java string challenge issue

What is the purpose of the test on line 5?

I am realizing line 5 is not needed based on above comments.

public String nonStart(String a, String b) {
  String result="";
  String aFirst=null;
  String bFirst=null;
  
  if(a.length()>1) result=a.substring(1,a.length());
  if(b.length()>1) result+=b.substring(1,b.length());
  
  return result;
}

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In the above code I see aFirst and bFirst are declared as null where as result is empty string within double quotes. I wonder why it is different in case of result?
  String result="";
  String aFirst=null;
  String bFirst=null;

when i write as below by defining aFirst and bFirst as "" similar to result all tests passed.

public String nonStart(String a, String b) {
  String result="";
  String aFirst="";
  String bFirst="";
 
  if(a.length()>1) result=a.substring(1,a.length());
  if(b.length()>1) result+=b.substring(1,b.length());
 
  return result;
}

when i wrote all three variables as null as below then few test cases failied

public String nonStart(String a, String b) {
  String result=null;
  String aFirst=null;
  String bFirst=null;
  
  if(a.length()>1) result=a.substring(1,a.length());
  if(b.length()>1) result+=b.substring(1,b.length());
  
  return result;
}

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test case results

Expected	Run		
nonStart("Hello", "There") → "ellohere"	"ellohere"	OK	    
nonStart("java", "code") → "avaode"	"avaode"	OK	    
nonStart("shotl", "java") → "hotlava"	"hotlava"	OK	    
nonStart("ab", "xy") → "by"	"by"	OK	    
nonStart("ab", "x") → "b"	"b"	OK	    
nonStart("x", "ac") → "c"	"nullc"	X	    
nonStart("a", "x") → ""	"null"	X	    
nonStart("kit", "kat") → "itat"	"itat"	OK	    
nonStart("mart", "dart") → "artart"	"artart"	OK	    
other tests
OK	  

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You still need to initialize result to an empty string at some point, since one of the conditions is an empty string rather than null: nonStart("a", "x") → "";

public String nonStart(String a, String b) {
  String result=null;
  String aFirst=null;
  String bFirst=null;
  
  if(a.length()>1) {
    result=a.substring(1,a.length());
  } else {
    result = "";
  }
  
  if(b.length()>1) result+=b.substring(1,b.length());

  
  return result;

}

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public String nonStart(String a, String b) {
  String result=null;
  String aFirst=null;
  String bFirst=null;
  
  if(a.length()>1) {
  result=a.substring(1,a.length());
  }
  else{
  
  return "";
  }
  if(b.length()>1) {
  result+=b.substring(1,b.length());
  }
 
  return result;
}

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i wrote as above still failing one test cases as below. please advise

Expected	Run		
nonStart("Hello", "There") → "ellohere"	"ellohere"	OK	    
nonStart("java", "code") → "avaode"	"avaode"	OK	    
nonStart("shotl", "java") → "hotlava"	"hotlava"	OK	    
nonStart("ab", "xy") → "by"	"by"	OK	    
nonStart("ab", "x") → "b"	"b"	OK	    
nonStart("x", "ac") → "c"	""	X	    
nonStart("a", "x") → ""	""	OK	    
nonStart("kit", "kat") → "itat"	"itat"	OK	    
nonStart("mart", "dart") → "artart"	"artart"	OK	    
other tests
OK	    

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awking00: Did you actually try that?

gudii9: Do yo see the difference between  return ""; and result = "";?

No. Both looks same to me

They don't look the same to java
nonStart("x", "ac") → "c"      ""      X      
nonStart("x", "ac") → "c"      "c"      OK

I still do not see the difference what java is seeing. when i run as below

public class Test31 {

      /**
       * @param args
       */
      public static void main(String[] args) {
            // TODO Auto-generated method stub
            String str1=nonStart("x", "ac");    
            String str2=nonStart("x", "ac");
            System.out.println("str1 is"+str1);
            System.out.println("str2 is"+str2);

      }
      
      public static String nonStart(String a, String b) {
              String result=null;
              String aFirst=null;
              String bFirst=null;
             
              if(a.length()>1) {
              result=a.substring(1,a.length());
              }
              else{
             
              return "";
              }
              if(b.length()>1) {
              result+=b.substring(1,b.length());
              }
             
              return result;
            }


}

i got output as below
str1 is
str2 is   //here i expected to see "c" as per your above comment but failed to see that and got same output as above line

Does it mean eclipse also thinking like me not the java way?
Please advise

guidii9
The method nonStart(String a, String b) is going to return the same value every time, as it should, no matter how many variables you assign it to. In your example, you're passing in values of "x" and "ac" and assigning the return value to two variables, str1 and str2. In your method, the first if statement says "if the length of String a (i.e. "x") is greater than 1 then return a.substring(1, a.length()) and, if not return "" (i.e. an empty string). Since the length of "x" is not greater than 1, it returns the empty string. Once your method returns a value, it is done and doesn't evaluate any expressions that follow. Therefore, any time the first parameter has a length of 1, it will always return the empty string.

