String help!

Alright so I just began taking a class learning about entry level java programming, and so far decently good but I have run into a problem writing a homework program. In my head this program seems to work. However in eclipse it keeps telling that i can't convert this char to a string. I have to follow these instructions:

copySubsequence(): this method accepts a String s and two ints a and b as parameters. The
method returns a new String that contains all the characters to the right of position a and left of
position b in s, inclusively. For example, if s = abcdef, a = 0, b = 3, then the method will return
abcd.

Note: that the characters in a String are numbered starting at 0. If a String has n characters, the
last character is at position n-1. If you try to access a String character at position 􀀀5, say, your
program will crash. Similarly, trying to access a String character at position n will also cause the
program to crash.

The copySubsequence() method addresses \bad" values of a and b as follows:
{ If a (or b) is less than 0, its value is changed to 0.
{ If a (or b) is greater than or equal to the length n of s, its value is changed to n - 1.
{ If a is greater than b the method returns an empty String (since there is nothing that is both
to the right of a and to the left of b).
{ If s is empty, the method returns s.

Here's my attempt at the program

public class Mutations {

public static String copySubsequence(String s, int a, int b) {

if (a < 0) a = 0;
if (b < 0) b = 0;
if (a >= s.length()) a = s.length() - 1;
if (b >= s.length()) b = s.length() - 1;
if (a > b) return "";
if (s == "" ) return s;

while (a <= b) {
return s.charAt(a);
a++;
}
}

Thanks!

You're trying to return a single char since charAt returns just that, and your while loop will only loop once, since once a return statement is encountered, the method returns the result and immediately ends. Perhaps you want to build a String using a StringBuilder object or else do simple String concatenation within the while loop and then return the String after the while loop has completed itself.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by clipper

while (a <= b) {
return s.charAt(a);
a++;
}

---

That doesn't make sense; try it out (either in your head or on paper). You immediately return the char at position a when your while loop enters its body. You should have an empty String ready to which you append every character at position a in the body of that loop. After the loop has finished you should return that String. (this description of it takes more characters than the actual code ;-)

kind regards,

Jos

My guess would be your function call of copySubsequence looks something like this:

Code:

---

String s1 = "abcdef";
String s2 = copySubsequence(s1,0,3);

---

First of all, as Fubarable said, the return statement will be executed once and break out of the loop / method. You'll have to construct the string within the loop, then return the string.

The error you are receiving is due to "charAt" returning a char, and you're trying to store it into a String.

Thanks very much for your helpful replies. I know some of these questions may have been stupid, but i'm glad that i got some helpful and constructive responses!