Thread: Working with Methods

Hello.

My teacher gave us an assignment.

Menu to be displayed for the user:
WEIGHT CONVERSION
1. Pounds to kilograms
2. Kilograms to pounds

Note: To indicate the type of conversion, the user will enter the number of the conversion, NOT the type of conversion. For example, if the user wants to convert pounds to kilograms, he/she would type 1 (not “Pounds to kilograms”). Please refer to the Sample Output file for full details of what the program should look like when it runs.
Your program MUST contain the following three user-defined methods, in addition to the main function:

1. Convert pounds to kilograms
2. Convert kilograms to pounds
3. Print converted weight

I've managed to create my program and it runs fine. The thing I don't understand is the 3rd method (Print converted weight).
I did the first 2 methods.

/*
 * To change this template, choose Tools | Templates
 * and open the template in the editor.
 */
package weightconversion;
 
import java.util.Scanner;
 
/**
 *
 * @author jamesbottom
 */
public class WeightConversion {
 
    /**
     * @param args the command line arguments
     */
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Declare variables
        Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);
        int nMenuOption = 0;
        int nPounds = 0;
        int nKilograms = 0;
        double dPoundsToKilograms = 0.0;
        double dKilogramsToPounds = 0.0;
 
        //Print the menu
        System.out.println("WEIGHT CONVERSION" + '\n'+
                "1. Pounds to kilograms" + '\n' +
                "2. Kilograms to pounds");
 
        //Create a blank line
        System.out.println();
 
        //Prompt user for the type of conversion
        System.out.print("Please select the type of conversion you would like to make: ");
        nMenuOption = input.nextInt();
 
        if (nMenuOption == 1)
        {
            System.out.print("Please enter the pounds: ");
            nPounds = input.nextInt();
 
            dPoundsToKilograms = convertPoundsToKilograms(nPounds);
            System.out.print(nPounds + " pounds is " + dPoundsToKilograms + " kilograms");
        }
        else
            if (nMenuOption == 2)
            {
                System.out.print("Please enter the kilograms: ");
                nKilograms = input.nextInt();
 
                dKilogramsToPounds = convertKilogramsToPounds (nKilograms);
                System.out.print(nKilograms + " kilograms is " + dKilogramsToPounds + " pounds.");
            }
        else
                if (nMenuOption != 1 || nMenuOption != 2)
                {
                    System.out.println("Invalid conversion selection. Please " +
                            "run the program again.");
                }//end if/else for menu selection process
 
 
 
    }//end main method
 
 
 
     public static double convertPoundsToKilograms(double dPoundsEntered) {
        //Declare variables
        double dKilo = 0.0;
        final double POUNDS_IN_KILO = 2.204;
 
 
        //Calculate miles traveled
        dKilo = dPoundsEntered / POUNDS_IN_KILO;
 
        return dKilo;
 
    } //end method convertPoundsToKilograms
 
     public static double convertKilogramsToPounds(double dKilogramsEntered) {
        //Declare variables
        double dlbs = 0.0;
        final double KILO_TO_POUNDS = 0.453592;
 
 
        //Calculate miles traveled
        dlbs = dKilogramsEntered / KILO_TO_POUNDS;
 
        return dlbs;
 
    } //end method convertKilogramsToPounds
 
 
 
 
 
 
}//end class WeightConversion

My Professor then responded to my inquiry with this:

Your code looks good! The third method should print the last line of output to the screen. Depending what the user enters, you should print
System.out.print(nPounds + " pounds is " + dPoundsToKilograms + " kilograms");
or
System.out.print(nKilograms + " kilograms is " + dKilogramsToPounds + " pounds.");

Hope this helps –

I was hoping someone could give me a little insight. It would be greatly appreciated!

Your code looks quite clean and organized, plus you've already done the bulk of the work, so that's great! There are several simple ways you can get the third method to work. A hint that would help you out is to keep in mind, you can call methods inside of other methods. Alternatively, if you've learned method overriding, you could override toString().

public static void main(){
nPounds = input.nextInt();
System.out.print(nPounds + " pounds is " + dPoundsToKilograms + " kilograms");
}

Why is it when I do this, nPounds and everything else become under marked with red and giving me errors? Isn't this what your suggesting I do? I'm a bit confused. Sorry.

