Random 4 Char Generator Generates 3 Numbers Instead?

**BenjaminJ** · July 10th, 2014, 06:24 AM

Hi there everyone,

As you will be able to gather from this code, I am a total beginner. I'm trying to make the basis of a complex (pseudo)random password generator, but instead of 4 chars it is printing a 3 digit number.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

public class PasswordGen {
 
	public static void main (String[] args) {
 
		char[] alphabet = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz".toCharArray();
		int w = (int) ((Math.random() * 25 +1)); // pick a letter of the alphabet
		int x = (int) ((Math.random() * 25 +1));
		int y = (int) ((Math.random() * 25 +1));
		int z = (int) ((Math.random() * 25 +1));
 
		char place1 = (alphabet[w]); // assign letter of the alphabet to place in string below
		char place2 = (alphabet[x]);
		char place3 = (alphabet[y]);
		char place4 = (alphabet[z]);
 
		System.out.println(place1 + place2 + place3 + place4);
	}
 
}

**GregBrannon** · July 10th, 2014, 06:46 AM

Welcome to the Forum! Thanks for taking the time to learn to post code correctly, and if you haven't already, please read this topic to see other useful info for newcomers.

**Norm** · July 10th, 2014, 07:05 AM

instead of 4 chars it is printing a 3 digit number.

I see code to print 4 chars,
Which one of the 4 char is not printing? Post the program's output.

Add some more print statements(1 per variable) to see which one is the problem.

**BenjaminJ** · July 10th, 2014, 07:21 AM

Okay, so changing the string from 'place1 + place2 + place3 + place4' to 'place1', etc, gave me: wnxwknxwknxwknxwknxwknxwknxwknxwnxwknx
At 'place1 + place2 + place3 + place4' it gives me a number around 433 every time.

EDIT: Sorry, the long string came from a for loop I forgot to remove. Actual output was a single char.

**Norm** · July 10th, 2014, 07:36 AM

char are numeric variables that can be added together with the + operator
For example what would you expect from this expression: 1+2+3+4?
1234
or 10
The same with 'a'+'b'+'c'+'d'
it gives a sum not "abcd"

The + operator is used two ways:
sum of numeric operands
concatenation of String objects.

To get concatenation, use Strings.

**BenjaminJ** · July 10th, 2014, 07:53 AM

I thought I just replied to this, but my post disappeared. Thanks for your concise reply - I have another question; when I put the random number generator in a for loop, it returns the same result over and over again (433, 433, 433) instead of a new calculation every time (433, 564, 794, etc). Is there a way to force it to generate again each time it loops?

Thanks!

**Norm** · July 10th, 2014, 08:10 AM

a way to force it to generate again each time it loops?

Please post the code you are asking about.
If you define the generator one time and then call its methods repeatedly inside the loop, you should get a new number each time from the method.

**Cornix** · July 10th, 2014, 08:11 AM

Originally Posted by BenjaminJ

I thought I just replied to this, but my post disappeared. Thanks for your concise reply - I have another question; when I put the random number generator in a for loop, it returns the same result over and over again (433, 433, 433) instead of a new calculation every time (433, 564, 794, etc). Is there a way to force it to generate again each time it loops?

Thanks!

Show your code and we can help you.

**BenjaminJ** · July 10th, 2014, 08:19 AM

I just realised the answer myself - the only part looping was the print method, not the random number generator. Everything's solved, thanks guys.

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