Exception in thread "main" java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException problem on mac

[hemla]

No matter whatever other code i write on my mac apart from the very popular Hello World, no other one seems to work on my mac.

 
public class Distance1 {
 
	public static void main(String[] args){
		int a = Integer.parseInt( args[0] );
		int b = Integer.parseInt( args[1] );
 
		int dist = Math.max(a,b) - Math.min(a,b);
		System.out.println( dist );
 
	}
 
}

The error i get is: Exception in thread "main" java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException: 0
at Distance1.main(distance1.java:4)

Since i'm just a beginner, i dont know what it means. Can any1 help me with it?

[Norm]

DOes the args array contain any elements? Use the .length attrubute to test if there are enough elements in the array before trying to access any of its elements.

If the array is empty there is no first element (index=0) and you'll get: ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException: 0

The args array is filled with what is on the command line when the java command starts the class. For example:
java TheClass thisIsArg1 thisIsArg2

when the main() method executes, args[0] would have the value: "thisIsArg1", and args[1] would be "thisIsArg2"

[basha2013]

i think you are not provide the command line arguments. Run the program with command line arguments like

> java Distance1 4 5

[hemla]

Thanks to all of you who answered but now I get a different error:

Distance1.java:7: cannot find symbol
symbol : variable max
location: class java.lang.Math
System.out.println(Math.max - Math.min);
^
Distance1.java:7: cannot find symbol
symbol : variable min
location: class java.lang.Math
System.out.println(Math.max - Math.min);
^
2 errors
And now i'm confused :S

[Norm]

Where did you see that the max and min variables are defined in the Math class?
The compiler can not find their definitions in the Math class.

Read the API doc for the Math class to see what variables and methods are in the class and how to use them.

See post#1 for some usages of Math methods.

[hemla]

Problem solved!