I hate math 😭

Because you should return the result, and you're always returning 0. Note that your code is wrong, btw, and the results are not the expected ones.

There is this requirement:

The answer is always greater or equal to 0, no matter if it was in the past or it is in the future.

You sohuld always return a positive value, for both future and past times.

it is not 8 kata 100%

I'm trying to figure out how to store the first char before : and then second char after the : into their own variables. then i can begin an accumulator. But I cant figure out the first part. Any one got any tips or cna point me in the right direction?

Calculate the distance between the first and the last pillar in centimeters (without the width of the first and last pillar).

I don't know where you see this:

If you meant to measure from the center of the pillars, or to the far edges of the pillars, you need to indicate that.

Because that's not what you should do. Not a kata issue.

The current instructions can be read as return the sum of the distances between the first and the last pillar and the width of the pillars (if there is any) in between. Moreover, if you ignore the width of the first and last pillar, it means consider them 0, left, center or right are the same position.

else if(x < y)

you are comparing pointers here. this is not what you intended.

sure let me just grab my residual mind reader and scan your message to figure out what the problem is

there is problems in test case!!

It was the hardest 8kyu to me ;)

Then why do you keep doing them? Skip them if you don't like them, nobody forces you to do them. Seriously, what's the "obscure formula" you had to google here?

Math Tag = Google obscure formula. Copy/ paste. No code requried. Cant stand these.