Messed up method - if/then structure and string manipulation problems

Question

I have a method that gets called any time a control on my view changes and should update a UILabel. It has two UITextFields and two UISliders. First I check to see if either of the UITextFields are empty and if so, advise that they need to be filled in. Otherwise I get the difference between the UITextFields' values and generate a couple of floats to use in my NSStrings.

I get a warning that message is not used and I get an error about the NSStrings (can't remember now exactly what - I'm not at my Mac...)

And even when I chopped the messages down to something simple that worked, when delta == 0, it does the delta <= 0 message.

Oh, and the strings don't put the values in where the % signs are, they just print the % signs.

I've been hacking at this too long and need help...

- (void)updateAdvice {
    if ([chlorineSourceField.text isEqualToString:@""] || [poolVolumeField.text isEqualToString:@""]) {
        NSString *message =  [[NSString alloc] initWithString:@"Enter a chlorine source and pool volume."];
    }
    else {
        int delta = [targetLabel.text intValue] - [startingLabel.text intValue];
        float chlorineAmount = delta * [poolVolumeField.text intValue] * chlorineConstant;
        float percentRemove = (1 - ([targetLabel.text floatValue] / [startingLabel.text floatValue]));
        float gallonsRemove = percentRemove * [poolVolumeField.text intValue];
        if (delta == 0) {
            NSString *message = [[NSString alloc] initWithString:@"No adjustments necessary.  You're on target"];
        }
        if (delta >= 0) {
            NSString *message = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:@"To increase FC by %dppm, add %3.1f oz of %@.", delta, chlorineAmount, chlorineSourceField.text];
        }
        if (delta <= 0) {
            NSString *message = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:@"You're above target already.  Replace %d%% or %d gallons of water - or just wait for it to come down.", percentRemove*100, gallonsRemove];
        }
    }
    adviceLabel.text = message;
    [message release];
}

Answer 1

As far as the message variable goes, it's scoped so it can't be used outside the if/else statement in which it is declared. You want to declare it before the if statement, so you can use it outside of the if statement. So something like this:

- (void)updateAdvice {
    NSString *message = nil;

    if ([chlorineSourceField.text isEqualToString:@""] || [poolVolumeField.text isEqualToString:@""]) {
        message =  [[NSString alloc] initWithString:@"Enter a chlorine source and pool volume."];
    }
    else {
        int delta = [targetLabel.text intValue] - [startingLabel.text intValue];
        float chlorineAmount = delta * [poolVolumeField.text intValue] * chlorineConstant;
        float percentRemove = (1 - ([targetLabel.text floatValue] / [startingLabel.text floatValue]));
        float gallonsRemove = percentRemove * [poolVolumeField.text intValue];
        if (delta == 0) {
            message = [[NSString alloc] initWithString:@"No adjustments necessary.  You're on target"];
        }
        if (delta >= 0) {
            message = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:@"To increase FC by %dppm, add %3.1f oz of %@.", delta, chlorineAmount, chlorineSourceField.text];
        }
        if (delta <= 0) {
            message = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:@"You're above target already.  Replace %d%% or %d gallons of water - or just wait for it to come down.", percentRemove*100, gallonsRemove];
        }
    }
    adviceLabel.text = message;
    [message release];
}

Answer 2

You are missing the else part, thus all three if statements are being evaluated consecutively. If delta == 0, it will satisfy all three if statements. Thus, the last allocation will overwrite the previous two. (And you'll be leaking memory)

Also, your message variable is scoped as local to the if block it's declared into. You might want to move the message declaration at the function level scope.

As far as % not working, you are using the instance initializer initWithFormat with the syntax for the class initializer stringWithFormat. initWithFormat takes the parameters for the formatted string in a separate parameter - arguments:. (Btw, it also requires locale:)