Thread: Very basic program - In need of help

Em... No?

Your intentions are noble, but still this isn't RENT-A-CODER, most
people don't have the time to write programs for others. What
we would do however, is if you made an attempt at this, or if
you have specific questions about how to proceed, we could help.
The best way to learn is from your mistakes, but if you need some
sample code to get you learning something, then try the local
tutorials here. Other than that, there's not much anybody will do
for you.

One tip though, do you want to fill the seats in each section
sequentially (as in 1 through to 5) or randomly? You will need
the rand function to make random selections, but bear in mind
you would have to check for repititions. Here's a link on rand()
Personally I'd do it sequentially first, but then develop it and do it
randomly for extra experience and challenge - the choice is yours.

Code:

int smokingSeatIsOccupied[5] = { 0 };
int nonsmokingSeatIsOccupied[5] = { 0 };

Write some code to search (using say a for loop) to determine if a seat is occupied.

Post what you can manage from these hints...

I think that it's good you tried and came back - however this is a
pretty basic program so rather than give you the answers I'll
point you in the direction of what you will need to know and how
to structure the program and teach yourself how to do it.

Here goes - all links taken from the tutorials at this site:

If Statements - study these in detail
Loops - particularly the for loop - useful with arrays
Functions - learn about passing arguments and returning values

If you read the above articles, you should learn some skills which
will help you in the program.

Here's what you need your program to do:

1) Program starts - should ask the user to enter a choice - 1 for
smoking, 2 for non - smoking
2) pass this choice to a function. Use an if statement to
decide which part of the plane you want to look at
3) having done the above, use a for loop to print out details of
the seats occupied - use an if statement to check if each element
(seat) in you array is set to 0 - if it is, print out that it is free -
if not, print out that it is booked
4) Now the user should be given a choice to book a seat - they
enter a number to indicate their choice
5) pass this number to a function - this function should use an
if statement to check if that seat is free (has a 0 stored at that
element) or is booked (has a 1, or some other value stored
at that element). If it is free - set it to 1 - if not, print that the
seat has been booked.

That is basically the task you have set for yourself, with all the
main steps flagged - what you have done is similar to steps
1 - 3, but they can be done with a better approach by leaving
the program doing the work using loops - also it can be achieved
using 1 function as opposed to your current approach using 2.
(HINT passing the choice to a function that can print out details
for both sections of the plane)

Just take it all one step at a time - If statements are very much
the key to doing a program like this IMO. Take it slow and
come back if you run into problems

Originally Posted by Richie T

I think that it's good you tried and came back - however this is a
pretty basic program so rather than give you the answers I'll
point you in the direction of what you will need to know and how
to structure the program and teach yourself how to do it.

Here goes - all links taken from the tutorials at this site:

If Statements - study these in detail
Loops - particularly the for loop - useful with arrays
Functions - learn about passing arguments and returning values

If you read the above articles, you should learn some skills which
will help you in the program.

Here's what you need your program to do:

1) Program starts - should ask the user to enter a choice - 1 for
smoking, 2 for non - smoking
2) pass this choice to a function. Use an if statement to
decide which part of the plane you want to look at
3) having done the above, use a for loop to print out details of
the seats occupied - use an if statement to check if each element
(seat) in you array is set to 0 - if it is, print out that it is free -
if not, print out that it is booked
4) Now the user should be given a choice to book a seat - they
enter a number to indicate their choice
5) pass this number to a function - this function should use an
if statement to check if that seat is free (has a 0 stored at that
element) or is booked (has a 1, or some other value stored
at that element). If it is free - set it to 1 - if not, print that the
seat has been booked.

That is basically the task you have set for yourself, with all the
main steps flagged - what you have done is similar to steps
1 - 3, but they can be done with a better approach by leaving
the program doing the work using loops - also it can be achieved
using 1 function as opposed to your current approach using 2.
(HINT passing the choice to a function that can print out details
for both sections of the plane)

Just take it all one step at a time - If statements are very much
the key to doing a program like this IMO. Take it slow and
come back if you run into problems

Thanks so much for your reply, I appericate it very much.

Your 5 steps make a lot of sense but I am finding it hard to even set up an if statement (because I used a switch statement)
I am getting really frustrated and stressed over this program, I have read the links you gave me but I cannot implement it into my program. My understanding of C is poor and all I am doing at the moment is stressing out.

Obviously I need some sort of loop in my first function but I am not sure how I would implement a loop in a function. I dont know what sort of loop I need, or what my loop would say or where I would put the loop.

Richie, do you have MSN Messenger? This may sound stupid but could you talk to me on there? At least that is live and it is much better than speaking over the forum. You understand what I have to do but I just cant write the code for it, I keep getting errors and I am confused with what part of my code to keep and what to delete.

This may be asking too much but could you talk to me on MSN Messenger sometime and we make the program together? You help me write the code and explain it to me line by line, then I can understand it. This is the best way I learn. I learnt photoshop from a mate who explained it peice by peice. I'm sure it wont take long as this is a simple program to make.

My MSN email is <<snipped>>

Thanks

My understanding of C is poor

Then you should consider stepping back a notch and get to know C better first.

My MSN email is gohan2091 at hotmail dot com

... and the spambots will pick it up in 27 minutes, 46 seconds from now. We have forums. Nobody is gonna add you. Honest.



Nobody is gonna write the code for you. No matter how nicely you phrase it. No matter how much you convince us you've "tried". It's your code, write it yourself.

Instead of trying to get other to do it for you, you'll have more luck if you put forth an effort, however feeble you feel it might be, and post your code here.

We're more than willing to disect what you come up with, but no one here is going to do it for you....