ozo,
Yes, I did but without the copy and paste error :-) It was supposed to be -
public String nonStart(String a, String b) {
if (a.length() == 1 && b.length() > 1) {
 return b.substring(1,b.length())
{ else if (a.length() > 1 && b.length() == 1) {
 return a.substring(1,a.length())
} else if (a.length() > 1 && b.length() > 1) {
 return a.substring(1,a.length()) + b.substring(1,b.length())
}
return null;
}

public class Test31 {

	/**
	 * @param args
	 */
	public static void main(String[] args) {
		// TODO Auto-generated method stub
		String str1 = nonStart("x", "ac");
		String str2 = nonStart("x", "ac");
		System.out.println("str1 is" + str1);
		System.out.println("str2 is" + str2);

	}

	public static String nonStart(String a, String b) {
		if (a.length() == 1 && b.length() > 1) {
			
		}
		 return b.substring(1,b.length())
		{ else if (a.length() > 1 && b.length() == 1) {
		 return a.substring(1,a.length())
		} else if (a.length() > 1 && b.length() > 1) {
		 return a.substring(1,a.length()) + b.substring(1,b.length())
		}
		return null;
		}
}
}

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above giving error as
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.Error: Unresolved compilation problem:

      at Test31.main(Test31.java:7)


please advise

Test31.java:19: ';' expected
		 return b.substring(1,b.length())
		                                 ^
Test31.java:20: 'else' without 'if'
		{ else if (a.length() > 1 && b.length() == 1) {
		  ^
Test31.java:21: ';' expected
		 return a.substring(1,a.length())
		                                 ^
Test31.java:23: ';' expected
		 return a.substring(1,a.length()) + b.substring(1,b.length())
		                                                             ^

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public static String nonStart(String a, String b) {
            if (a.length() == 1 && b.length() > 1) {
           Nothing is being done within the curly brackets      
            } => This closing bracket needs to be moved to before the next else if section replacing the opening bracket that exists there now, see below remove this bracket statement

             return b.substring(1,b.length())
remove this bracket =>{ else if (a.length() > 1 && b.length() == 1) {
             return a.substring(1,a.length())
            } else if (a.length() > 1 && b.length() > 1) {
             return a.substring(1,a.length()) + b.substring(1,b.length())
            }
            return null;
            }

public class Test31 {

	/**
	 * @param args
	 */
	public static void main(String[] args) {
		// TODO Auto-generated method stub
		String str1 = nonStart("x", "ac");
		String str2 = nonStart("x", "ac");
		System.out.println("str1 is" + str1);
		System.out.println("str2 is" + str2);

	}

	public static String nonStart(String a, String b) {
		if (a.length() == 1 && b.length() > 1) {

		 return b.substring(1,b.length());
		}
		
		else if (a.length() > 1 && b.length() == 1) {
		 return a.substring(1,a.length());
		} 
		
		else if (a.length() > 1 && b.length() > 1) {
		 return a.substring(1,a.length()) + b.substring(1,b.length());
		}
		
		return null;
		}
	
}
}

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when i changed i got output
str1 isc
str2 isc

Seems now program is happy

public String nonStart(String a, String b) {
		if (a.length() == 1 && b.length() > 1) {

		 return b.substring(1,b.length());
		}
		
		else if (a.length() > 1 && b.length() == 1) {
		 return a.substring(1,a.length());
		} 
		
		else if (a.length() > 1 && b.length() > 1) {
		 return a.substring(1,a.length()) + b.substring(1,b.length());
		}
		
		return null;
		
	

}

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still i am failing one

Expected	Run		
nonStart("Hello", "There") → "ellohere"	"ellohere"	OK	    
nonStart("java", "code") → "avaode"	"avaode"	OK	    
nonStart("shotl", "java") → "hotlava"	"hotlava"	OK	    
nonStart("ab", "xy") → "by"	"by"	OK	    
nonStart("ab", "x") → "b"	"b"	OK	    
nonStart("x", "ac") → "c"	"c"	OK	    
nonStart("a", "x") → ""	"null"	X	    
nonStart("kit", "kat") → "itat"	"itat"	OK	    
nonStart("mart", "dart") → "artart"	"artart"	OK	    
other tests
OK	   

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please advise

You are returning "null" when you want to return ""

And you have  4 separate cases where you only need 1

public String nonStart(String a, String b) {
		
		 return a.substring(1) + b.substring(1);
		
		
	

