Java Scanner class reading strings

Question

I got the following code:

        int nnames;
    String names[];

    System.out.print("How many names are you going to save: ");
    Scanner in = new Scanner(System.in);
    nnames = in.nextInt();
    names = new String[nnames];

    for (int i = 0; i < names.length; i++){
        System.out.print("Type a name: ");
        names[i] = in.next();
    }

    System.out.println(names[0]);

When I run this code, the scanner will only pick up the first name and not the last name. And it will sometimes skip a line when trying to enter a name, it will show up as if I had left the name blank and skip to the next name. I don't know what's causing this.

I hope someone can help me!

EDIT: I have tried in.nextLine(); it fixes the complete names but it still keeps a line, here is an example of the output:

How many names are you going to save:  3
Type a name: Type a name: John Doe
Type a name: John Lennon

Exact match of http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1466418/java-scanner-class-reading-strings — CPerkins, Sep 23 '09 at 19:36

score 8 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 23 '09 at 13:31

8

Instead of:

in.next();

Use:

in.nextLine();

nextLine() reads the characters until it finds a new line character '\n'

answered Sep 23 '09 at 13:31

rogeriopvl

51,659
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score 3 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 23 '09 at 14:39

3

After your initial nextInt(), there's still an empty newline in your input. So just add a nextLine() after your nextInt(), and then go into your loop:

...
Scanner in = new Scanner(System.in);
nnames = in.nextInt();
in.nextLine(); // gets rid of the newline after number-of-names
names = new String[nnames];

for (int i = 0; i < names.length; i++){
    System.out.print("Type a name: ");
    names[i] = in.nextLine();
}
...

answered Sep 23 '09 at 14:39

CPerkins

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+1 I've lost a programming contest recently because I used next() instead of nextLine() to skip that first \\n . That was so stupid :( – Denis Tulskiy Sep 23 '09 at 20:45
Was that CodeJam, by chance? I competed this year for the first time, and I got crushed - didn't even make it into round 2. But I had fun in the qual and round 1, and I'll be back next year. – CPerkins Sep 24 '09 at 12:52

score 2 · Answer 3 · answered Sep 23 '09 at 13:31

2

Scanner.next stops reading when it encounters a delimiter, which is a whitespace. Use the nextLine method instead.

answered Sep 23 '09 at 13:31

Amarghosh

58,710
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score -1 · Answer 4 · edited Apr 16 '14 at 19:36

-1

Try using:

System.out.println()

Instead of:

System.out.print()

edited Apr 16 '14 at 19:36

bigmike7801

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answered Apr 16 '14 at 19:11

user3542612

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Java Scanner class reading strings

4 Answers4

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