array challenge error

Interestingly, for the purpose of passing the tests at http://codingbat.com/prob/p136041, the
   if (num != target)
      target = 1 ;
does not seem to be necessary.
Although it could have been necessary if certain other examples had been used in those tests.

public boolean array123(int[] nums) {
for(int num : nums){
if (num==1 || num==2|| num ==3){
return true;
}
}
  
}

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by adding return i pass some tests and failing on some other as below

Expected      Run            
array123({1, 1, 2, 3, 1}) → true      true      OK         
array123({1, 1, 2, 4, 1}) → false      true      X         
array123({1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 3}) → true      true      OK         
array123({1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1}) → false      true      X         
array123({1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3}) → true      true      OK         
array123({1, 2, 3}) → true      true      OK         
array123({1, 1, 1}) → false      true      X         
array123({1, 2}) → false      true      X         
array123({1}) → false      true      X         
array123({}) → false      false      OK         


But they seem not mentioned about the sequence any where in challenge though. I wonder why,

How i improve my code to pass other tests too.
Please advise

how to solve usinjg simple for loop and if condition rather than foreach loop. please advise

as they are sometimes interchangeable and sometimes they are not,

Can you please advise when they are not interchangeable?

public boolean array123(int[] nums) {
  for (int j = 0; j < nums.length - 2; j++) {
    if (nums[j]==1 && nums[j+1]==2 && nums[j+2]==3) {
      return true;
    } else {
    return false;
    }
  }
}

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when i ran above code getting below error in the site
Compile problems:


Error:      public boolean array123(int[] nums) {
                     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This method must return a result of type boolean

Possible problem: the if-statement structure may theoretically
allow a run to reach the end of the method without calling return.
Consider adding a last line in the method return some_value;
so a value is always returned.

public boolean array123(int[] nums) {
  for (int j = 0; j < nums.length - 2; j++) {
    if (nums[j]==1 && nums[j+1]==2 && nums[j+2]==3) {
      return true;
    } 
  }
  return false;
}

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All tests passed when i ran as above

when they are not interchangeable?

Within a loop like
  for (int j = 0; j < nums.length - 2; j++) {
You can use j refer to an index into nums
Within a loop with
  for(int num : nums){
you can use num to refer to an element of nums

With a for(initialization; termination; increment) loop structure, you can change the initialization, the termination, and the increment.
If you want to change some of those things, this form may be preferable.
If you do not want to change those things, using the other form can help avoid mistakenly changing them.

If you do not want to change those things, using the other form can help avoid mistakenly changing them.

can you please elaborate on this

I believe what ozo is trying to tell you is that with the example loop -
for (int j = 0; j < nums.length - 2; j++)
You don't have to start at index 0, you don't have to stop at any particular event, and you can increment (or decrement) by something other than one. With a for-each loop like (for (int num : nums), you are going to loop through every num that belongs in the group (array) of nums. You can't start or stop in the middle and you can't skip members of the group, but sometimes that's precisely what you want to occur and this format insures that. Note that is also insures no indexOutOfBounds exceptions.

Note that is also insures no indexOutOfBounds exceptions.

I love this as i got it so many times :)