Thread: Small problem

I'm doing a practice problem where I have to decipher a certain string by moving each letter back two places in the alphabet, I also need to wrap it around if letter is the first or second letter of the alphabet. It works ok except when the letter is in the first or second position, it seems to decipher letter and print which is great though does it an additional time which is peculiar, I've been trying for many hours and still can't figure out small bug.
Here is my code:

import java.util.ArrayList;
 
public class CCipher{
	public static void main(String[]args){
		System.out.println(decode("ABC", 1));
	}
 
	public static String decode(String cipherText, int shift){
 
      String[] alphabet = {"A","B","C","D","E","F","G","H","I","J","K","L","M","N","O","P","Q","R","S","T","U","V","X","Y","Z"};
      ArrayList<String>cText = new ArrayList<String>();
      String returnString = "";
      //seperate individual letters and add them to arrayList
      for(int i = 0;i<cipherText.length();i++){
    	  cText.add(cipherText.substring(i,i+1));
      }
      //loop through no. of shifts needed
      for(int i=0;i<shift;i++){
    	  //loop through arrayList
    	  for(String cTEXT: cText){
    	  //loop through alphabet
		   for(int j=0;j<alphabet.length;j++){
 
		    		if(cTEXT.equals(alphabet[j])){
 
		    			if(j<1){
		    				cTEXT = alphabet[alphabet.length-2];
		    				returnString += cTEXT;
 
		    			}else if(j<2){
		    				cTEXT = alphabet[alphabet.length-1];
		    				returnString += cTEXT;
 
		    			}else if(j>=2){
		    			cTEXT = alphabet[j-2];
		    			returnString += cTEXT;
		    			}
		    		}
 
		    	}
		    }
		}
      return returnString;
 
	}
}

--- Update ---

Sorry for not giving an example. e.g.If I input "CCC" I get "AAA" output which is great, though if I input "ACC" I get "YVAA" as output, the "Y" is a good thing though I can' understand why from "Y" it is shifted a further two places.

Hint: unicode.

Check this portion of your code:

    	  //loop through alphabet
		   for(int j=0;j<alphabet.length;j++){
 
		    		if(cTEXT.equals(alphabet[j])){
 
		    			if(j<1){
		    				cTEXT = alphabet[alphabet.length-2];
		    				returnString += cTEXT;
 
		    			}else if(j<2){
		    				cTEXT = alphabet[alphabet.length-1];
		    				returnString += cTEXT;
 
		    			}else if(j>=2){
		    			cTEXT = alphabet[j-2];
		    			returnString += cTEXT;
		    			}
		    		}

Effectively what you are doing is this:
cTEXT = A;
loop to end of alphabet
A < 1;
cTEXT = Y;
returnString += Y;
... Loop keeps going this time checking for cTEXT.equals(alphabet[j]) once it gets to Y it matches because you changed it in your previous condition
Y >= 2;
cTEXT = alphabet(j - 2); = V
returnString += V
// returnString = YV

And it keeps doing it for the rest of the letters. There are a few ways to remedy this issue one is to make the loop end once one of the conditions is met. When you break out of a loop it only ends the current nested loop you are in but the others still continue unless you break out of those as well when a condition is met.

Thank you so much guys, I struggled to understand what you all meant since I know I have overcomplicated this problem.
I tried 'break' command under each condition as hinted by Ubiquitous and it started working.
Again Thank you!