How do you count the amount of times a method is called?

Question

This is a very simple Java code and I want to write a code that counts how many times the step method is called. Essentially, this code will draw a blob and count how many "steps" the blob takes. If the step number is equal to the Max, then the blob will take a new dx/dy e.g. a new velocity.

The Blob class is not that important, so I didn't attach it. However, the PurposefulWanderer class is called by another class, specifically a GUI

I tried making a static variable called current and I increment it by one under the step method, but this isn't working. It still says that the current variable is still 0.

public class PurposefulWanderer extends Blob {
private int TOTAL;
private static int current = 0;

public PurposefulWanderer (double x, double y) {
    super (x, y);
    this.TOTAL = (int) (Math.random()*10)+10;

}

@Override
public void step() {
    ++current;
    // Choose a new step between -1 and +1 in each of x and y
    if (current == this.TOTAL) 
        dx = 2 * (Math.random()-0.5);
        dy = 2 * (Math.random()-0.5);
        x += dx;
        y += dy;
        current = 0

}

}

it is reset to 0 every time the method is called ;) thats why you should use curly braces :D — ItFreak, Jun 13 '19 at 12:51

Torben · Answer 1 · 2019-06-13T12:58:46.027

if (current == this.TOTAL) 
    dx = 2 * (Math.random()-0.5);
    dy = 2 * (Math.random()-0.5);
    x += dx;
    y += dy;
    current = 0

Your code lacks curly braces after the if-statement. The if-statement now applies only to the first line after it. Everything else is executed every time the method is called. Including the line that sets current to zero.

I guess you added the static qualifier there when trying to get this work? :) You can remove it now. It causes the variable to be shared with all instances of PurposefulWanderer, causing bugs when you have more than one.

How do you count the amount of times a method is called?

1 Answers1