Confusing Problem with some Java code from a book - deals with Classes and Constructors

[pjb789]

Hello!

I have been trying to figure out exactly what is wrong with the code I copied from an ebook. I have tried everything I can think of and haven't got a clue!
It has to do with my Class Constructor and it isn't making any sense to me because it is just another section of the code where a variable is re-used when it's
public throughout the whole Class.

 
import java.math.*;
import java.util.*;
 
public class PairOfDice {
 
	public int die1; // Number showing on the first die.
	public int die2; // Number showing on the second die .
 
	public PairOfDice() {
		// Constructor. Rolls the dice, so that they initially
		// show some random values .
		roll(); //Call the roll() method to roll the dice.
}
	public PairOfDice(int val1, int val2) {
		// Constructor. Creates a pair of dice that
		// are initially showing the values val1 and val2.
		die1 = val1; // Assign specified values
		die2 = val2; // to the instance variables.
		}
 
	public void roll() {
		// Roll the dice by setting each of the dice to be
		// a random number between 1 and 6.
		die1 = (int)(Math.random()∗6) + 1; //These variables are giving me 
		die2 = (int)(Math.random()∗6) + 1; // the following error below
//Multiple markers at this line
//	- Syntax error on token "Invalid Character", invalid 
//	 AssignmentOperator
//	- The left-hand side of an assignment must be a variable
 
 
 } // end class Pair Of Dice package;
}
 
public class RollTwoPair {
 
	/**
	 * @param args
	 */
 
	public static void main(String[] args) {
 
		PairOfDice firstDice; // Refers to the first pair of dice.
		firstDice = new PairOfDice();
 
		PairOfDice secondDice; // Refers to the second pair of dice.
		secondDice = new PairOfDice();
 
		int countRolls; // Counts how many times the two pairs of
		// dice have been rolled.
 
		int total1; // Total showing on first pair of dice.
 
		int total2; // Total showing on second pair of dice.
 
		countRolls = 0;
 
		do { // Roll the two pairs of dice until totals are the same.
 
			firstDice.roll(); // Roll the first pair of dice.
			total1 = firstDice.die1 + firstDice.die2; // Get total.
			System.out.println( " F i r s t pair comes up " + total1);
			secondDice.roll(); // Roll the second pair of dice.
			total2 = secondDice.die1 + secondDice.die2; // Get total.
			System.out.println( " Second pair comes up " + total2);
			countRolls++; // Count this roll .
			System.out.println(); // Blank line.
		} while (total1 != total2);
 
		System.out.println( " It took " + countRolls + " rolls until the totals were the same. " );
	} // end main ()
  } // end class RollTwoPairs.

[Norm]

what is wrong with the code

Please explain. If there are error messages, copy the full text and paste it here.

[pjb789]

Please explain. If there are error messages, copy the full text and paste it here.

Multiple markers at this line
- Syntax error on token "Invalid Character", invalid
AssignmentOperator
- The left-hand side of an assignment must be a variable

Sorry Norm I posted the error message in the code in the PairOfDice section of code.
Please let me know if I posted incorrectly. Thank you for such a quick response!

[Norm]

Please post the FULL TEXT of the error messages. What you posted looks like a summary vs the full message.
The message should show the source with a ^ under the location of the error.
Here is a sample of an error message from the javac compiler:

TestSorts.java:138: cannot find symbol
symbol  : variable var
location: class TestSorts
         var = 2;
         ^

[pjb789]

OK! I finally got it to work but I don't understand why it made a difference.

I changed the way the public integers were calculated in the PairOfDice section to:

die1 = (int) (6 * Math.random()) + 1;
die2 = (int) (6 * Math.random()) + 1;

Instead of:

die1 = (int)(Math.random()∗6) + 1;
die2 = (int)(Math.random()∗6) + 1;

I have no idea why it didn't like the other way as it is almost exactly the same.

Thank you Norm for your suggestions. I guess it's just one of those compiler problems that seem to crop up and bite you when you least expect it.

[Norm]

Look at the code in post#1. Could your keyboard have entered a different character for the *?
The forum's formatting code has put in &# 8727 (no space) where you must have thought you had a *

[pjb789]

Look at the code in post#1. Could your keyboard have entered a different character for the *?
The forum's formatting code has put in &# 8727 (no space) where you must have thought you had a *

The coding in the post is an HTML version of the * sign. I just looked it up. I am guessing that the software for
this site got confused when looking at all of it crunched up without any space. As I intimated previously every new
version of a compiler has its own peculiarities.

[pbrockway2]

8727 is the unicode character 'asterisk operator'. Java multiplication uses the ASCII character corresponding to unicode 0042.

Visual appearance and the unicode name notwithstanding they are different characters.