/**
 * The class Counter represents simple counters that keep track of the
 * number of "hits" (cf. a traditional visitor counter on a web page).
 * A counter's value starts at zero and is increases by one every time its advance()
 * method is called.
 * 0
 * 1
 * 2
 * 3
 * ...
 * Each counter has a maximum value before which its value "wraps around to zero". 
 * For instance, if the maximum value of a counter is 100, the counter's value 
 * never goes past 99:
 * ...
 * 97
 * 98
 * 99
 * 0
 * 1
 * 2
 * ...    
 */
public class Counter {
  
    private int hits;
    private int maximum;

    
    /**
     * Creates a new counter with the given maximum value. The counter is
     * initially set to zero.
     * 
     * @param maximum a positive number that this counter's value must never reach
     */
    public Counter(int maximum) {
        this.hits = 0;
        this.maximum = maximum;
    }

    /**
     * Advances the counter by one step.
     */
    public void advance() {
        this.hits = this.hits + 1;
    }
  
    
    /**
     * Returns the counter's current value (between zero and maximum-1).
     * 
     * @return the counter's current value 
     */
    public int getValue() {
        return this.hits % this.maximum;
    }

    
    /**
     * Determines if the current value of this counter is higher than
     * that of another counter. This comparison is based on the 
     * values of the two counters (between zero and maximum-1) as
     * determined by getValue().
     * 
     * @param another another counter that this one is compared to
     * @return a boolean value indicating if this counter's value is 
     *         higher than that of the given counter
     */
    public boolean isHigherThan(Counter another) {
        return another.getValue() < this.getValue(); 
    }
  
}