Morse Code Help Please!!

[javaa]

hi im new to java and i just need some help on this program!! im just focusing on converting morse to english right now so thats why there are comment lines. could you help?? thanks!

public class Project1CTY {
public static void main( String [] args ) {
int answer = Input.getInt( "If you wish to translate Morse Code into English, enter the number 0, \n if you wish to translate English into Morse Code, enter the number 1: ");

if (answer == 0) {
String x = Input.getString("You chose to translate Morse Code into English. Input the Code below. \n When inputting Morse Code, separate each letter/digit with a single space, and delimit multiple words with a “|”. \n For example, - --- | -... . would be the Morse Code input for the sentence “to be”.");
MorseConvert(x);
}
// else if(answer == 1) {
// String y = Input.getString("You chose to translate English into Morse Code. Enter the sentence you wish to convert below. \n When inputting English, separate each word with a blank space.");
// EnglishConvert(y);
// }
else
System.out.println( "Invalid Entry" );
}

public static String MorseConvert(String x) {
String[] morseArray1 = x.split("|");
for(int i = 0; i < morseArray1.length; i++) {
String[] morseArray2 = morseArray1[i].split(" ");
for(int j = 0; j < morseArray2.length; j++) {
if (morsedatabase( morseArray2[j] ) <= 25) {
letter(morsedatabase( morseArray2[j]));
}
else {
number(morsedatabase(morseArray2[j]));
}
}
}
}

public static int morsedatabase( String a ) {
String[] morseData = {".-","-...", "-.-.", "-..", ".", "..-.", "--.", "....", "..", ".---", "-.-", ".-..", "--", "-.", "---", ".--.", "--.-", ".-.", "...", "-", "..-", "...-", ".--", "-..-", "-.--", "--..", ".----", "..---", "...--", "....-", ".....", "-....", "--...", "---..", "----.", "-----"};
for (int p = 0; p < morseData.length; p++) {
if (morseData[p].equals(a)) {
return p;
}
}
}
public static char letter(int m) {
char[] letters = {'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'h', 'i', 'j', 'k', 'l', 'm', 'n', 'o', 'p', 'q', 'r', 's', 't', 'u', 'v', 'w', 'x', 'y', 'z'};
return letters[m];
}

public static int number(int m) {
char[] numbers = {0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0};
return numbers[m];
}

// public static String EnglishConvert(String y) {
// String z = y.toLowerCase;
// }
}

[awinston]

Do you have a specific question? Are you receiving any errors?

[javaa]

well im getting missing return statement for lines 30 and 39 even though i think theyre ok. thanks!

[awinston]

Can you please surround your code with [code][/code] tags? It will make it easier for people to read.

[javaa]

wait what? in addition to being new to java i am new to this website as well!! sorry!

[javaa]

public class Project1CTY {
	public static void main( String [] args ) {
		int answer = Input.getInt( "If you wish to translate Morse Code into English, enter the number 0, \n if you wish to translate English into Morse Code, enter the number 1: ");

		if (answer == 0) {
			String x = Input.getString("You chose to translate Morse Code into English. Input the Code below. \n When inputting Morse Code, separate each letter/digit with a single space, and delimit multiple words with a “|”. \n For example, - --- | -... . would be the Morse Code input for the sentence “to be”.");
			MorseConvert(x);
		}
	//	else if(answer == 1) {
	//		String y = Input.getString("You chose to translate English into Morse Code. Enter the sentence you wish to convert below. \n When inputting English, separate each word with a blank space.");
	//		EnglishConvert(y);
	//	}
		else
			System.out.println( "Invalid Entry" );
	}

	public static String MorseConvert(String x) {
		String[] morseArray1 = x.split("|");
		for(int i = 0; i < morseArray1.length; i++) {
			String[] morseArray2 = morseArray1[i].split(" ");
			for(int j = 0; j < morseArray2.length; j++) {
				if (morsedatabase( morseArray2[j] ) <= 25) {
					letter(morsedatabase( morseArray2[j]));
				}
				else {
					number(morsedatabase(morseArray2[j]));
				}
			}
		}
	}

	public static int morsedatabase( String a ) {
		String[] morseData = {".-","-...", "-.-.", "-..", ".", "..-.", "--.", "....", "..", ".---", "-.-", ".-..", "--", "-.", "---", ".--.", "--.-", ".-.", "...", "-", "..-", "...-", ".--", "-..-", "-.--", "--..", ".----", "..---", "...--", "....-", ".....", "-....", "--...", "---..", "----.", "-----"};
		for (int p = 0; p < morseData.length; p++) {
			if (morseData[p].equals(a)) {
				return p;
			}
		}
	}
	public static char letter(int m) {
		char[] letters = {'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'h', 'i', 'j', 'k', 'l', 'm', 'n', 'o', 'p', 'q', 'r', 's', 't', 'u', 'v', 'w', 'x', 'y', 'z'};
		return letters[m];
	}

	public static int number(int m) {
		char[] numbers = {0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0};
		return numbers[m];
	}

//	public static String EnglishConvert(String y) {
//		String z = y.toLowerCase;
//	}
}

like so??

