Seaching an array confusion

**ThuggedOut** · October 19th, 2011, 01:14 PM

Hello, so I am writing a program and had to create a one dimensional array and a two dimensional array. Here is my arrays:

 Game [] games;
	private double[][]hoursArray = {{40, 60, 900, 400},{10,100, 800, 900},{20,70,100, 200}};
 
 
    public GameSales()
    {
    	games = new  Game[ 3 ];
		games[ 0 ] = new Game ("Scary Halloween","Mr. Boo",1000,6091,12.99);
    	games[ 2 ] = new EGame ("Haunted House Party","Patrick Armstrong", 0, 2012,38.99,"www.SmartBook.com/IIS",180);
    	games[ 3 ] = new Game ("The Green Monster", "Game Boy", 800, 3033,6.50);

private

so there is my arrays and constructer. Next I have to make another method. here are the instructions. I have tries a linear search but dont know if this is a good idea. I am very confused and am looking for any help. maybe a steer in the right direction

In this method, you will search for a specified game title. You will prompt user to enter the title of a game in string format, and search game array for the game. If the specified game is found in the game array, return the array index . Otherwise, return an integer value of 99 to indicate that the game was not on the list. You will use the result returned from this method in other method.
**You should implement a try-catch to catch a potential exception that might occur when dealing with iterating through an array. What would that be?

This is what i did, im not sure to use a linear search or index of

    public String FindGame()
    {
 
		int searchString;
		int position;
 
 
    	try
    	{
 
    		System.out.print ("Please enter game title:  ");
    		searchString = input.nextInt();
 
    		while (searchString != -1)
    		{
    			for (int index = 0; index < Game.length; index ++)
    				if ( Game[ index ] == searchString )
    					return index;
    		}
 
    	}
 
 
    	catch(InputMismatchException inputMismatchException)
    	{
    		System.err.printf ("\nExceptions:  %s\n", inputMismatchException);
    		input.nextLine();
    		System.out.println ("You must enter a String. Please try again. \n");
    	}
 
    return searchString;
    }

private

**Tjstretch** · October 19th, 2011, 01:17 PM

Highligt your code with:

[highlight=Java]*Insert code here*[/highlight]

**Tjstretch** · October 19th, 2011, 01:39 PM

UHF just lost what I was gking to say.

Here's the gist:
I recommend:
Use a for loop with a basic counter, continuing until you have hit the end o the games array, checking the title of the games array, returning the game if it has the title. Return null if none was found. Use a seperate method to find an index of a game. Better over the long run, because this way you don't have to access the array every time you searh for a title.

Otherwise, same for loop but return the integer index.

**Tjstretch** · October 19th, 2011, 01:56 PM

Also, just looked at what you have. It's bad style to have a method that calls for user input
Your code doesn't make any sense to me, so I'm assuming you want

/*Main method or the equivalent*/
Scanner in = new Scanner(System.in);
System.out.println("What title do you want to search for?");
String title = in.nextLine();
Game g = searchByTitle(title);
if(g == null)
  System.out.println("Game not found");
else
{
  System.out.println("Found: ");
  System.out.println(g.toString());
}

Concise, maintanible.

Edit: For some reason I had assumed that was youre main method, probaly after I saw user input. I removed most of it but left the next paragraph because I'm curious what other people have to say about it.

As for your searchByTitle, look for my previous code. The main method should, (in my opinion), be almost entirely interaction with the user. That way, when someone else looks at your code (EG, Teacher, Friend), they immediately know what the code does, and how it works. Of course, if your using a GUI, that's a different story, but the gist is the same.

Edit, just looked at your code again, why are you making them search by an int?

**ThuggedOut** · October 19th, 2011, 02:00 PM

well this is basically my process class. I will have a different method with a main like a test class to ask the user what they would like to do. It is not finished but his is what I have done:

public class TestClass
{
 
    public static void main (String[] args)
    {
    	Scanner input = new Scanner (System.in);
 
    	char decision; //char variable decision
		int sentinal = 1; //integar varaible to hold the sentinal loop counter
    	GameSales alvorp = new GameSales();
 
 
    	while(sentinal ==1 ) //sentinal controlled loop structure
     	{
 
 
     		System.out.println ("Welcome to Game Management Program\n");
	     	System.out.println ("=====================================\n");
	     	System.out.println ("P - Print the sales information of a specified game\n");
	     	System.out.println ("U - Update the sales information of a specified game\n");
	     	System.out.println ("O - Output the sales information to a text file\n");
	     	System.out.print ("Which Item?  ");
     	    String decisionInput = input.next(); //inputs which user item choosen into decision input
     		decision = decisionInput.charAt(0); //decisioninput goes into char variable decision
 
 
     		if(decision == 'P') //nested if else statement with one condiditon
     		{
				alvorp.PrintGameSales();
 
