making method, repurposing

Suppose we want to add a flip() method to the Chance class. This method should return, at random, either a 0 or a 1, where 0 stands for tails and 1 stands for heads. In the box provided below, code this method. Be sure to take advantage of the fact that Chance extends Random.

Hint: what Random class method call will produce values of either 0 or 1?

Code:

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import java.util.Random;
public class Chance extends Random{
public int flip(){
//I fill in blank here
}
}

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I tried

Code:

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return nextInt(1);

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for the fill-in-the-blank part, but it didn't work. I though that that method, from the Random class, generates a random integer between 0 and 1?
What am I doing wrong?

Read the API for nextInt, the very first sentence of this method in fact -- you're close but not quite there in a very significant way. Also, there's another method of Random that is even more intuitive for your purposes.

why don't you use a temp variable and if the random() method is equal to 0.1 to .5 you assign your temp variable a value of 0 and if it is .6 to .9 you assign a value of 1 to your temp variable. That or you might be able to use the floor or ceiling method depending on the value the random method returns.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mwr1976

why don't you use a temp variable and if the random() method is equal to 0.1 to .5 you assign your temp variable a value of 0 and if it is .6 to .9 you assign a value of 1 to your temp variable. That or you might be able to use the floor or ceiling method depending on the value the random method returns.

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Because she is subclassing Random, and so there's no need for this as Random is quite capable of serving her purposes in a much simpler way.

thanks furable, I figured it out. Turns out nextInt returns the parameter-1...so I actually needed nextInt(2).
I didn't see that other method that you mentioned might work though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by katiebear128

thanks furable, I figured it out. Turns out nextInt returns the parameter-1...so I actually needed nextInt(2).
I didn't see that other method that you mentioned might work though.

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Yes, that's right, nextInt(2) will return 0 or 1 (think of the 2 as representing 2 possible return values). The other method is nextBoolean which returns either true or false, and so it's even more idiot-proof in this situation.