JavaScript IF statement and While loop not working properly

Question

Okay now I have been able to solve the Length problem by adding the length property to the while loop. However, when i generate the noSpecialCharacter(), it gives me NaN in front of the generated password.

this is the function:

const noSpecialCharacters = () => {
    let password;
    for (let i = 0; i < askUser; i++) {
        let result3 = characterSet[randomCharacter()];
        password += result3;
    }
    return password;
}

    let askUser;
// create a function for prompts
const prompts = () => {
    const minLength = 8;
    const maxLength = 128;
    askUser = null
    while (askUser === null || askUser.length < minLength || askUser.length > maxLength) {
        // ask the user again
        askUser = prompt('Enter a password character length. Character length must be at least 8 and between 128.');
        let confirmSpecialCharacter;
        // if password is between length range
        if (askUser >= minLength && askUser <= maxLength) {
            // ask for special characters
            confirmSpecialCharacter = confirm('Would you like for your password to include special characters?');
            // if yes, call combine random
            let pass = confirmSpecialCharacter === true ? combineRandom() : noSpecialCharacters();

            alert(pass);
        }

    }

    return askUser;

}

prompts();

Answer 1

When you check the length, use askUser.length But with this logic, when the user input is correct on the first time, nothing in the wile loop will run.

A better approach is to initialize askUser = null and set the condition in while to:

while (askUser === null || askUser.length < minLength ||  askUser.length > maxLength)

To check first if the askUser is null

 let askUser; // create a function for prompts const prompts = () => { const minLength = 8; const maxLength = 128; askUser = null while (askUser === null || askUser.length < minLength || askUser.length > maxLength) { // ask the user again askUser = prompt('Enter a password character length. Character length must be at least 8 and between 128.'); let confirmSpecialCharacter; // if password is between length range if (askUser.length >= minLength && askUser.length <= maxLength) { // ask for special characters confirmSpecialCharacter = confirm('Would you like for your password to include special characters?'); // if yes, call combine random if (confirmSpecialCharacter === 'yes') { let pass = combineRandom(); alert(pass); } else { let pass = noSpecialCharacters(); alert(pass); } } } return askUser; } prompts()

Answer 2

Since people solved your question by adding .length to the askUser , I'm here to suggest you to reconstruct the code from while loop to recursive by keep calling the function itself until it passed the validation. (code untested)

with this method you can prevent the nested condition by return early .

// create a function for prompts
const prompts = () => {
    const minLength = 8;
    const maxLength = 128;

    // ask the user
    let askUser = prompt('Enter a password character length. Character length must be at least 8 and between 128.');

    // keep asking the function itself until it passed the validation
    if (askUser.length <= minLength || askUser.length >= maxLength || askUser === null) {
        return prompts()
    }

    // ask for special characters
    let confirmSpecialCharacter = confirm('Would you like for your password to include special characters?');
    let pass;

    // if yes, call combine random
    if (confirmSpecialCharacter) {
        pass = combineRandom();
    } else {
        pass = noSpecialCharacters();
    }

    alert(pass);
    return askUser;
}

With ternary condition you can get much more shorter code.

// if yes, call combine random
let pass = confirmSpecialCharacter ? combineRandom() : noSpecialCharacters();

Answer 3

In your while condition, you are not actually checking for askUser length. Change it to this line: while (askUser.length < minLength || askUser === null || askUser.length > maxLength) { /... And it will work.