Thread: New To Java (Help with arrays)

Hello, i've just started using java, but I don't seem to be getting the following output correct:

import java.util.Scanner;
 
public class MinNum
{
	public static void main(String[] args)
	{
		final int NUMBER_OF_ELEMENTS = 10;
		int[] numbers = new int[NUMBER_OF_ELEMENTS];
		int min = 0;
 
		java.util.Scanner input = new java.util.Scanner(System.in);
		for(int i = 0 ; i < NUMBER_OF_ELEMENTS ; i++)
		{
			System.out.print("Enter number: ");
			numbers[i] = input.nextInt();
		}
		for( int i = 0 ; i  < numbers[NUMBER_OF_ELEMENTS] ; i++)
		{
			if(numbers[i] > min)
				min = min;
			else
			{
				min = numbers[i];
			}
		}
		System.out.print("The smallest number is "+min);
	}
}

The code is supposed to check all the numbers in the array and return the smallest. I'm hoping someone can give me a hint as to where its going wrong.

For future reference, please post the full error message you are receiving. At quick glance, I'd bet

for( int i = 0 ; i  < numbers[NUMBER_OF_ELEMENTS] ; i++)

is (at least one of) the culprit. To get the size of an array, call array.length (eg numbers.length)

Sorry about that. It doesn't give me any errors, just the wrong output.

When running the code:

Enter Numbers: 5 7 9[ENTER]
Output: Enter Numbers: Enter Numbers: Enter Numbers

Thanks

And how do you want it to behave? It will loop through however you write it, and right now will ask you for number input 10 times before trying to calculate the min (I say try, because technically it will not if you set min=0, min=Integer.MAX_VALUE would be more appropriate)

Hi SilentPirate,

Please try the following code to check for Min.

import java.util.Scanner;
public class MinNum
{
public static void main(String[] args)
{
int min = 0;
java.util.Scanner scan = new java.util.Scanner(System.in);
System.out.print("Enter number: ");
String input=new String(scan.nextLine());
String[] numbers=input.split(" ");
for( int i = 0 ; i < numbers.length; i++)
{
int value=Integer.parseInt(numbers[i]);
if(i==0 || value<min)
min=value;
else
min = min;
}
System.out.print("The smallest number is "+min);
}
}

You weren't that far off with your first attempt. You've actually got the answers before.
I see 3 problems with the initial code and I'll point them out so you can understand what went wrong before:

1. You will always get min = 0. That is, unless you enter a negative number.
You should probably start off with

min = numbers[0];

which is basically what you are doing now in your new code. Or you could do what copeg suggested and do

min = Integer.MAX_VALUE;

2. You aren't looping through the entire array, or perhaps even beyond its size, which would generate an exception. Use

for(int i = 0; i < NUMBER_OF_ELEMENTS; i++)

like you did in the first loop, or number.length which is probably better (because it will always be correct even if you for some reason change the size of your array.

3. You could skip the else and just change your if-test:

if(numbers[i] < min) min = numbers[i];

However, in your new code... do you want to use 0 as a special number to tell the program you want to quit?