'Symbol not found' error

Question

I wrote my Interface code already, but error. How can I compare two prices of two furniture objects? Am I doing it right in the if statements? The return statement says cannot find symbol. How can i fix this?

public boolean IsCheaper(Furniture f)
{
    if (f instanceof Furniture)
    {
         boolean status;
         if (price > f.getPrice())
             status = true;
         else if (price < f.getPrice())
             status = false;

    }
    return status;
}

interface don't contain any implementation. It just contains method definition. — kosa, Dec 07 '12 at 04:14
`Furniture f` means that `f instanceof Furniture` is *always* true. — Sergey Kalinichenko, Dec 07 '12 at 04:15
`status` needs to be defined in at least the same code block that it is returned, also, not all paths assign a value to `status`. — Matthew, Dec 07 '12 at 04:18
For future reference, please copy and paste the exact error message. You also should keep the error message on its own line to make it more obvious. — Code-Apprentice, Dec 07 '12 at 04:21
@dasblinkenlight: Not true, `f` could also be null. But a simple `if (f != null)` would be equivalent and much more clear :-). — Mark Peters, Dec 07 '12 at 04:22

Subin Sebastian · Answer 1 · 2012-12-07T04:22:58.267

1

   public boolean IsCheaper(Furniture f)
    {
      boolean status= false; // or  true
      if (f instanceof Furniture) // if(f!=null) as suggested by a comment
       {

        if (price > f.getPrice())
            status = true;
        else if (price < f.getPrice())
            status = false;

       }
       return status;
     }

status should be declared outside if block since you need it outside.

Also is there really a need for if check, instanceof check is needed only if method is accepting a parent class of Furniture

edited Dec 07 '12 at 04:22

answered Dec 07 '12 at 04:15

Subin Sebastian

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you should initialize the declaration boolean status= false; – Subin Sebastian Dec 07 '12 at 04:23

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 07 '12 at 04:19

0

The scope of the variable boolean status; is just the if block if (f instanceof Furniture)

and you have a return statement outside that if block, so as soon as the if block is completed, variable status becomes unavailable as it becomes out of scope.

Therefore the compiler is not able to find it and hence says "cannot find symbol : status ".

So declare your status variable outside if (f instanceof Furniture) block.

answered Dec 07 '12 at 04:19

Abubakkar

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I did that before and it says Variable might not be initialized – Nicholai Hylton Dec 07 '12 at 04:22
just initaialize it to `true` or `false` when declaring it like `boolean status = false;` – Abubakkar Dec 07 '12 at 04:23
Are you talking like this @Abu?? public boolean IsCheaper(Furniture f) { boolean status = true; boolean status =false; if (f instanceof Furniture) { if (price > f.getPrice()) status = true; else if (price < f.getPrice()) status = false; } return status; – Nicholai Hylton Dec 07 '12 at 04:30
No just put `boolean status = true;` or `boolean status = false;` any one will do but not both as it will again say compiler error (two variables with same name) – Abubakkar Dec 07 '12 at 04:33

'Symbol not found' error

2 Answers2