Newbie question

I am very new to programming "infant new"
and I have a question about a return I am scratching my head over in a simple program I am writing

here is my code... shouldn't the return of my method be "true" after pressing enter and thus end the loop?

while (quit == false)
    def check_if_blank input
        if(input == '')
            quit = true
        else quit = false
        end
        quit
    end
    puts 'Enter a number'
    first = gets.chomp
    quit = check_if_blank first
    first_number.push first.to_i
       puts 'good..'
    puts 'now enter a number to multiply the first number by'
       second = gets.chomp
    quit = check_if_blank second
    second_number.push second.to_i
    answer.push first_number[(first_number.length) -1] * second_number[(second_number.length) -1]
       puts first_number[(first_number.length) -1].to_s + ' * ' + second_number[(second_number.length) -1].to_s + ' = ' + answer[(answer.length) -1].to_s
    if(first_number.length == 5)
        quit = true
    end end

I had to work to make your code run. Here's the deal. The while loop is
initialized and then it asks for their input. If their input is nothing,
then it goes through the rest of the code in the while loop, finishes the
while loop and then the value quit is checked again. at that point the
value quit == true, and so the loop ends. Does that make sense?

Also, if someone puts in a blank carriage return on the first one and then a
number on the second, the value continues to be false.

···

On 2/6/07, Vincent Gabriel Franco <vincent-franco@comcast.net> wrote:

I am very new to programming "infant new"
and I have a question about a return I am scratching my head over in a
simple program I am writing

here is my code... shouldn't the return of my method be "true" after
pressing enter and thus end the loop?

while (quit == false)
    def check_if_blank input
        if(input == '')
            quit = true
        else
            quit = false
        end
        quit
    end
    puts 'Enter a number'
    first = gets.chomp
    quit = check_if_blank first
    first_number.push first.to_i

    puts 'good..'
    puts 'now enter a number to multiply the first number by'

    second = gets.chomp
    quit = check_if_blank(second)
    second_number.push(second.to_i)
    answer.push first_number[(first_number.length) -1] *
second_number[(second_number.length) -1]

    puts first_number[(first_number.length) -1].to_s + ' * ' +
second_number[(second_number.length) -1].to_s + ' = ' +
answer[(answer.length) -1].to_s
    if(first_number.length == 5)
        quit = true
    end
end

Thank you Jason,
    That process had skipped my mind for some reason I thought just setting the variable to true would kill the loop.
this is my revised code.

My first program without just typing out an example from a book

here we go.

any suggestions on how to clean it up would be great.

···

----------------------------------------------------------------------

first_number = []
second_number = []
answer = []
quit = false

def check_if_blank input
    if(input == '')
        return true
    else return false
    end
end

while (quit == false)
    if(quit == false)
        puts 'Enter a number'
        first = gets.chomp
        first_test = check_if_blank first
            if(first_test == false)
                first_number.push first.to_i
            else
                quit = true
            end
    end
    if(first_test == false)
        puts '...good.'
        puts 'Now enter a number to multiply to the first number'
        second = gets.chomp
        second_test = check_if_blank second
            if(second_test == false)
                second_number.push second.to_i
                answer.push first_number[(first_number.length) -1] * second_number[(second_number.length) -1]
                puts first_number[(first_number.length) -1].to_s + ' * ' + second_number[(second_number.length) -1].to_s + ' = ' + answer[(answer.length) -1].to_s
            else
                quit = true

            end
    end
       if(second_number.length == 5)
        quit = true
    end end

if(second_test == false)
    finished = false
    amount_of_answers = 0
    puts
    puts 'okay now we are going to look at all the questions your asked and their respective answers'
        while(finished != true)
            if(amount_of_answers == first_number.length)
                finished = true
            else
                puts first_number[amount_of_answers].to_s + ' * ' + second_number[amount_of_answers].to_s + ' = ' + answer[amount_of_answers].to_s
                amount_of_answers += 1
            end
        end
end

-------------------------------------------------------------------

I had a little trouble understanding what your code is supposed to do,
but this code will keep asking you for numbers until you answer with
an empty response (just hit enter)

It shows the equations as you enter them, and then in the end gives
you a summary of the one's you've entered. It does not account for
all possible errors.

Look up String#empty, Array#<<, break, loop, and
Array#each_with_index to understand a bit better what's going on.

Welcome to Ruby. You might try out http://tryruby.hobix.com as well
as get acquainted with the documentation at http://ruby-doc.org

Glad to see you hacking, newbie or not :slight_smile:

firsts =
seconds =
answers =
loop do
  puts 'Enter a number'
  first = gets.chomp
  break if first.empty?
  firsts << first_number = first.to_i
  puts '...good.'
  puts 'Now enter a number to multiply to the first number'
  second = gets.chomp
  break if second.empty?
  seconds << second_number = second.to_i
  answers << answer = (first_number * second_number)
  puts "#{first_number} * #{second_number} = #{answer}"
end

puts 'okay now we are going to look at all the questions your asked'
answers.each_with_index do |c,i|
  puts "#{firsts[i]} * #{seconds[i]} = #{c}"
end

···

On 2/7/07, Vincent Gabriel Franco <vincent-franco@comcast.net> wrote:

Thank you Jason,
    That process had skipped my mind for some reason I thought just
setting the variable to true would kill the loop.
this is my revised code.

My first program without just typing out an example from a book

here we go.

any suggestions on how to clean it up would be great.

Thanks for the links Gregory!
    nice to have a warm welcome instead of a flame
hello world of ruby

Gregory Brown wrote:

···

I had a little trouble understanding what your code is supposed to do,
but this code will keep asking you for numbers until you answer with
an empty response (just hit enter)

It shows the equations as you enter them, and then in the end gives
you a summary of the one's you've entered. It does not account for
all possible errors.

Look up String#empty, Array#<<, break, loop, and
Array#each_with_index to understand a bit better what's going on.

Welcome to Ruby. You might try out http://tryruby.hobix.com as well
as get acquainted with the documentation at http://ruby-doc.org

Glad to see you hacking, newbie or not :slight_smile:

firsts =
seconds =
answers =
loop do
puts 'Enter a number'
first = gets.chomp
break if first.empty?
firsts << first_number = first.to_i
puts '...good.'
puts 'Now enter a number to multiply to the first number'
second = gets.chomp
break if second.empty?
seconds << second_number = second.to_i
answers << answer = (first_number * second_number)
puts "#{first_number} * #{second_number} = #{answer}"
end

puts 'okay now we are going to look at all the questions your asked'
answers.each_with_index do |c,i|
puts "#{firsts[i]} * #{seconds[i]} = #{c}"
end