Why do we use a 2nd boolean here?

Question

}
  public boolean applyGuess (char letter) {
   boolean isHit = mAnswer.indexOf(letter) >= 0;
   if (isHit) {
     mHits += letter; }
    else {
      mMisses += letter;
Why do we use the 2nd boolean here before isHit when we used it before applyGuess?

Brendon Butler · Answer

Since 
```java
public boolean applyGuess() {
}
```
is a method, the "boolean" in this line is referring to the return type of the method.
This reference
java
boolean isHit = //blah blah blah

is a variable. In Java, variables aren't dynamic like in Python or other languages. So you have to tell the compiler what type of variable it is. 
Say you have a light switch. This light switch has two methods -- a method to check if the light is on and a method to set the light on or off.
```java
public class LightSwitch {
  // this creates the variable and sets the default value
  private boolean on = false;
  // for this method you HAVE to return either true or false
  public boolean isOn() {
    return on; // returns the variable we created above
  }
  // for this method, it has the return type of void so you don't have to return anything.
  public void turnOn() {
    if (on) {
      System.out.println("The light is already on!");
      return; // you still can use the return statement to break out of the method without running any code below it
    }
    on = true;
  }
  public void turnOff() {
    if (!on) {
      System.out.println("The light is already off!");
      return; // you still can use the return statement to break out of the method without running any code below it
    }
    on = false;
  }
}
```

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Zachary Martin

Zachary Martin

Why do we use a 2nd boolean here?

1 Answer

Brendon Butler

Brendon Butler