}

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above one works with one line

public String nonStart(String a, String b) {
		if (a.length() == 1 && b.length() > 1) {

		 return b.substring(1,b.length());
		}
		
		else if (a.length() > 1 && b.length() == 1) {
		 return a.substring(1,a.length());
		} 
		
		else if (a.length() > 1 && b.length() > 1) {
		 return a.substring(1,a.length()) + b.substring(1,b.length());
		}
		
		return "";
		
	

}

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above code passed all tests

public String nonStart(String a, String b) {
		if (a.length() == 1 && b.length() > 1) {

		 return b.substring(1,b.length());
		}
		
		else if (a.length() > 1 && b.length() == 1) {
		 return a.substring(1,a.length());
		} 
		
		else if (a.length() > 1 && b.length() > 1) {
		 return a.substring(1,a.length()) + b.substring(1,b.length());
		}
		

                if (a.length() == 1 && b.length()== 1) {
		return "";
		}

	return null;

}

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above also passed all test cases

They don't look the same to java
nonStart("x", "ac") → "c"      ""      X      
nonStart("x", "ac") → "c"      "c"      OK

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i did not get above point.

when i ran my java program as below by passing above two arguments in both lines,
 i get same output as below


str1 is-->c
str2 is-->c


Can you please advise on what you mean by

They don't look the same to java

My comment in http:#a40441686 was in response to the "No. Both looks same to me" in http:#a40441458
because the code in http:#a40441216 results in
  nonStart("x", "ac") → "c"      ""      X  
when tested, but changing  the
  return "";
in line 11 to
  result= "";
would result in
  nonStart("x", "ac") → "c"      "c"      OK
like the code in http:#a40440736

Thus the difference between  return ""; and result = "";
causes the difference between
nonStart("x", "ac") → "c"      ""      X  
and    
nonStart("x", "ac") → "c"      "c"      OK

Thus the difference between  return ""; and result = "";

so one is result other is return which is being assigned to "" which are completely two different things.
I thought difference is with some space or with double quote etc

public String nonStart(String a, String b) {
  String result=null;
  String aFirst=null;
  String bFirst=null;
  
  if(a.length()>1) {
  result=a.substring(1,a.length());
  }
  else{
  
  return "";
  }
  if(b.length()>1) {
  result+=b.substring(1,b.length());
  }
 
  return result;
}

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above is wrong and  below is correct

public String nonStart(String a, String b) {
  String result=null;
  String aFirst=null;
  String bFirst=null;
  
  if(a.length()>1) {
    result=a.substring(1,a.length());
  } else {
    result = "";
  }
  
  if(b.length()>1) result+=b.substring(1,b.length());

  
  return result;

}

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i see mistake clear and loud now.
Since i am returning result from my method in the else i should assign result ="" not return ""

More to the point, since result may yet need to be modified in line 12, you don't want to return before that has a chance to happen.

More to the point, since result may yet need to be modified in line 12, you don't want to return before that has a chance to happen.

if a length is 1 then i have to return "" right before even reaching line 12

public String nonStart(String a, String b) {
  String result=null;
  String aFirst=null;
  String bFirst=null;
 
  if(a.length()>1) {
    result=a.substring(1,a.length());
  } else {
    result = "";
  }
 
  if(b.length()>1)
  {
  result+=b.substring(1,b.length());

  }
  else {
    result = "";
  }
  return result;

}



when i modified code one test case failed

Expected	Run		
nonStart("Hello", "There") → "ellohere"	"ellohere"	OK	    
nonStart("java", "code") → "avaode"	"avaode"	OK	    
nonStart("shotl", "java") → "hotlava"	"hotlava"	OK	    
nonStart("ab", "xy") → "by"	"by"	OK	    
nonStart("ab", "x") → "b"	""	X	    
nonStart("x", "ac") → "c"	"c"	OK	    
nonStart("a", "x") → ""	""	OK	    
nonStart("kit", "kat") → "itat"	"itat"	OK	    
nonStart("mart", "dart") → "artart"	"artart"	OK	    
other tests
X	    

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i wonder why.(all i did was put else loop for b also)
when i say >= all are passing.
  if(b.length()>=1)
  {
  result+=b.substring(1,b.length());

But i never put in a condition check like that.

if a length is 1 then i have to return ""

not if b.length()>1

else for b

can destroy the result that you got from a

Why not forget about "result"? You have variables aFirst and bFirst declared, use them to evaluate your strings a and b seperately since that's what you're doing anyway.
if(a.length()>1) {
aFirst=a.substring(1);  ==> Note - the substring method only needs a begin index to get the rest of the string
  } else {aFirst = "";}
if(b.length()>1) {
bFirst=b.substring(1);
  } else {bFirst = "";}
return aFirst + bFirst;
}

