oop-2 naturallanguagemultiply

For this assignment are we required to check whether the user gives a funny number like two-twenty or fifty-fifty?
Thanks,
Pauline

Nope.
By the way when I run the instructors solution with two-twenty fifty-fifty as input the result is 2200

[This message has been edited by Johannes de Jong (edited August 23, 2001).]

Pauline,
You can do it anyhow. (It only takes a couple of lines of code.)

Thanks. I'd gotten this to work with those funny numbers too, but I think I'll have a try at preventing it.
In that case, is this something that should be treated like an exception?
Pauline

Originally posted by Pauline McNamara:
I'd gotten this to work with those funny numbers too, but I think I'll have a try at preventing it.

My first version of preventing "seven-eleven" and suchlike was pretty ugly. But the revised version I submitted for nitpicking turned out to be quite clean and readable.

In that case, is this something that should be treated like an exception?

Tough call. Part of this assignment is about learning to use exceptions. I did the checking for funny numbers and threw an exception. But my passing version of the assignment ended up using exceptions in a manner that was a bit different from the instructor's solution. I'm still debating the plusses and minusses of the approach I took.
Regardless, I thought this assignment was a lot of fun. That's why I went ahead and did the extra validation bit.
Actually, I'd be interested trading code with anybody else who's passed this assignment with a solution that prevents the funny numbers. I'd like to see what other versions got the nitpicker's OK.

Originally posted by Michael Matola:
My first version of preventing "seven-eleven" and suchlike was pretty ugly. But the revised version I submitted for nitpicking turned out to be quite clean and readable.

In my first version I was testing for 5 different special cases to prevent. The revised version only had 3 special cases to prevent.

now I think I will definitely have to play with this.

Actually, I'd be interested trading code with anybody else who's passed this assignment with a solution that prevents the funny numbers. I'd like to see what other versions got the nitpicker's OK.

Are you patient?

I have a feeling it will take few rounds before all the nits are cleaned from my attempts, but it'd be fun to see how you solved it too.
Cheers,
Pauline

I prefer to find any way to test for range besides exception handling. It makes your code much more readable.

Does the instructors solution return anything for two-twenty and fifty-fifty-two?

The important thing is that all of the requirements for the assignment are met. There is no requirement to disallow bogus data - just a requirement about reporting stuff that is not understood.

Originally posted by Marilyn deQueiroz:
There is no requirement to disallow bogus data - just a requirement about reporting stuff that is not understood.

In that case I'll submit without that validation check - it's pretty clear that Marilyn doesn't need yet more work.

It was fun to play with anyhow.
Pauline