Thread: Struggling Student seeks Guidance...

I'm having trouble trying to return a value in a method I have created. Here is the code, class Cupcake. In my PurchaseQuantity() method, I'm supposed to prompt a user for the number of donuts they want and then return an integer value (given some value checking). In my test class, when I call the toString() for Cupcake I get the right int answer for PurchaseQuantity(), but when I try to call the value for CalculatePrice(), i get re-prompted for the number of donuts...should I just get returned the int value for PurchaseQuantity() and be getting prompted again? I'm probably missing something basic here...

This class assignment isn't due for another two weeks, but I'm really scratching my head on this one, and can't wait 'til next week to get to a TA. This is a superclass, so my other subclass are depending on this one being right. So I'm stuck...Any help or guidance would be appreciated.

import java.util.Scanner;
 
public class Cupcake {
 
	//Declare instance variables
	private String flavors;
	private double price;
	private int quantitySold = 0; //initiate to 0
	//Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);
 
	//Cupcake constructor
    public Cupcake( String ccflavors, double ccprice ) {
    	setFlavors( ccflavors );
    	setPrice( ccprice );
    }
 
    //Set-Get methods for flavors
    public void setFlavors( String ccflavors ){
    	flavors = ccflavors;
    }
 
    public String getFlavors(){
    	return flavors;
    }
 
    //Set-Get methods for price
    public void setPrice( double ccprice ){
    	price = ccprice;
    }
 
    public double getPrice(){
    	return price;
    }
 
    //Set-Get methods for quantitySold
    public void setQtySold( int qty ){
    	quantitySold = qty;
    }
 
    public int getQtySold(){
    	return quantitySold;
    }
 
    //Start PurchaseQuantity method
    public int PurchaseQuantity(){
    	int local_qty;
 
    	Scanner input = new Scanner( System.in );
    	System.out.println( "Please enter the number of cupcakes requested." ); //prompt Ms. Del, probably needs to be a Scanner
    	local_qty = input.nextInt();
 
    	//Verify that the quantity enter is valid
    	//Case if quantity is greater than 5 dozen limit
    	if(local_qty > 60){
    		System.out.println( "Sorry, Delicious Cupcake limits customers to five (5) dozen cupcakes per flavor." );
    		setQtySold( 0 );    		  		    		
    	}
    	//Case if quantity is valid
    	else if( (61 > local_qty) && (local_qty > 0) ){
    		setQtySold( local_qty );  
		//System.out.printf( "else if local_qty = %d\n", getQtySold() );      		   		
    	}
    	//Case if quantity is 0 or negative
    	else{
    		System.out.println( "The value enter is not valid, please enter an integer (i.e. 1, 12, 36, etc.)." );
    		setQtySold( 0 );		    		
    	}
 
	return getQtySold();		
 
    } //End PurchaseQuantity method
 
    public void CalculatePrice(){
	int x = PurchaseQuantity(); //causes a loop into PurchaseQuantity method, doesn't call the value...why?
    	System.out.printf( "PurchaseQuantity = %d\n", x );
    }
 
    //Start CalculatePrice method
//    public void CalculatePrice(){
//    	System.out.printf( "PurchaseQuantity = %d\n", getQtySold() );
//    	if ( getQtySold() == 0 )  //Need to use PurchaseQuantity once it works
//    		System.out.println( "No price is calculated." );
//    	else{
//    		double total_cost = getQtySold() * getPrice(); //Need to use PurchaseQuantity once it works
//   		System.out.printf( "Total cost = $%.2f\n", total_cost );
//    	}   		
//    }
 
    @Override
    public String toString(){
    	return String.format( "The Cupcake flavor is %s\nThe cost per cupcake is $%.2f\nThe quantity is %d\n", getFlavors(), getPrice(), PurchaseQuantity() );
    }
 
} //End Cupcake class

public class TestCupCake {
 
    public static void main(String[] args) {
 
 
        Cupcake strawberry = new Cupcake( "Strawberry", 1.50 );
        //GourmetCupcake chocolate = new GourmetCupcake( "Chocolate", 2.50 );
        //GourmetCupcake coffee = new GourmetCupcake( "Coffee", 3.20 );
 
        System.out.println( strawberry.toString() );        
        strawberry.CalculatePrice();        
 
 
    }
}

Hi, here is my suggestion:
- Move the strawberry.CalculatePrice(); up, before the line System.out.println( strawberry.toString() );
- Do not call PurchaseQuantity() in the toString() method, instead call the getQtySold() method.

Originally Posted by nickyc

Hi, here is my suggestion:
- Move the strawberry.CalculatePrice(); up, before the line System.out.println( strawberry.toString() );
- Do not call PurchaseQuantity() in the toString() method, instead call the getQtySold() method.

nickyc, had to do some other tweaking but I think i get your idea. i think my issue is that I'm expecting PurchaseQuantity() to return an int value once i execute it (but only once) and not ask for an input from Scanner again, but it does. think your idea will work and I need to call calculateprice() to execute purchasequantity() to get the input only once. thanks for the help!