Trouble with Bool Function return

[pbmichel]

I'm currently coding a time clocking program for my university intro CS class that is supposed to check input times and calculate pay, length of time, overtime etc.

currently my code looks like this:

#include <iostream>
#include <iomanip>
#include <string>
using namespace std;

const double MINTUES_IN_HOUR = 60;
const double OVERTIME_PAY = 1.5 * 8;
const string TIME_ERROR = "Invalid time. Please use (hh:mm A/P) format.";


bool validate_times ( int time1, int time2, char ap );

int main()
{
	double payrate;
	int start_hour, start_minute, end_hour, end_minute;
	string name;
	char colon, start_ap, end_ap;

	cout << "Time Clock Program" << endl << endl
		<< "Enter worker name:  ";
	getline(cin, name);
	cout << "Enter start time (hh:mm A/P):  ";
	cin >> start_hour >> colon >> start_minute >> start_ap;
	validate_times (start_hour , start_minute , start_ap);
	cout << "Enter stop time (hh:mm A/P):  ";
	cin >> end_hour >> colon >> end_minute >> end_ap;
	validate_times (end_hour , end_minute , end_ap);
	
	cout << "Enter pay rate:  ";
	cin >> payrate;

system("pause");
return 0;
}

bool validate_times ( int time1, int time2, char ap )
{
	if ( time1 > 12 )
		return cout << TIME_ERROR;
	else 
		if ( time2 > 59 )
			return cout << TIME_ERROR;
		else 
			if ( ap != 'a' || ap != 'p' ) 
				return cout << TIME_ERROR;
			
}

Forgive the messiness as it is nowhere near complete of course.

The problem I am having is my "validate_times" function that is supposed to check and see if the input time matches the correct format requested. I was able to get everything to work up until

if ( ap != 'a' || ap != 'p' ) 
				return cout << TIME_ERROR;
			

.
I need the function to check and make sure that the character for the "am" and "pm" are either "A","a","P", or "p". The code will work fine if I take out the OR operator in the last part of the function, but how else would I get it to be able to allow "p" as well as "A" and "P"?

Sorry if this seems confusing my English is not very good.

Thank you for your time.

[guestgulkan]

You have a choice

if ( ap != 'a' && ap != 'A' && ap != 'p' && ap != 'P' )

which is the same as:
if ( ! (ap == 'a' || ap == 'A' || ap == 'p' || ap == 'P') )

[pbmichel]

Thank you so much. You are a live saver.