Quick update! I reworked my code around this time and managed to create the 3rd method. The only problem is it will give me a result something like this. Basically, I got it to print, but now it isn't printing what the user input and the respected conversion:

Please select the type of conversion you would like to make: 2
Please enter the kilograms: 23
0 kilograms is 0.0 pounds

/*
 * To change this template, choose Tools | Templates
 * and open the template in the editor.
 */
package practice;
 
import java.util.Scanner;
 
/**
 *
 * @author jamesbottom
 */
public class Practice {
 
    /**
     * @param args the command line arguments
     */
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        //Declare variables
        Scanner input = new Scanner (System.in);
        int nMenuOption = 0;
        int nWeight = 0;
        double dResult = 0.0;
 
        // Display menu
 
        System.out.print("WEIGHT CONVERSION" + '\n' +
                "1. Pounds to kilograms" + '\n' + 
                "2. Kilograms to pounds"+ '\n');
 
        //Create a blank line
        System.out.println();
 
 
        System.out.print("Please select the type of conversion you would "
                    + "like to make: ");
        nMenuOption = input.nextInt();
 
        if (nMenuOption == 1)
        {
            System.out.print("Please enter the pounds: ");
            nWeight = input.nextInt();
            dResult = convertPoundsToKilograms (nWeight);
            printConvertedWeight(nMenuOption,nWeight,dResult);
 
        }
        else
            if (nMenuOption == 2)
            {
                System.out.print("Please enter the kilograms: ");
                nWeight = input.nextInt();
                dResult = convertKilogramsToPounds(nWeight);
                printConvertedWeight(nMenuOption,nWeight,dResult);
            }
        else
                if (nMenuOption != 1 || nMenuOption != 2)
                {
                    System.out.print("Invalid conversion selection. Please run "
                            + "the program again.");
                }
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    }//end main method
 
    public static double convertPoundsToKilograms (double dPounds){
        final double POUNDS_IN_KILO = 2.204; 
        double dKilogramsFromPounds = 0.0;
 
        dKilogramsFromPounds = dPounds * POUNDS_IN_KILO;
 
        return dPounds;
    }
 
    public static double convertKilogramsToPounds (double dKilograms){
        final double KILO_IN_POUNDS = 0.453592;
        double dPoundsFromKilograms = 0.0;
 
        dPoundsFromKilograms = dKilograms * KILO_IN_POUNDS;
 
        return dKilograms;
    }
 
    public static void printConvertedWeight(int nNum0,int nNum1, double dNum2){
 
      nNum1 = 0;
      dNum2 = 0.0;
       if (nNum0 == 1){
           System.out.print(nNum1 + " pounds is " + dNum2 + " kilograms.");
       }
           else if
                   (nNum0 == 2){
               System.out.print(nNum1 + " kilograms is " + dNum2 + " pounds.");
       } 
 
 
    }
 
}//end class Practice

Oh ok, that makes alot of sense. But now when I test it again it reads something like this:

Please select the type of conversion you would like to make: 2
Please enter the kilograms: 50
50 kilograms is 50.0 pounds

--- Update ---

Quick Update!

I was messing around with my code and I decided to change info in these 2 methods:

   public static double convertPoundsToKilograms (double dPounds){
        final double POUNDS_IN_KILO = 2.204; 
        double dKilogramsFromPounds = 0.0;
 
        dPounds = dPounds / POUNDS_IN_KILO;
 
        return dPounds;
    }
 
    public static double convertKilogramsToPounds (double dKilograms){
        final double KILO_IN_POUNDS = 0.453592;
        double dPoundsFromKilograms = 0.0;
 
        dKilograms = dKilograms / KILO_IN_POUNDS;
 
        return dKilograms;
    }

I was wondering, does this make sense because now my program runs successfully. But now it seems like theres stuff in the methods that I can delete or change.

I said in my previous post that my program is running the way it should. 50 kilograms is 22.686.... and 50 pounds is 110 kilograms. I just wanted to make sure those 2 methods were set up right. I guess I'll go ahead and delete those unused variables then since they don't do anything.

I apologize for the confusion, but it feels like sometimes you reply in riddles and I sometimes don't understand what you mean. Sorry.

Yeah that was the problem I was having because thats not correct. But I guess my program is solid then.