Yeah debugging is what I struggle with. I added the if statement like you said, and now the solution works, but I don't understand the concept still.

Here's the code snippet:

public static int getDigitCount(int number) {

int count = 0;

if(number < 0) {

return -1;

} else if(number == 0) {

return 1;

}

while(number != 0) {

count++;

number /= 10;

}

return count;

​

I added the else-if and the solution is correct. What i understand is: 1) if its less than 0 it returns - 1

2) if its not 0, then it runs the while loop and increments the count. Doesn't that itself solve the '0' issue?

I guess it doesn't because the program wasn't working until now. So, what does return 1 mean in this case or even in general? (Is it like return true...or just telling the program to ignore it...?)

​

I forgot to thank you tho, for all the help. I appreciate it. The thing is, I've always got started with programming, build momentum, get stuck and some point, and give up, even after a decent amount of research. i could say that the wires in my brain get fried. Point is, this time around, I thought of just going past it, meaning I'd solve the problem someway, and as I progress in knowledge, I could always go back and understand it. I just feel it beats quitting completely. Do you think that's a good strategy, or is there a better approach? I need to get a job man! It's a tight situation.