So what this says in layman's terms is if str a is 1 character make the first part an empty string otherwise make if the substring of a starting at the second character, then it does the same thing for str b and returns their concatenation.

public String nonStart(String a, String b) {
  
  String aFirst="";
  String bFirst="";
  
  if(a.length()>1) {
    aFirst=a.substring(1,a.length());
  } else {
    aFirst= "";
  }
  
  if(b.length()>1){ 
  bFirst=b.substring(1,b.length());}
  else {
    bFirst= "";
  }

  
  return aFirst+bFirst;

}

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I wrote as above. I passed all tests. So this updated code looks good right?

i see first if else to check aString is greater than 1 or not.  (if yes do substring on it and assign to it if no assign to ""..but i already have to assign to "" at the top)

second if else to check aString is greater than 1 or not. (if yes do substring on it and assign to it if no assign to ""..but i already have to assign to "" at the top)

Do you suggest instead as below

public String nonStart(String a, String b) {
  
  String bFirst="";
  String bFirst="";
  
  if(a.length()>1) {
    aFirst=a.substring(1,a.length());
  } else {
    aFirst=aFirst ;
  }
  
  if(b.length()>1){ 
  bFirst=b.substring(1,b.length());}
  else {
    bFirst= bFirst;
  }

  
  return aFirst+bFirst;

}

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but above code giving error as

Compile problems:


Error:      String bFirst="";
             ^^^^^^
Duplicate local variable bFirst


see Example Code to help with compile problems

please advise

On the former example, I might test >=1 instead of >1,
which would then become unnecessary since the challenge stipulates that "The strings will be at least length 1."

On the latter example, I might change one of
  String bFirst="";
  String bFirst="";
to aFirst

I might also eliminate the noop of
   bFirst= bFirst;

>>Error:      String bFirst="";
             ^^^^^^
Duplicate local variable bFirst<<

This is because of what I've been telling you about String objects being immutable. Once you have assigned bFirst the value of an empty string (""), it can not be changed (the same for aFirst), so you can not later modfify it to b.substring(1). You need to initialize the variables aFirst and bFirst to null and not to "".

You need to initialize the variables aFirst and bFirst to null and not to "".

In the context of this challenge, that is untrue.

public String nonStart(String a, String b) {
  
  String aFirst="";
  String bFirst="";
  
  if(a.length()>1) {
    aFirst=a.substring(1,a.length());
  } else {
    aFirst="" ;
  }
  
  if(b.length()>1){ 
  bFirst=b.substring(1,b.length());}
  else {
    bFirst= "";
  }

  
  return aFirst+bFirst;

}

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i initialized aFirst and bFirst both to "" and all test cases passed.

public String nonStart(String a, String b) {
  
  String aFirst=null;
  String bFirst=null;
  
  if(a.length()>1) {
    aFirst=a.substring(1,a.length());
  } else {
    aFirst="" ;
  }
  
  if(b.length()>1){ 
  bFirst=b.substring(1,b.length());}
  else {
    bFirst= "";
  }

  
  return aFirst+bFirst;

}

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I also tried initializing aFirst and bFirst to null as above. Even then all then all test cases passed. Which approach is preferred.

Between those two choices, I think I'd prefer the one that would have worked even if it had been used with the code in http:#a40469798

so initializing as below is better

 String aFirst="";
  String bFirst="";

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compared to initializing as below right

 String aFirst=null;
  String bFirst=null;

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Please advise

Initializing String aFirst=""; would make aFirst="" ; in line 9 unnecessary.

On the other hand, imposing extra conditions on your code can be a way of checking for errors.

Initializing String aFirst=""; would make aFirst="" ; in line 9 unnecessary

so i should write as below? But it seems not working as below

public String nonStart(String a, String b) {
  
  String aFirst="";
  String bFirst="";
  
  if(a.length()>1) {
    aFirst=a.substring(1,a.length());
  } else {
    aFirst ;
  }
  
  if(b.length()>1){ 
  bFirst=b.substring(1,b.length());}
  else {
    bFirst;
  }

  
  return aFirst+bFirst;

}

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Since you already set the values of aFirst and bFirst to "", the only time you want something different is when the length is > 1, so you don't need the else statements.
String aFirst="";
String bFirst="";
 
  if(a.length()>1) {
    aFirst=a.substring(1,a.length());
  }
  if(b.length()>1){
  bFirst=b.substring(1,b.length());
}
 
  return aFirst+bFirst;
}

Since you already set the values of aFirst and bFirst to "",

 return aFirst+bFirst;

i thought it should add "" and "" and give "  "(one space and other space should add up two spaces right.

I see output as empty string only

nonStart("a", "x") → ""	""	OK	   

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please advise