Problem with resetting led state after countdown

Using Arduino Programming Questions
#1

Hello,

I am quite new to arduino and am having problems writing a sketch for a countdown that is started when a switch is flicked, and is restarted when the switch is flicked to off and then back on. I am not sure whether my description is of any help so here is the code:

int delayPeriodOff = 1000;
const int delayPeriodOn = 50;
const int ledPin = 12;
const int switchPin = 7;

int val= 0;


void setup() {
    pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);
    pinMode(switchPin, INPUT);
}

void loop() {
    val = digitalRead(switchPin);
    
  if (val == HIGH) {
    countDown();
    }
    
   if (val == LOW) {
      blinkLed();
    }
    
}

void blinkLed () {
    digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH);
    delay(1000);
    digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
    delay(1000);
}

void countDown () {
    digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH);
    delay(delayPeriodOn);
    digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
    delay(delayPeriodOff);
     delayPeriodOff = delayPeriodOff-20;   
         if (delayPeriodOff <= 0) {
          ledOn ();
          }     
   }

void ledOn () {
    while(val == HIGH, delayPeriodOff <= 0);
      digitalWrite (ledPin, HIGH);
      delay (INFINITY);
}

As stated, I am new to arduino and programming in general and might have missed any number of obvious errors. I would appreciate any and all help.

thanks
Apower101

#2 
void ledOn () {
    while(val == HIGH, delayPeriodOff <= 0);
      digitalWrite (ledPin, HIGH);
      delay (INFINITY);
}

Take a really close look at the “while”

#3

from what I understand of while commands, which isn't very much, I have told the arduino to keep the light on forever when the delay period is equal to or less than 0, until the switch switch flipped. Is this wrong? should I replace the while with an if? Because I tried that and it didn't work. should I put a do in front of the digitalWrite?

#4

Tell me what you think the comma does in your while
Then tell me about the semicolon

#5

does it not separate the two conditions that need to be fulfilled to leave the while command?

#6

You're absolutely correct - it doesn't.

#7

Is this wrong?

Yes. The comma operator is not the && operator.

Of course, even correcting that, you never assign a new value to val, so it it's HIGH to start with, it will never be a factor in the while loop ending.

#8