[awinston]

1. You specify MorseConvert() as having a return of type String, but you don't return anything in that method.

2. morsedatabase() only returns an int if a condition is satisfied (morseData[p].equals(a)), and the compiler will have a problem with this type of conditional return. The reason for this is because it is possible for the condition to be false, and this would result in nothing being returned.

[javaa]

oh ok thank you! so should i put an else statement that also returns something in #2??

[Junky]

Why not try it and see?

[javaa]

it still doesn't work :( but at least i am only getting an error for line 42!! (#2). here is what i have right now.

public class Project1CTY {
	public static void main( String [] args ) {
		int answer = Input.getInt( "If you wish to translate Morse Code into English, enter the number 0, \n if you wish to translate English into Morse Code, enter the number 1: ");

		if (answer == 0) {
			String x = Input.getString("You chose to translate Morse Code into English. Input the Code below. \n When inputting Morse Code, separate each letter/digit with a single space, and delimit multiple words with a “|”. \n For example, - --- | -... . would be the Morse Code input for the sentence “to be”.");
			MorseConvert(x);
		}
	//	else if(answer == 1) {
	//		String y = Input.getString("You chose to translate English into Morse Code. Enter the sentence you wish to convert below. \n When inputting English, separate each word with a blank space.");
	//		EnglishConvert(y);
	//	}
		else
			System.out.println( "Invalid Entry" );
	}

	public static void MorseConvert(String x) {
		String[] morseArray1 = x.split("|");
		for(int i = 0; i < morseArray1.length; i++) {
			String[] morseArray2 = morseArray1[i].split(" ");
			for(int j = 0; j < morseArray2.length; j++) {
				int w = morsedatabase(morseArray2[j]);
				if (morsedatabase( morseArray2[j] ) <= 25) {
					System.out.print(letter(w));
				}
				else {
					System.out.print(number(w));
				}
			}
		}
	}

	public static int morsedatabase( String a ) {
		String[] morseData = {".-","-...", "-.-.", "-..", ".", "..-.", "--.", "....", "..", ".---", "-.-", ".-..", "--", "-.", "---", ".--.", "--.-", ".-.", "...", "-", "..-", "...-", ".--", "-..-", "-.--", "--..", ".----", "..---", "...--", "....-", ".....", "-....", "--...", "---..", "----.", "-----"};
		for (int p = 0; p < morseData.length; p++) {
			if (morseData[p].equals(a)) {
				return p;
			}
			else 
				return 100;
		}
	}

	public static char letter(int m) {
		char[] letters = {'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'h', 'i', 'j', 'k', 'l', 'm', 'n', 'o', 'p', 'q', 'r', 's', 't', 'u', 'v', 'w', 'x', 'y', 'z'};
		return letters[m];
	}

	public static int number(int m) {
		char[] numbers = {0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0};
		return numbers[m];
	}

//	public static String EnglishConvert(String y) {
//		String z = y.toLowerCase;
//	}
}

[awinston]

Can you post the error message that you are getting?

[javaa]

Project1CTY.java:42: error: missing return statement
}
^
1 error

[awinston]

Here's the question: what would happen if morseData was an empty array?

[Junky]

Your returns statements are inside a loop. What gets returned if the loop is never entered?

[javaa]

i am sorry i am not sure what you mean by that. could you perhaps edit part of the code to help me understand?

[awinston]

i am sorry i am not sure what you mean by that. could you perhaps edit part of the code to help me understand?

The execution of your loop is dependent on the length of array morseData. If morseData is empty, the loop is never executed and therefore nothing is returned. The compiler is worried about that.

[javaa]

oh ok never mind i got the code to have no errors but now it just returns of letters that seem to be random but at least there are no errors!! thanks guys for helping me im really new so i get a lot of trouble. youre the best!

[awinston]

oh ok never mind i got the code to have no errors but now it just returns of letters that seem to be random but at least there are no errors!! thanks guys for helping me im really new so i get a lot of trouble. youre the best!

Hang on, hang on. This is not good if you do not understand what is going on.

[javaa]

oh... haha hmmm well im not really sure what to do but maybe converting english to morse code is easier so i might try that. thanks so much!!

[Junky]

The best solution would be to have a return statement as the last line of your method. That way no matter what path it takes through your method it MUST hit the return statement. What you can do is use a StringBuilder object to add you code elements to within loops and if statements or whatever and then return the String at the end.