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JavaScript JavaScript Loops, Arrays and Objects Tracking Data Using Objects The Student Record Search Challenge Solution

Matt Topping
Matt Topping
4,527 Points
Posted by Matt Topping
Matt Topping
4,527 Points

Finding if student exist

Hey all, having trouble getting a proper return for students not found. Because of the for loop it will run the not found code prior to returning student data. is there a way that indexOf() could fix this?

thank you

var html = '<ul style="list-style-type:none">';
var student;
var search;
var message = '';
var innerDiv = document.getElementById("output");

function isaStudent (search){
    for (var i = 0; i < students.length; i++) { 
        if (search === students[i].name) { 
            return true;
        } else {
            return false;
        }
    }
}

function print(message) {
    var text = document.getElementById("output");
    text.innerHTML += message;
}
function getStudentReport(student){
    var html = '<h2>Student: ' + student.name +'</h2>';
    html += '<p>Track: ' + student.track +'</p>';
    html += '<p>Achievements: ' + student.achievements +'</p>';
    html += '<p>Points: ' + student.points +'</p>';
    return html;
}

while (true) {
    search = prompt('Find a student by first name [Kai,Nathan, etc.] "Quit" to exit');
    innerDiv.innerHTML = '';
    if (search === null || search.toUpperCase() === 'QUIT'){
        print('<h1>Goodbye</h1>');
        break;
    } else if (isaStudent(search) != true){
        alert('Sorry, ' + search + ' is not enrolled here.');
        }
for (var i = 0; i < students.length; i++) {
    student = students[i];
 if (student.name === search) {
    message = getStudentReport(student);
    print(message);
    }
  }
}
//console.log(isaStudent(students[0].name));```

1 Answer

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,533 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,533 Points

:point_right: You don't want your search to give up on the first test.

Wait until the loop has finished checking all students before returning false:

function isaStudent (search){
    for (var i = 0; i < students.length; i++) { 
        if (search === students[i].name) { 
            return true;
        }
    }
    return false;
}
Matt Topping
Matt Topping
4,527 Points
Matt Topping
Matt Topping
4,527 Points

Woah, smooth as butter now. So then, if on the first loop it does not find the search value it automatically defaults to the else statement? Then that is why it was returning false, if I'm understanding correctly... :?

-Thanks Steven!