I do not think my else statement is being executed, why is this?

[al_saodiyya]

CodingBat Java String-1 conCat

public String conCat(String a, String b) {

if (a.length() > 0 && b.length() > 0)

if (a.substring(a.length()-1) != b.substring(0,1)) {

return a + b; }

else {

return a + b.substring(1);

}

}

why doesn't this code work?

[Junky]

Because motorcycles don't have doors!

Perhaps you can provide more information about "doesn't work" means.

[jim829]

I assume you mean it doesn't compile. The reason is because if the first condition is not met, you are returning anything.
Here is the same code with braces:

   public String conCat(String a, String b) {
      if (a.length() > 0 && b.length() > 0) {
         if (a.substring(a.length() - 1) != b.substring(0, 1)) {
            return a + b;
         }
         else {
            return a + b.substring(1);
         }
      }
   }

To catch these types of errors, always use the curly braces with your if statements.

Regards,
Jim

[al_saodiyya]

CodingBat Java String-1 conCat

could you please have a look at the link and answer based on the requirements of that question?
I tried the brackets to no avail.

thanks.

[jim829]

I understand the requirements. Did your program compile or did the site report an error?

Regards,
Jim

[al_saodiyya]

Error: public String conCat(String a, String b) {
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This method must return a result of type String

I added a return ""; to fix this problem, but now abccat returns abcat
only dogcat => dogcat works.

[al_saodiyya]

*sorry abc cat => abccat
should return abcat

[DarrylBurke]

CodingBat Java String-1 conCat

could you please have a look at the link

Please go through these pages:
http://www.java-forums.org/forum-gui...w-members.html
BB Code List - Java Programming Forum - Learn Java Programming

Then post your code on the forum -- or at least enough of it to demonstrate the problem.

We don't like forum threads that lose context because the original poster removed the external files that provided that context. A forum is a community resource; let's honor that.

db

[jim829]

I posted the requirements for others on this forum. Please do so in the future.

Given two strings, append them together (known as "concatenation") and return the result. However, if the concatenation creates a double-char, then omit one of the chars, so "abc" and "cat" yields "abcat".

conCat("abc", "cat") → "abcat"
conCat("dog", "cat") → "dogcat"
conCat("abc", "") → "abc"

So your statement tells me it is working.

Regards,
Jim