I think you probably need to show us *all* the code.

directionLooking: aString
������ self new direction: aString

Well, there is your problem.

There are two ways for a method to return a value.

One is to execute '^ e' for some expression e,

which is quite like a 'return e;' statement in C.

The other is to execute the whole body and come to

the end of the method, and in that case the result

is always 'self'.�� This means that the method as you

wrote it

��- created an uninitialised or incompletely initialised

���� instance of Robot (self new)

��- asked that instance to set its direction

��- discarded the result of that setting

��- forgot the new instance

��- returned the Robot class

What you probably meant was

directionLooking: aString
������ ^(self new) direction: aString; yourself
where 'yourself' has nothing to do with a new
object being created but with the fact that
you want the new object as the result, not
whatever #direction: returns.
directionLooking: aString
�� |newRobot|
�� newRobot := self new.
�� newRobot direction: aString.
�� ^newRobot
may be clearer to you.

By the way, you didn't say WHY the caller wants a Dictionary
instead of a Robot.�� I don't think I've ever written a program
where that was a good idea.

On Sun, 31 Mar 2019 at 19:55, Roelof Wobben <r.wobben@home.nl> wrote:

Op 31-3-2019 om 03:47 schreef Richard O'Keefe:

Question 1.�� Should that be #asDictionary?

yes, it does.

Question 2.�� If not, what's a Dictonary?

Question 3.�� I see you are using self-encapsulation,

�� with a getter 'self robot'

�� and a setter 'self robot: something'.

�� Of course that means that outside code

�� can freely smash your "robot" property,

�� unless #robot: checks that its argument

�� makes sense.�� Does it?

no, it does not.

Question 4.�� What kind of thing *is* "robot".

�� Have you checked that 'Robot directionLooking: ...'

�� returns an instance of Robot?�� If you accidentally

�� omitted '^' it might return the Robot class itself.

yes, I forget the ^ thing
see this code.

directionLooking: aString
�� self new direction: aString

so I have to think well how to return a instance of a Robot here.

as far as I see�� I do not have a robot yet.

createDirection: aString position: aCollection
�� self robot: (Robot directionLooking: aString) yourself.
�� ^ self robot asDictionary

or I overlook something.

Question 5.�� Are you sure that 'self robot' returns

�� what you think it does?�� Have you checked?

yes, I checked. self Robot�� give me a variable robot which is a Robot.

Question 6.�� Does Robot have an #asDictionary method?

�� Does Robot have an #asDictonary method?

Yes, it does

Question 7.�� Why is "aCollection" not used in this method?

Because I�� wanted to be�� sure things are working before I added the position which is a difficult one.

Question 8.�� Why are you using 'yourself'?

I thought I was needed so I get a instance of a Robot back.

Question 9.�� Why does the caller want a dictionary instead of

�� a Robot?�� What should be in that dictionary?

The same data as the Robot has but then in a dictionary form.
That is what I try to achieve.

There are more questions but those will do to be going on with.

If your #robot: method began like

�� robot: aRobot

�� (aRobot isKindOf: Robot)

�� ifFalse: [aRobot error: 'not an instance of Robot'].

you would have caught what I suspect is your problem.

Check question 4.

On Sun, 31 Mar 2019 at 07:19, Roelof Wobben <r.wobben@home.nl> wrote:

Hello,

Im busy with a new challenge from exercism.
Where I have to keep track of a robot , where it facing and on that
coordinate the robot is.

so I made this function what the test wanted

createDirection: aString position: aCollection
�� self robot: (Robot directionLooking: aString) yourself.
�� ^ self robot asDictonary

I can see that on the first part a new robot is made with the right data.
but the test wants the data back as a Dictonary
that is why I made the self robot asDictonary line

but to my suprise the compiler wants it be a class method where I expect
it to be a instance method.

Can someone explain to my why this is ?

Roelof