCount = count +=1;
      } else {
        count = 0;
      }
    }

      return count;
    }
}

Answer 1 · 2016-02-20T03:41:46Z

February 20, 2016 3:41am

Hi Shadd,

Instead of attempting two counter variables here, we can conveniently do the job with just one. We're only returning the value of one counter variable, and we wouldn't want to try to declare the same new counter variable every time an if statement runs, too.
We don't need to set the counter variable back to 0 every time we run the for loop or if the letter and tile aren't equal. If we reset the counter every single time there isn't a match, it would be like we're cancelling out that we found any other matches.

There are multiple ways to write getTileCount, but a convenient way is to up the counter if the letter and tile match, and otherwise, not have anything extra done:

  public int getTileCount(char tile) {
    int count = 0;
    for (char letter: mHand.toCharArray()){
      if (letter == tile){
        count +=1;
      }
    }

      return count;
    }
}

Hope this helps!

Answer 2 · 2016-02-20T04:18:40Z

February 20, 2016 4:18am

The classic "keep it simple stupid". I was way over thinking it lol

Thank you

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Shadd Anderson

Shadd Anderson

I feel like I'm on the right track, but just can't push it over the finish line...

2 Answers

Chase Marchione

Chase Marchione

Shadd Anderson

Shadd Anderson