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I have been given this question, in my computer science class, and I cannot figure out how to answer it. Question:

•Create a procedure called tossCoins with one integer parameter - numTosses

•Inside your tossCoins procedure, call your tossCoin function from challenge #5 numTosses times. So for example if we enter tossCoins(50), the tossCoin function will be called 50 times.

•Your tossCoins procedures should then print out the number of times that the coin landed on heads and the number of times the coin landed on tails

•Extend your main program, so that the user can choose how many times to toss the coin

I have already created the tossCoin function, but cannot figure out how to run it the amount of times the user asks, or how to create a tally of heads and tails. This is the code I have so far:

    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        Random rnd = new Random();

        Console.WriteLine(tossCoin(rnd));

        Console.Write("Please enter a number: ");
        int numTosses = Convert.ToInt16(Console.ReadLine());

        Console.ReadLine();
    }

    static string tossCoin(Random rnd)
    {
        int num = rnd.Next(1, 3);

        string heads = "Heads";
        string tails = "Tails";

        if(num == 1)
        {
            return heads;
        }
        else
        {
            return tails;
        }
    }

    static void tossCoins(int numTosses)
    {
        int headsTally = 0;
        int tailsTally = 0;

        for(int i = 0; i < numTosses; i++)
        {
            string outcome = tossCoin(rnd);
            numTosses--;
            if(outcome == heads)
            {
                headsTally++;
            }
            else
            {
                tailsTally++;
            }
        }
    }
}

If anyone can help, it would be great, as I am trying to learn the different rules of using functions, and procedures. Thanks, Leighton.

Leighton Blackburn
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  • `numTosses--;` this line should be deleted. Your for loop is keeping count for you (hint: the `i++` part). `if(outcome == heads)` this line shouldn't compile. outcome is a string and `heads` isn't defined in the scope of `tossCoins`. Lastly, you should think about what your `tossCoins` should return, probably should be something (not void) – Tommy Nov 13 '15 at 23:55
  • Thanks, this has really helped. I am having a problem though. in my for loop, when I call the function tossCoin(rnd), for some reason, the rnd is underlined, and produces an error, "The name "rnd" does not exist in current context". Why am I getting this error? Thanks. – Leighton Blackburn Nov 14 '15 at 00:03
  • Because your random variable is not in scope. It is declared in your main function, not tossCoins. Perhaps look into either passing the random to your tossCoins function or look into global variables :) – Tommy Nov 14 '15 at 01:18

1 Answers1

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A couple things, first it looks like you've almost got it. You just need to call your tossCoins() function in your main method. Second, you don't need to decrement numTosses in your for loop, ie. remove the line numTosses--;

EDIT: as Tommy said, the statement outcome == heads wont compile since heads isn't defined. Either replace heads with "Heads" or define it earlier in the function. And yea you might want to return/print the result.

Callback Kid
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