Help with nested conditional expression

[moncur]

Write an expression using nested conditional expression operators that will set the String variable heightDescription to “Tall” if the variable height is more than 6, to “Short” if height is less than 5, and to “Average” otherwise.

import java.util.Scanner;

public class QUIZ6Q4
{

    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        Scanner scan = new Scanner (System.in);
        System.out.println("enter height as int in feet only");
        int height = scan.nextInt();
        String heightDescription = ( height < 5 && height == 6 && height > 6) ? "Short" : "Average" : "Tall"; // is this considered a nested conditional expression?
        System.out.println(heightDescription);
    }

}

my question:
is it possible to put 3 statements in this ternary statement? i am getting a error. Syntax error on token ":".
( i use eclipse )

[m00nchile]

The syntax for the ternary operator is:

condition ? execute if true : execute if false

You have a third operand there, that's why it's producing a syntax error.
Also, I would consider this:

if(condition1 && condition2)

a nested statement, since it is equal to:

if(condition1) {
  if(condition2)
}

I don't know about your teacher though, I've seen some pretty strange things from my uni professors.

[pbrockway2]

No it's not considered a nested conditional ... it's considered a syntax error! As you've found ;)

Frankly nested conditionals may not be the most readable way of expressing this. But if the assignment requires it, I think it would look like:

if(someCondition) {
    if(someOtherCondition) {
        // do something with heightDescription
    } else { // someCondition is true, but someOtherCondition is false
        // do something else with heightDescription
    }
} else { // someCondition is false
    // do some third thing with heightDescription
}

[moncur]

I don't want 3 if statements... because they would not work for the desired outcome.

this is the question:

Write an expression using nested conditional expression operators that will set the String variable heightDescription to “Tall” if the variable height is more than 6, to “Short” if height is less than 5, and to “Average” otherwise.

I don't want this:

if (height < 5)
{
System.out.println("Short");
}
if ( height = 5 || height = 6 )
{
System.out.println("average");
}
etc...

i need something that satisfies the question.

[pbrockway2]

Well you could consider abominations along the lines of

heightDescription = cond1 ? (cond2 ? "too hot" : "just right!") : "too cold";

(if "conditional expression operators" is a funny way about talking about ternary operators)

[moncur]

Well you could consider abominations along the lines of

heightDescription = cond1 ? (cond2 ? "too hot" : "just right!") : "too cold";

(if "conditional expression operators" is a funny way about talking about ternary operators)

yeah i don't know how to make it work... i tried a bunch of different variations and none worked correctly. it would say short when should be tall and such.

[pbrockway2]

it would say short when should be tall and such

That's no problem, providing your conditions are sensible. Just have it print out "A", "B" and "C" then run it with some data to see what messages should go in the place of the letters.

(I realise this is a *horrible* way of figuring out the logic of the ternary operator. And that's just what makes it appropriate in this case.)

[moncur]

thanks for all the help... i figured it out!

        Scanner scan = new Scanner (System.in);
        System.out.println("enter height as int in feet only");
        int height = scan.nextInt();
        String heightDescription = ( height < 5) ? "Short" : (height > 6) ? "Tall" : "Average";
        System.out.println(heightDescription);

it outputs the correct height...

Thanks again.

[moncur]

how do you mark solved or something along the lines of that? I seen people tell other people to make sure to mark "solved"????

[Fubarable]

Click on Thread Tools at the top and then click on marked solved.

[m00nchile]

Thread tools above the first post.

EDIT: beaten to the punch