Thread: Java programming help - Coins in a Jar

Hey there, I'm currently working on a computer science 40S course for high school. In the class, we are working with Java and Eclipse.. I have never taken any comp sci classes before this one, and have had no prior Java programming experience.

One of the assignments asks to "Write an application that determines the number of coins in a jar and prints out the total in dollars and cents. Read integer values that represents the number of quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies. Use a currency formatter to print the output." I have went through the learning modules that the class has offered, and I have absolutely no idea where to start, or how this thing should look.

Would anybody be able to help explain what I am to do, or possibly make an example to use as reference for future assignments, something that will help me grasp the understanding of how I should go about this class?

Thanks in advance!

I agree with copeg, but if you really have no idea where to start, break it down even further. You're trying to figure out the value in dollars and cents of the coins in the jar, right? Start simple, figure out the value in cents. You'll need separate integer variables for each type of coin that are equal to the value of that coin in cents. Then you'll need to specify (or have the user specify) how many of each coin there are in the jar. Add the coins up and you get the value in cents. So how would you print it out as dollars and cents? Well, as a hint, maybe try using the printf() method. If you haven't learned that, think about what kind of variable would use the same format as dollars and cents (i.e. a decimal point followed by two place values) and recognize that dollars=100*cents.

Feel free to PM me if you want with any specific questions. The best way to go about any problem is to break it down into small pieces and solve it one step at a time. Good luck!