How can I calculate the total pay for this assignment? - c++

Question

I am trying to write this assignment for school where the program has to calculate the regular pay, overtime pay and total pay separately. I would like to also include a statement where it mentions that if the number entered by the user is negative, the program would tell the user that the number entered is invalid so I have added it but it but it shows an error on the "else if" line. Im also trying to add a function where it calculates the total pay for the user but I don't know how to do it.
this is my code
#include <iostream>;
#include <iomanip>;
using namespace std;
int main ()
{
double hoursworked, hourlyrate, regularpay, overtimepay, totalpay;
int MIN_HOURSWORKED = 1,
MIN_HOURLYRATE = 1;
cout << "type in how many hours have you worked this week.\n";
cin >> hoursworked;
cout << "type in your hourlyrate.\n";
cin >> hourlyrate;
if (hoursworked < MIN_HOURSWORKED && MIN_HOURLYRATE < 0)
{
if (40 > hoursworked)
regularpay = hoursworked * hourlyrate;
cout << "your regular pay is : $ " << regularpay << endl;
else if (hoursworked > 40)
overtimepay = (hoursworked - 40) * 1.5 * hourlyrate;
cout << " your overtime pay is: $" << overtimepay << endl;
}
else
{
cout << "you entered an invalid number.";
cout << "please enter a number that is bigger than 0" << endl;
}
return 0 ;
}

Answer 1

Here are the code changes I made and the comments explain why
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main()
{
//By initializing hoursworked and hourlyrate as negative, it ensures that the while loops used in the cin is used at least once
double hoursworked=-1, hourlyrate=-1, regularpay, overtimepay, totalpay;
int MIN_HOURSWORKED = 1,
MIN_HOURLYRATE = 1;
cout << "type in how many hours have you worked this week.\n";
//Until hoursworked is positive the loop will keep running
while(hoursworked<0)
{cout<<"Enter a positive value"<<endl; cin >> hoursworked;}
//Until hourlyrate is positive the loop will keep running
cout << "type in your hourlyrate.\n";
while(hourlyrate<0)
{cout<<"Enter a positive value"<<endl; cin >> hourlyrate;}
//Your previous code (hoursworked<MIN_HOURSWORKED
//&& MIN_HOURLYRATE<0) ensures that hoursworked is lesser than
//min_hoursworked and that min_hourlyrate is less than 0. Which
//Im sure is not what you want to do
if (hoursworked>MIN_HOURSWORKED && hourlyrate>MIN_HOURLYRATE)
{
if (40>hoursworked)
{
regularpay = hoursworked * hourlyrate;
cout << "your regular pay is : $ " << regularpay << endl;
}
else if (hoursworked>40)
{
overtimepay = (hoursworked - 40) * 1.5 * hourlyrate;
cout << " your overtime pay is: $" << overtimepay << endl;
}
}
else
{
cout << "you entered an invalid number.";
cout << "please enter a number that is bigger than 0" << endl;
}
return 0;
}
The way you make a function is explained well HERE
Also the reason why you were getting errors in your if and else if because of brackets {}. As a new coder, use {} everywhere even when it seems like you don't need to. It is good practice and helps keep a lot of confusions at bay
P.S. Please accept my answer if you find it useful as that would help me get some reputation points

Answer 2

An if clause with two or more statements requires braces to be used:
if ( /* condition */ )
{
statement;
statement;
...
}
The omission of the braces means that only the first statement after the if statement "belongs" to it:
if (40 > hoursworked)
regularpay = hoursworked * hourlyrate;
That's the entire if statement, and nothing else. A few lines below, an else if appears out of nowhere. Your compiler gets confused, and complains about it.
Your outermost if statement already includes these braces, so you simply forgot to use them here.
Although this will solve the compilation error, the resulting code will still not work right, for at least three reasons.
An hoursworked of exactly 40 will not meet either of the if conditions, and nothing will be printed.
An hoursworked in excess of 40 will not meet the first if's condition, so the first message does not get printed. This seems to be a rather obvious mistake.
The outermost if condition gets met only if both of these are true:
if (hoursworked < MIN_HOURSWORKED && MIN_HOURLYRATE < 0)
If you read this verbatim, this means: do all if the following are all true: hoursworked is less than the minimum allowed, and the hourly rate is negative. So, if someone would enter -5 hours worked, and an hourly rate of -10, this condition will be met. This will be considered valid input, and the statements inside this if statement will execute, otherwise the input is rejected as invalid.
That, also, is obviously incorrect.
So, in addition to fixing the compilation error, you will also need to make additional changes to your program, in order to correct all of these defects. Good luck.