     		}
 
     			else if(decision == 'U') //nested if else statement with one condition
     			{
 
 
     			}
	     			else if(decision == 'O') //nested if else statement with one condition
	     			{
 
 
 
	     			}
 
		     			else
		     				System.out.println ("Incorrect choice!"); //print statement if invaled entry is posted
 
     	}
     	    	System.out.println("Do you want to continue process another transaction? 1 - to continue and other number to quit : 1");
    			sentinal = input.nextInt(); //user input value goes into sentinal and determines whether to continue the loop
 
 
 
 
     	}

**ThuggedOut** · October 19th, 2011, 02:06 PM

I think i understand what your saying about prompting them for the game title. once they tell you the title you input it into the title string, then you run a for loop searching through the array and maybe with like a compareto once you find it it returns the game into G or something. Maybe i understand? i also need to return the index and it all has to be done in this find games method

**ThuggedOut** · October 19th, 2011, 02:11 PM

Also this is the output if it makes things clearer

Welcome to Game Management Program
=====================================
P - Print the sales information of a specified game
U - Update the sales information of a specified game
O - Output the sales information to a text file

Please select a task? K

Incorrect choice!

Do you want to continue process another transaction? Y - to continue and other letter to quit : Y

Welcome to Game Management Program
=====================================
P - Print the sales information of a specified game
U - Update the sales information of a specified game
O - Output the sales information to a text file

Please select a task? p

Please enter the game title: Haunted House Party

Haunted House Party 10 100 800 900

Do you want to continue process another transaction? Y - to continue and other letter to quit : Y

Welcome to Game Management Program
=====================================
P - Print the sales information of a specified game
U - Update the sales information of a specified game
O - Output the sales information to a text file

Please select a task? U

Please enter the game title: Scary Halloween

Please enter the quarter (1, 2, 3, or 4): 2

What is the new sales number? 70

Do you want to continue process another transaction? Y - to continue and other letter to quit : Y

Welcome to Game Management Program
=====================================
P - Print the sales information of a specified game
U - Update the sales information of a specified game
O - Output the sales information to a text file

Please select a task? P

Please enter the game title: Scary Halloween

Scary Halloween 40 70 900 400

Do you want to continue process another transaction? Y - to continue and other letter to quit : Y

Welcome to Game Management Program
=====================================
P - Print the sales information of a specified game
U - Update the sales information of a specified game
O - Output the sales information to a text file

Please select a task? U

Please enter the game title: The Green Monster

Please enter the quarter (1, 2, 3, or 4): 2

What is the new sales number? 99

Do you want to continue process another transaction? Y - to continue and other letter to quit : Y

Welcome to Game Management Program
=====================================
P - Print the sales information of a specified game
U - Update the sales information of a specified game
O - Output the sales information to a text file

Please select a task? P

Please enter the game title: The Blue Monster

The title is not in the database

Do you want to continue process another transaction? Y - to continue and other letter to quit : Y

Welcome to Game Management Program
=====================================
P - Print the sales information of a specified game
U - Update the sales information of a specified game
O - Output the sales information to a text file

Please select a task? P

Please enter the game title: The Green Monster

The Green Monster 20 99 100 200

Do you want to continue process another transaction? Y - to continue and other letter to quit : Y

Welcome to Game Management Program
=====================================
P - Print the sales information of a specified game
U - Update the sales information of a specified game
O - Output the sales information to a text file

Please select a task? o

Do you want to continue process another transaction? Y - to continue and other letter to quit : Y

Welcome to Game Management Program
=====================================
P - Print the sales information of a specified game
U - Update the sales information of a specified game
O - Output the sales information to a text file

Please select a task? U

Please enter the game title: Scary Halloween

Please enter the quarter (1, 2, 3, or 4): 5

Invalid quarter!

