Thread: Advancing day by day until it matches a second date

  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2009
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    4

    Advancing day by day until it matches a second date

    Hi, I need to write a function that advances a date one day at a time until it matches a second date. I coded everything else, just having problems with this part of the problem.

    One function is passed two dates and then a function within that function does the advancing one day at a time, keeping count along the way and then returning the number of days in between the two dates.

    Please help!! My trouble is with the functions difference and advance_date.

    Code:
    #include <iostream>
    using namespace std;
    
    class Date
    {
       public:
    	Date() {month=1; day=1; year=1900;}; 
    	  //default constructor; initializes the date to 1/1/1900
    	Date(int m, int d, int y); 
     	  //constructor; initializes the date that is entered in
    	void set_date(int m, int d, int y); 
    	  //allows the user to enter in the date
    	void display_date();
    	  //prints the date with the month in word format; i.e. 1/1/2000 will print out January 1, 2000
    	void advance_date();
    	  //advances the date by 1 day
    	int get_day();
    	  //returns the value of the invoking day
    	int get_month();
    	  //returns the value of the invoking month
    	int get_year();
    	  //returns the value of the invoking year
    	bool is_less_than(Date&);
    	  //returns true if the original invoking date is less than the one passed in, and false otherwise
    	bool is_equal(Date&);
    	  //returns true if the original invoking date is equal to the one passed in, and false otherwise
    
       private:
    	int month;
    	int day;
    	int year;
    };
    
    int difference(int earlier_day, int earlier_month, int earlier_year, int later_day, int later_month, int later_year,
                               Date date1, Date date2);
    
    int main()
    {
    	Date first_date;
    	Date second_date;
    	Date earlier_date;
    	Date later_date;
    	int month1, day1, year1, month2, day2, year2;
    	int m1, d1, y1, m2, d2, y2;
    	int days_apart;
    
    	cout << "Please enter a Date in the following format: xx/xx/xxxx\n";
    	month1 = first_date.get_month();
    	day1 = first_date.get_day();
    	year1 = first_date.get_year();
    	first_date.set_date(month1, day1, year1);
    
    	cout << "First Date is: ";
    	first_date.display_date();
    
    	cout << "Please enter a second Date in tbe following format: xx/xx/xxxx\n";
    	month2 = second_date.get_month();
    	day2 = second_date.get_day();
    	year2 = second_date.get_year();
    	second_date.set_date(month2, day2, year2);
    
    	cout << "Second Date is: ";
    	second_date.display_date();
    	
    	if (first_date.is_equal(second_date))
    	{
    	  cout << "The first date is the same as the second date.\n";
    	}
    	else if (first_date.is_less_than(second_date))
    	{
    	  earlier_date = first_date;
    	  later_date = second_date;
    	  cout << "The first date is earlier than the second date.\n";
    	  d1 = day1;
    	  m1 = month1;
    	  y1 = year1;
    	  d2 = day2;
    	  m2 = month2;
    	  y2 = year2;
    	}
    	else
    	{
    	  earlier_date = second_date;
    	  later_date = first_date;
    	  cout << "The first date is later than the second date.\n";
    	  d1 = day2;
    	  m1 = month2;
    	  y1 = year2;
    	  d2 = day1;
    	  m2 = month1;
    	  y2 = year1;
    	}
    
    	days_apart = difference(d1, m1, y1, d2, m2, y2, earlier_date, later_date);
    	cout << "The two days are " << days_apart << "days apart.\n";
    	
    	return 0;
    }
    
    int Date::get_month()
    {
    	char slash; //reads in the forward slash between mm/dd/yyyy
    	int month;
    	cin >> month >> slash;
    	return month;
    }
    
    int Date::get_day()
    {
    	char slash;
    	int day;
    	cin >> day >> slash;
    	return day;
    }
    
    int Date::get_year()
    {
    	int year;
    	cin >> year;
    	return year;
    }
    
    void Date::set_date(int m, int d, int y)
    {
    	month = m;
    	day = d;
    	year = y;
    	return;
    }
    
    void Date::display_date()
    {
    	switch(month)
    	{
    	  case 1: cout << "January ";
    	    break;
    	  case 2: cout << "February ";
    	    break;
    	  case 3: cout << "March ";
    	    break;
    	  case 4: cout << "April ";
    	    break;
    	  case 5: cout << "May ";
    	    break;
    	  case 6: cout << "June ";
    	    break;
    	  case 7: cout << "July ";
    	    break;
    	  case 8: cout << "August ";
    	    break;
    	  case 9: cout << "September ";
    	    break;
    	  case 10: cout << "October ";
    	    break;
    	  case 11: cout << "November ";
    	    break;
    	  case 12: cout << "December ";
    	    break;
    	}	
    	cout << day << ", " << year << endl;
    	return;
    }
    
    
    bool Date::is_equal(Date& second_date)
    {
    	if ((month == second_date.month) && (day == second_date.day) && (year == second_date.year))
    	  return true;
    	else
    	  return false;
    }
    
    bool Date::is_less_than(Date& second_date)
    {
    	if (year < second_date.year)
    	{
    	  return true;
    	}
    	else if (month < second_date.month)
    	{
    	  return true;
    	}
    	else if (day < second_date.day)
    	{
    	  return true;
    	}
    	else 
    	{ 
    	  return false;
    	}
    }
    
    int difference(int earlier_day, int earlier_month, int earlier_year, int later_day, int later_month, 
                              int later_year, Date date1, Date date2)
    {
    	int diff_days = 0;
    
    	while ((earlier_day != later_day) || (earlier_month != later_month) || (earlier_year != later_year))
    	{
    	  date1.advance_date();
    	  diff_days++;
    	}
    	return diff_days;
    }
    
    void Date::advance_date()
    {
    	int months[12];
    	int max_no_months = 12;
    	int days_in_month[12] = {31, 28, 31, 30, 31, 30, 31, 31, 30, 31, 30, 31};
    }

  2. #2
    and the Hat of Guessing tabstop's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    14,336
    I guess the biggest problem with your advance_date function is that it's missing.

    It might help to think of it odometer-style -- change the day, until it wraps around and then change the month, etc.

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