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Vending Machine Program

Alex Morph

Joined: Mar 14, 2013
Posts: 2
Hey first post of the forums, sorry if I break any rules!
Basically I have to create a program that will store values for 'Cans' and 'Tokens'. Simple vending machine like program, where the user inserts 2 tokens and gets 1 can.
I've only been doing java for about 3 weeks, and still trying to get my head around constructors, objects and classes etc. I'm not sure exactly how to go about writing the constructor.
I know it makes an instance of the class, but how should I write this in the code?

fred rosenberger
lowercase baba

Joined: Oct 02, 2003
Posts: 11917

Constructors can be very simple. If you were to create a real live physicial vending machine, what would it's initial state be? How many cans and how many tokens would it have in it?

That's what a constructor should do - set those value to what makes sense for the initial creation.

Campbell Ritchie

Joined: Oct 13, 2005
Posts: 45277
Welcome to the Ranch

To continue from what Fred said: you have a number of fields in your class, and the constructor must (well, at least in my opinion) set them all to sensible values. That is called establishing the class invariants.
Your method with the number of cans will almost cretahinly not do what you want it to.
I agree. Here's the link:
subject: Vending Machine Program
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