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

Linda Gomes
Linda Gomes
3,584 Points
Posted by Linda Gomes
Linda Gomes
3,584 Points

Why does the else overrides the if?

When I add the else to show an alert if the student does not exist, it just show the alert every time, even if the student does exist.

var message = '';
var student;
var search;

function print(message) {
  var outputDiv = document.getElementById('output');
  outputDiv.innerHTML = message;
}

function getReport(student) {
  var report = '<h2>Student: ' + student.name + '</h2>';
  report += '<p>Track: ' + student.track + '</p>';
  report += '<p>Points: ' + student.points + '</p>';
  report += '<p>Achievements: ' + student.achievements + '</p>';
  return report; 
}

while (true) {
  search = prompt("Type student name to load file. To exit type 'quit'.");
  if (search === null || search.toLowerCase() === "quit") {
   break; 
  } for (var i = 0; i < students.length; i += 1) {
    student = students[i];
    if (student.name.toLowerCase() === search.toLowerCase()) {
      message = getReport(student);
      print(message);
    } else {
      message = "<h3> No student named " + search + " was found.</h3>";
      print(message);
    }
  }
}

2 Answers

andren
andren
28,558 Points
andren
andren
28,558 Points

That happens because the code within the for loop runs once for every student in the students array. And the if statement will only be true the one time it pulls out the student you searched for. All of the other times it will not be true and the else will run.

So unless the student you search for is the last one the for loop runs though you will end up with the else statement being the last one to run.

You can fix this issue by adding the break keyword to the if statement like this:

var message = '';
var student;
var search;

function print(message) {
  var outputDiv = document.getElementById('output');
  outputDiv.innerHTML = message;
}

function getReport(student) {
  var report = '<h2>Student: ' + student.name + '</h2>';
  report += '<p>Track: ' + student.track + '</p>';
  report += '<p>Points: ' + student.points + '</p>';
  report += '<p>Achievements: ' + student.achievements + '</p>';
  return report; 
}

while (true) {
  search = prompt("Type student name to load file. To exit type 'quit'.");
  if (search === null || search.toLowerCase() === "quit") {
   break; 
  } for (var i = 0; i < students.length; i += 1) {
    student = students[i];
    if (student.name.toLowerCase() === search.toLowerCase()) {
      message = getReport(student);
      print(message);
      break; // Added break
    } else {
      message = "<h3> No student named " + search + " was found.</h3>";
      print(message);
    }
  }
}

That way the loop ends once it runs the if statement, which means that you don't end up with the else statement running after it.

Linda Gomes
Linda Gomes
3,584 Points
Linda Gomes
Linda Gomes
3,584 Points

Thank you... but now I have another problem. I had found a solution for the "two people with the same name" problem and now it doesn't work.

var message = '';
var student;
var search;

function print(message) {
  var outputDiv = document.getElementById('output');
  outputDiv.innerHTML = message;
}

function getReport(student) {
  var report = '<h2>Student: ' + student.name + '</h2>';
  report += '<p>Track: ' + student.track + '</p>';
  report += '<p>Points: ' + student.points + '</p>';
  report += '<p>Achievements: ' + student.achievements + '</p>';
  return report; 
}

while (true) {
  search = prompt("Type student name to load file. To exit type 'quit'.");
  if (search === null || search.toLowerCase() === "quit") {
   break; 
  } for (var i = 0; i < students.length; i += 1) {
    student = students[i];
    if (student.name.toLowerCase() === search.toLowerCase()) {
      message += getReport(student);
      print(message);
      break;
    } else {
      message = "<h3> No student named " + search + " was found.</h3>";
      print(message);
    }
  } 
}

I had added a + to the message, like this:

message += getReport(student);

but now it doesn't work.

Adrien Contee
Adrien Contee
4,875 Points
Adrien Contee
Adrien Contee
4,875 Points

Unless I'm missing something, this code doesn't work as intended to complete the bonus:

var message = '';
var student;
var search;

var students = [
  {
    name: "Tom",
    track: "iOS Development",
    achievements: 43,
    points: 73839
  },
  {
    name: "Jerry",
    track: "Web Design",
    achievements: 23,
    points: 89498
  },
  {
    name: "Sam",
    track: "Front End Development",
    achievements: 86,
    points: 23187
  },
  {
    name: "Kim",
    track: "Back End Development",
    achievements: 24,
    points: 90594
  },
  {
    name: "Jane",
    track: "Java Development",
    achievements: 73,
    points: 87328
  }
];

function print(message) {
  var outputDiv = document.getElementById('output');
  outputDiv.innerHTML = message;
}

function getReport(student) {
  var report = '<h2>Student: ' + student.name + '</h2>';
  report += '<p>Track: ' + student.track + '</p>';
  report += '<p>Points: ' + student.points + '</p>';
  report += '<p>Achievements: ' + student.achievements + '</p>';
  return report; 
}

while (true) {
  search = prompt("Type student name to load file. To exit type 'quit'.");
  if (search === null || search.toLowerCase() === "quit") {
   break; 
  } for (var i = 0; i < students.length; i += 1) {
    student = students[i];
    if (student.name.toLowerCase() === search.toLowerCase()) {
      message = getReport(student);
      print(message);
      break; // Added break
    } else {
      message = "<h3> No student named " + search + " was found.</h3>";
      print(message);
    }
  }
}

// The 'for loop' will always print out the else statement in cases where the name you type in the
// prompt is not the first item in the students array at index 0.
// If you type in 'Jerry' as it is in my students array, the loop will ask 'does student.name [which is position 0]
// at this point equal to 'Jerry'? No it doesn't , its 'Tom'... run the else block
// Even though 'Jerry' is the name of someone in the array, the code never has a chance to get there.

I haven't found a solution. I tried for like an hour before giving up. Not going to stackoverflow a treehouse project.

If anyone has a solution I would love to see it. Especially if it only involves the limited knowledge we've gained so far.