Do you want to continue process another transaction? Y - to continue and other letter to quit : Y

Welcome to Game Management Program
=====================================
P - Print the sales information of a specified game
U - Update the sales information of a specified game
O - Output the sales information to a text file

Please select a task? U

Please enter the game title: Scary Halloween

Please enter the quarter (1, 2, 3, or 4): 3

What is the new sales number? apple

Exception: null
You should enter an integer value.

Do you want to continue process another transaction? Y - to continue and other letter to quit : Y

Welcome to Game Management Program
=====================================
P - Print the sales information of a specified game
U - Update the sales information of a specified game
O - Output the sales information to a text file

Please select a task? U

Please enter the game title: Scary Halloween

Please enter the quarter (1, 2, 3, or 4): 3

What is the new sales number? 1000

Do you want to continue process another transaction? Y - to continue and other letter to quit : N

Process completed.

**Tjstretch** · October 19th, 2011, 02:29 PM

Ok, I don't understand, one quarter of your game is getting priced differently then the rest?
It seems to be working, you don't have to explain it to me, I'm just curious. Also, a few recommendations.

1: instead of
String decisionInput = input.next();
try
String decisionInput = input.next().toUpperCase();

Switch statement instead of all the else ifs.
System.out.println ("Incorrect choice!"); //print statement if invaled entry
might look better as
System.err.println ("Invalid choice."); //print statement if invalid entry

**Tjstretch** · October 19th, 2011, 02:46 PM

Oh by the way, the exception MAY be an IndexOutOfBoundsException, but not sure why you would get that unless you don't check parameters

**ThuggedOut** · October 19th, 2011, 02:46 PM

here is what I came up with. What do you think?

import java.util.Scanner;
import java.util.InputMismatchException;
import java.util.Formatter;
import java.util.Arrays;
 
 
public class GameSales implements TransactionManagementInterface
{
 
	Scanner input = new Scanner (System.in);
 
	private Game [] games;
	private double[][]hoursArray = {{40, 60, 900, 400},{10,100, 800, 900},{20,70,100, 200}};
 
 
    public GameSales()
    {
    	games = new  Game[ 3 ];
		games[ 0 ] = new Game ("Scary Halloween","Mr. Boo",1000,6091,12.99);
    	games[ 1 ] = new EGame ("Haunted House Party","Patrick Armstrong", 0, 2012,38.99,"www.SmartBook.com/IIS",180);
    	games[ 2 ] = new Game ("The Green Monster", "Game Boy", 800, 3033,6.50);
 
    }
 
    public int FindGame()
    {
		String searchString;
		int indexVal;
 
		System.out.print ("Please enter game title:  ");
    		searchString = input.next();
 
    	try
    	{
    		for(int i = 0;i< games.length; i++);
    		if ((games[i].getTitle()).equals(searchString))
    		{
    			indexVal = i;
    		}
    			else
    			{
    				indexVal = 99;
    			}
 
    	}
 
	    	catch(InputMismatchException inputMismatchException)
	    	{
	    		System.err.printf ("\nExceptions:  %s\n", inputMismatchException);
	    		input.nextLine();
	    		System.out.println ("You must enter a String. Please try again. \n");
	    	}
 
    return indexVal;
    }

**ThuggedOut** · October 19th, 2011, 02:51 PM

So do you think I should put another catch statement?

**Tjstretch** · October 19th, 2011, 05:43 PM

Ok, so I think that you don't even need the catch statement that you have.
The g.getTitle() part, you may not have that method, but just rename it to whatever your accessor / variable name is, I don't understand why you need a catcfh statement.
This is the kind of thing I was thinking of for your findGame method.. if there is anything you don't understand, just ask.

public void findGame()
{
  // **Bulk of code not included**
  //Get the string, etc.
  int index = searchByTitle(title);
  if(index == -1)
  {
    //No game was found
  }else
  {
    //Game was found, print info about it and stuff
  }
 
}
private int searchByTitle(String title)
{
  Game g;
  for(int counter = 0; counter < games.length; i++)
  {
    //Get the game in the current index
    g = games[counter];
    //Check the title of the game
    if(g.getTitle().equalsIgnoreCase(title))
      return counter;
  }
  return -1;
}

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