Thread: ISP Billing code issues for a beginner

Before I post this I just want to make clear that I just started coding like last week so i may seem a little slow.

Im currently having issues with an assignment regarding Internet Service provider billing. Ive tried several different sources but cannot seem to get an answer as to why im getting a initialization error. Im very very new to this stuff and its probably something basic that i just cant see. The assignment reads:

An Internet service provider has three different subscription packages for its customers:
Package A: For $9.95 per month 10 hours of access are provided. Additional hours are $2.00 per hour.
Package B: For $13.95 per month 20 hours of access are provided. Additional hours are $1.00 per hour.
Package C: For $19.95 per month unlimited access is provided.
Write a program that calculates a customer’s monthly bill. It should ask the user to enter the letter of the package the customer has purchased *A, B, or C) and the number of hours that were used. It should then display the total charges.


The code i have so far is :

import java.util.Scanner;
public class InternetBill
{
public static void main(String[] args)
{
 
//naming variables 
Scanner keyboard = new Scanner(System.in);
int hoursUsed,regularHours,extraHours;
double monthlyFee,extraHoursFee,totalFee;
char packageLetter;
 
 
System.out.println("Enter the type of internet you want(A,B,C)");
 
 
 
System.out.println("Enter the number of hours you used");
hoursUsed = keyboard.nextInt();
 
 
 
 
switch(packageLetter)
 
//the calculations needed for result 
{
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
case 'A':
monthlyFee = 9.95;
regularHours = 10;
extraHours = hoursUsed - regularHours;
extraHoursFee = extraHours * 2.00;
totalFee = monthlyFee + extraHoursFee;
System.out.println("The total bill is $" + totalFee);
break;
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
case 'B':
monthlyFee = 13.95;
regularHours = 20;
extraHours = hoursUsed - regularHours;
extraHoursFee = extraHours * 1.00;
totalFee = monthlyFee + extraHoursFee;
System.out.println("The total bill is " + totalFee);
System.out.println("The total bill is $" +totalFee);
break;
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
case 'C':
totalFee = 19.95;
System.out.println("The total bill is $" +totalFee + ".");
 
break;
default:
System.out.println("Eenter  A,B,C)");
}
 
 
}
 
}

The problem I have is that I do not know how to code right under

System.out.println("Enter the type of internet you want(A,B,C)");

I want to make it so that the user could enter either A B or C. I tired using "packageLetter=keyboard.nextChar();" but apparently you cant do that. Im so confused -_-.

I KNOW my code is good with the calculation part and the switch part but i dont know what to do from here

sure, it says

[java code]

----jGRASP exec: javac -g InternetBill.java

InternetBill.java:25: error: variable packageLetter might not have been initialized
switch(packageLetter)
^
1 error

----jGRASP wedge2: exit code for process is 1.
----jGRASP: operation complete.
[/code]

Hi. Check out Java For Complete Beginners - user input on how to use Scanner.

Scanner does not have a nextChar() method. See java - Why doesn't the Scanner class have a nextChar method? - Stack Overflow for the reason. See also java - Take a char input from the Scanner - Stack Overflow on what you can do about it.

Hth!

Hi try to study this:
Scanner (Java Platform SE 7 )

There are many ways to get an input from the users.
That scanner is one way of getting input

You can also try study InputStreamReader and BufferedReader. That's an alternative

What type of scanner should i use? And whats the code for it?

What type of scanner should i use? And whats the code for it?

Try to read the links that we have posted.
There is a tutorials in that link.
try to read the first link that jashburn posted,
there is a tutorial in that link,
you can also use the link that I have poset for reference

Further guidance... "InternetBill.java:25: error: variable packageLetter might not have been initialized" states that "packageLetter" hasn't been initialised, which is the missing bit beneath

System.out.println("Enter the type of internet you want(A,B,C)");

One of the links I posted provides the code to get a char out of the String that is returned by Scanner. The above error message should go away once you assign the char value to packageLetter.

Ad dicdic mentioned, just go through the links, and you'll be fine.