Converting an algorythm into Code

[whitep8]

Hi all,

Im very new to java and getting there slowly.

Im working on basic class functions. Im totally fine with get and set, storing objects into an array and recalling them, but im totally stuck with the following:

declare and set max (using cd[0].getCost())
declare and set maxIndex
for each remaining CD
If CD cost is bigger than max
Set max to bigger value
Set maxIndex
output result

my code so far is (And thanks for any help)

class CDDriver
{
 
    public static void main(String args[])
    {
 
 
                CD[] cdList = new CD[10];
 
                cdList[0] = new CD("Kaiser "," up the khazi ", 9.99);
        cdList[1] = new CD("Oasis "," morning glory ",3.99);
        cdList[2] = new CD("Bob Dylan "," Alreet Sunna ",6.99);
 
 
 
 
        System.out.println("Artist \t\tTitle\t\tCost");
        System.out.println("====================================");
 
                for (int i = 0; i < cdList.length; i++)
                System.out.println(cdList[i].getArtist() + " " + cdList[i].getTitle() + " " + cdList[i].getCost());
               // System.out.println(cd1.getArtist() + " " + cd1.getTitle() + " " + cd1.getCost());
                //System.out.println(cd2.getArtist() + " " + cd2.getTitle() + " " + cd2.getCost());
               // System.out.println(cd3.getArtist() + " " + cd3.getTitle() + " " + cd3.getCost());
 
 
 
    }
}
 

[r035198x]

How would you do it "manually"? Imagine looking at a rack of CDs in the shop CDs 'ur us (close to that darn cafe with the fat waiters ...). You want to buy the most expensive CD on that particular rack. How would you do it?

Start from the first CD in the rack, note its price (getCost()) ... <you are supposed to continue the rest of the story here>

[whitep8]

can I just say thank you very much. I was thinking of it lke "show my the highest price", which is the stupid human way to think of it........

This is what i came up with, which works. Can it be improved?

  // set an integer for the highest price
                      double maxPrice = 0;
 
                        //loop through all records (the cdLists length) and increment by 1
                      for (int i=0; i<cdList.length; i++)
 
                          // if the items price which is being checked is higher than the 
                          //current value of maxPrice, 
                          if (cdList[i].getCost()>maxPrice)
 
                                //replace its value with that cds price
                          maxPrice = cdList[i].getCost();
 
                      // display max price to the screen
                      System.out.println("The highest price is: " + maxPrice);
 

[r035198x]

Looks OK, assuming all prices are greater than 0 (a reasonable assumption). Without that restriction you would initially assign maxPrice to be the price of the first CD in the list.