Finding absolute value with if statement

Question

I have 2 int variables which the user needs to enter, and I need to find the absolute value of their difference, is there a way to do it on the same principle I have started in this code?

    Scanner scn = new Scanner(System.in);

    int yourfloor, elefloor, desfloor;`enter code here`
    System.out.println("Please enter your current floor");
    yourfloor = scn.nextInt();
    System.out.println("Please enter the elevator current floor(before inviting)");
    elefloor = scn.nextInt();
    System.out.println("Please enter your destination floor");
    desfloor = scn.nextInt();

    int getTime = yourfloor - elefloor;
    if (getTime<0);
    {getTime*(-1)};

Seems your code has an unwanted semicolon here , `if (getTime<0); ` , other than that, what issues you face with your code? — Sabir Khan, Dec 20 '15 at 08:14

score 0 · Accepted Answer · edited Dec 20 '15 at 08:19

0

How about the ternary operator?

//ASSIGNMENT   CONDITION             ? WHAT IF TRUE           : WHAT IF FALSE
int getTime = (yourfloor > elefloor) ? (yourfloor - elefloor) : (elefloor-yourfloor);

Or by changing your code to work:

int getTime = yourfloor - elefloor;
if (getTime<0) {
   getTime *= -1;
}

The ; at the end of your if completed the if statement - so the *(-1) was always executed. In addition, you need to use *= instead of *, because if you just multiply it, it will not do anything with the result, whereas *= is short for: getTime = getTime * -1, which will assign it back to getTime.

Or of cause you could use Math.abs()...

edited Dec 20 '15 at 08:19

zpr

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answered Dec 20 '15 at 08:00

Jan

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Seems like a very convoluted way to get the absolute value, the ternary statement isn't too readable (parenthesis would help), but to a newbie would probably shy them away from using it. Not a natural need for the ternary operator. I think `Math.abs()` should be preferred, since he is asking specifically about absolute value. – zpr Dec 20 '15 at 08:08
Right. But this has the feel of an "assignment" like question - so probably Math isn't allowed. See my edit of "making it right". – Jan Dec 20 '15 at 08:09
And... check out the implementation of Math.abs: `return (a < 0) ? -a : a;` ternary operator all over again... – Jan Dec 20 '15 at 08:16

zpr · Answer 2 · 2015-12-20T08:04:53.170

-1

Try abs() which takes a number of any type as a parameter and returns the absolute value of it, in the same type.

abs(-3.1) == 3.1

So you could write:

int getTime = abs(yourfloor - elefloor);

edited Dec 20 '15 at 08:04

answered Dec 20 '15 at 07:56

zpr

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Finding absolute value with if statement

2 Answers2