CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javascriptalgorithmdebugging
Arsalan Khalid
Arsalan Khalid

Reputation: 256

Using Heron's formula to calculate area - JavaScript

My code:

function calculate(sides) {

  var sides = prompt("Triangle side lengths in cm
  (number,number,number)"); //String will be size of 4

  var nsides = sides.split(" "); //Splits content into array format
  //Convert Array instances to integer values a,b,c

  for(var loop=0;loop<=nsides.length;loop++)   {
  if(nsides[loop]!=",")
  a = nsides[loop];

  if(nsides[loop]!=",")
  b = nsides[loop];

  if(nsides[loop]!=",")
  c= nsides[loop];
  } //End for    

  //Area Calculation
  var s = (a+b+c)*0.5 ; //represents the semiperimeter 
  var area = Math.sqrt(s*(s-a)*s(s-b)*(s-c)) //area calculation

      //Result
  sides = alert("The triangle's area is " + area + " square cm");


}   //End function

 //Main calculate(length);

I'm looking to set side a, b, and c to integers; however in order to do that I have to go through the array (I first converted it to an array from a string)

I'm going to add in some standard validation later; as of now I can't seem to place the values from the string entered into 3 separate integers being a b and c.

Other than that, is there a better way i can go about this?

Thanks.

Upvotes: 1

Views: 4249

Answers (2)

bfavaretto
bfavaretto

Reputation: 71918

Maybe I misunderstand your question, but is this what you're looking for?

var sides = prompt("Triangle side lengths in cm (number,number,number)");
var nsides = sides.split(","); 
var a = +nsides[0];
var b = +nsides[1];
var c = +nsides[2];

//Area Calculation
//...

Note the use of + to force the strings from the array into numbers.

Upvotes: 1

Niccol&#242; Campolungo
Niccol&#242; Campolungo

Reputation: 12042

function calculate() {
    var sides = prompt("Triangle side lengths in cm (number,number,number)"),
        nsides = sides.split(","),
        a = parseFloat(nsides[0]),
        b = parseFloat(nsides[1]),
        c = parseFloat(nsides[2]),
        s = (a + b + c) / 2,
        area = Math.sqrt(s * (s - a) * (s - b) * (s - c));
    alert("The triangle's area is " + area + " square cm");
    return area; // return the area
}

First of all I removed your parameter, it was totally unnecessary and was overwritten by the declaration of sides in the first line. Then I changed the split to , so it follows your instructions. Then you need to parse the string to integers using parseInt and specifiying the radix 10, then you can go on with your calculations. Just a last thing, you wrote Math.sqrt(s*(s-a)*s(s-b)*(s-c)), see that s(s-b) causes an exception because you are using a number to be called as a function.

Upvotes: 1

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