Question about arrays?

[artistunknown]

Example 7.9 Calculate freight charges

Design an algorithm that will read an input weight for a item to be shipped., search an array of shipping weights and retrieve a corresponding freight charge. In this algorithm, two paired arrays, each containing six elements, have been established and initialized. The array 'shipping_weights' contains a range of shipping weights in grams, and the array 'freight_charges' contains the corresponding array of freight charges in dollars, as follows:

My question is this for shipping weights it has values

1-100
101-500
501-1000
1001-3000
3001-5000
5001-9999

How am I suppose to store these numbers in an array?
Or what am I suppose to store in the shipping weights array?
I just can't figure out what to do?
This problem isn't for class I just working on my own I have been in college in the past but I'm not now. this problem is from simple program design book

[artistunknown]

You know I got to thinking maybe a two dimensional array could work!

[Hodor]

I think that maybe using two arrays as per the question would be better than a 2-dimensional array.

For the first array you'd have an array of structs (the struct would represent the range and therefore have two values: the lower and upper values for the range).

The second array would be an array of floating point numbers which correspond with the freight charge in dollars.

I'm a bit confused because two arrays are not required. You could just have the range and freight charge all in one struct and have a single array with elements of that struct. Weird. If that question is verbatim from the book then it's certainly ambiguous enough to make me wonder what it's really asking...

[artistunknown]

Yeah it's exactly from the book
I don't know a thing about structures
but you would suggest using a structure. I guess Thanks I guess I got some reading to do I don't want anyone to do the problem for me I'm hoping this gives me enough insight to work on the problem I'll post later if I solved the problem or not I don't think its hard at all so I mean I have a little bit experience I wonder how I could even use two arrays how do you store 2 values in one array I mean that's why I suggested a 2 dimensional array I mean the chapter is on arrays not structures so that might be cheating Plus its suggesting a paired or aka parallel array not a 2 dimensional array like I suggested

[artistunknown]

do you think it means actually use three arrays one for the low value and one for the high value and one for the freight charges

[laserlight]

do you think it means actually use three arrays one for the low value and one for the high value and one for the freight charges

According to what you quoted, the requirements clearly state: "In this algorithm, two paired arrays, each containing six elements, have been established and initialized."

Considering that the shipping weights appear to be integers covering a contiguous range, it possible that the array only stores the start of each subrange, or the end of each subrange.

[artistunknown]

Well, that makes sense I guess it would have to be the end value because I don't think the beginning value would work because I couldn't test for 9999 and have it be six elements

[Hodor]

Considering that the shipping weights appear to be integers covering a contiguous range, it possible that the array only stores the start of each subrange, or the end of each subrange.

Yes, if that's what the question is asking (i.e. do this without structs) then two arrays (e.g. one of int and one of double/float) would be a reasonable approach.

Thinking about it, that's the only reasonable way to interpret the question given the information supplied.

[Hodor]

Well, that makes sense I guess it would have to be the end value because I don't think the beginning value would work because I couldn't test for 9999 and have it be six elements

I guess the only "trick" there is that you'll have to make an assumption on the minimum value of the first range (and that's probably what I'd do)

[artistunknown]

Yeah I guess its not only the end value that would be a problem but the minimum value too I guess I just didn't think of it because from 1-100 its 3.00 dollars freight charge but what if I put in a negative number or 0

[laserlight]

Logically, an item cannot have no weight or a negative weight, so you can check for that separately first before searching the array for the subrange that it falls into.

[artistunknown]

You know the more I think about it I'm still stuck because if I use unsigned int array it includes 0 which I can't include 0 in the problem
Is there some kind of logic I'm missing here I'm back to where I started how do you put two values in one array slot or index I still wonder if Paired arrays can mean more than just two arrays but 2 or more arrays another name for paired arrays is parallel and from what I understand about parallel arrays you can have as many as you like

[artistunknown]

oh sorry I posted before I saw your post laserlight so I will try and code it the way you said makes sense