Thread: returing my value from an array

// please help me, I am trying to return the lowest value from the array. having trouble trying to capture the return value by placing it into the variable .. int myLowest = getLowest(yourNumbers); and then printing out myLowest


import java.util.*;



public class numArrays
{
public static void main(String[] args){


int numbers;
int[]yourNumbers;

Scanner keyboard = new Scanner(System.in);

System.out.print("How many numbers do you want to enter?");
numbers = keyboard.nextInt();

yourNumbers = new int[numbers];

for (int i = 0; i < yourNumbers.length; i++){
System.out.print("Enter Numbers" + (i + 1) + ":");
yourNumbers[i] = keyboard.nextInt();
}

System.out.print("Here are your numbers:");
for(int i = 0; i < yourNumbers.length; i++)
System.out.print(yourNumbers[i] + " ");

getLowest(yourNumbers);

}




public static int getLowest(int[] yourNumbers)
{

int lowest = yourNumbers[0];
{
for(int i = 1; i < yourNumbers.length; i++)

if (yourNumbers[i] < lowest)
lowest = yourNumbers[i];

}

return(lowest);


int myLowest = getLowest(yourNumbers);

System.out.print(myLowest);


}

}

sorry about that, the user inputs how ever many numbers they want then it returns them as an array and i am trying to get it to return the lowest number out of the entered numbers. it compiles up untill the very last part.

if you remove this part of the code:

int myLowest = getLowest(yourNumbers);

System.out.print(myLowest);

it will compile and run but wont return lowest, I am just trying to figure out how to print the lowest number entered by the user

Before you remove those lines, when you compile or run, do you get errors? If so, post those.

no errors, runs and prints out the users numbers, just doesnt print the lowest.

Please post your code correctly using code or highlight tags which are explained near the top of this link. If you haven't read that entire page, please do so.

Originally Posted by Junky

I find that hard to believe. You should be getting an unreachable statement error as you have code after the return statement.

there are no errors when the code below the return is removed

Originally Posted by Ada Lovelace

I tested out the last given code - with the statements I do indeed get
the error 'unreachable code' which is obvious as stated previous. When I
ran the code through the debugger after removing the two offending(?)
lines of code - I got this:

How many numbers do you want to enter? 14
Enter Numbers1: 2
Enter Numbers2: 5
Enter Numbers3:2
Enter Numbers4:3
Enter Numbers5:1
Enter Numbers6:1
Enter Numbers7:1
Enter Numbers8:22
Enter Numbers9:2
Enter Numbers10:3
Enter Numbers11:3
Enter Numbers12:5
Enter Numbers13:1
Enter Numbers14:5
Here are your numbers:2 5 2 3 1 1 1 22 2 3 3 5 1 5

Which was exactly how it should of executed.

When the method terminated (at the return) control was handed back to
method main. Your problem lies in the visibility of your two removed statements.

Wishes Ada xx

yes you are correct, I was trying to figure out what I had to do to get it to also return the lowest number out of the user input

--- Update ---

This is my problem, I have having trouble trying to figure out how to get the last part to execute.

This is my problem, I have having trouble trying to figure out how to get the last part to execute.

Put the "last part" before the return? Post your updated code correctly with the latest results and a description of what the code should be doing, and we'll see if we can help. Right now I'm not sure what the problem is.

Originally Posted by GregBrannon

Put the "last part" before the return? Post your updated code correctly with the latest results and a description of what the code should be doing, and we'll see if we can help. Right now I'm not sure what the problem is.

import java.util.*;
 
 
 
public class numArrays
{
public static void main(String[] args){
 
 
int numbers;
int[]yourNumbers; 
 
Scanner keyboard = new Scanner(System.in);
 
System.out.print("How many numbers do you want to enter?");
numbers = keyboard.nextInt();
 
yourNumbers = new int[numbers];
 
for (int i = 0; i < yourNumbers.length; i++){
   System.out.print("Enter Numbers" + (i + 1) + ":");
     yourNumbers[i] = keyboard.nextInt();
     }
 
System.out.print("Here are your numbers:");
 for(int i = 0; i < yourNumbers.length; i++)
   System.out.print(yourNumbers[i] + " ");
 
getLowest(yourNumbers);
 
}
 
 
 
 
public static int getLowest(int[] yourNumbers)
{
 
  int lowest = yourNumbers[0];
  {
  for(int i = 1; i < yourNumbers.length; i++)
 
  if (yourNumbers[i] < lowest)
  lowest = yourNumbers[i];
 
  }
 
 
 
 
    int myLowest = getLowest(yourNumbers);
 
    System.out.print(myLowest);
 
  }
  }

I am trying to get it to print the lowest number out of the user inputs.

You now have a method specified to return an 'int', but it has no return statement. The use of methods can be confusing at first, but don't make it harder than it is. DO NOT include a statement in the method that calls itself unless you're designing a recursive method that has an escape strategy, which you do not.

Besides deleting the last two statements in the method, here's what else you could do to fix what you have:

1. (A) Change getLowest() to type void and (B) print the lowest value before leaving the method (B is kind of what you have now), or

2. Leave the method returning an int (lowest), and have main() print the result, as in:

System.out.println( "The lowest is: " + getLowest(yourNumbers) );

import java.util.*;
 
 
 
public class numArrays
{
public static void main(String[] args){
 
 
int numbers;
int[]yourNumbers; 
 
Scanner keyboard = new Scanner(System.in);
 
System.out.print("How many numbers do you want to enter?");
numbers = keyboard.nextInt();
 
yourNumbers = new int[numbers];
 
for (int i = 0; i < yourNumbers.length; i++){
   System.out.print("Enter Numbers" + (i + 1) + ":");
     yourNumbers[i] = keyboard.nextInt();
     }
 
System.out.print("Here are your numbers:");
 for(int i = 0; i < yourNumbers.length; i++)
   System.out.print(yourNumbers[i] + " ");
 
getLowest(yourNumbers);
 
}
 
 
 
 
public static int getLowest(int[] yourNumbers)
{
 
  int lowest = yourNumbers[0];
  {
  for(int i = 1; i < yourNumbers.length; i++)
 
  if (yourNumbers[i] < lowest)
  lowest = yourNumbers[i];
 
  }
 
 
 
  System.out.println( "The lowest is: " + getLowest(yourNumbers) );
 
  }
  }
}

is this correct, cause i still get an error.

What errors? Post those too. And PLEASE, please, please, begin class names with capital letters.

Originally Posted by Junky

I want you to walk into the kitchen, open the cutlery drawer, grab a spoon and smack yourself on the forehead. How can it possibly be correct if you are getting errors?

ha, yea sorry, I meant my format on that last part of code I added, this is error i am getting.

numArrays.java:53: error: missing return statement
}
^
1 error

--- Update ---

or this error when I add a {

numArrays.java:57: error: class, interface, or enum expected
}
^
1 error

I skimmed over this feed and think I have found the issue here. The code below is not tested:

public static int getLowest(int[] yourNumbers)  //you have to return something since you declared it as a int
{
 
  int lowest = yourNumbers[0];
 
  for(int i = 1; i < yourNumbers.length; i++)
{
 
  if (yourNumbers[i] < lowest)
   {
  lowest = yourNumbers[i];
   }
}
  // you really don't need this here in my opinion, move this to main. If this its intended purpose make it a void statement
 
  System.out.println( "The lowest is: " + getLowest(yourNumbers) );
 
     return lowest;  
  }
}