variable vYourName might not have been initialized

Question

i'm a beginner at java scripting only been coding for no longer than 3 weeks and i've been stuck on this for a while.

I get the error variable vYourName might not have been initialized, when i compile. This is what i have wrote so far.

import java.util.Scanner;

public class GetInput

{

public static void main(String[] args){

    Scanner sc= new Scanner(System.in);//create a scanner object to collect user input
    String vYourName;
    String vPraise;
    System.out.print("Enter your name? >>");


  if(vYourName=="giacomo")
  {
    vYourName= sc.next();
    vPraise =vYourName + " ,hi there";
}
    else
{
    vYourName= sc.next();
    vPraise =vYourName + " how are you";
}
    System.out.println(vPraise);
}
}

possible duplicate of [Variables might not have been initialized](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/8284779/variables-might-not-have-been-initialized) and of course the ever-popular [How do I compare Strings in Java](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/513832/how-do-i-compare-strings-in-java) — Brian Roach, Feb 15 '14 at 04:04
Just check the variable **vYourName**, You have not taken any user input for that nor even initialized that. In this line- if(vYourName=="giacomo") You are trying to check a variable that is not initialized in any way — Jay Dharmendra Solanki, Feb 15 '14 at 04:06
i fixed the problem guys but it ignores the if and else statement its always writing back to me hi there i only want that to appear when i write "giacomo" and everything else to be responded by how are you any ideas? — user3312455, Feb 15 '14 at 04:24

meda · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-15T04:41:32.370

0

Simply initialize it before comparing it.

String vYourName = null;

or

String vYourName = "";

Scanner sc= new Scanner(System.in);
System.out.print("Enter your name? >>");
String vYourName = "";
String vPraise = "";
vYourName = sc.next();
vPraise = vYourName + ((vYourName.equals("giacomo"))? ", hi there" : ", how are you") ;
System.out.println(vPraise);

edited Feb 15 '14 at 04:41

answered Feb 15 '14 at 04:03

meda

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it fixed the problem thanks! but one problem every word writes back hi there i only want the word giacomo to do that and all the others to write back to me how are you – user3312455 Feb 15 '14 at 04:18

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 15 '14 at 04:04

0

Your checking whether the vYourName string equals to something before you even read it. Furthermore, you should use the .equals() method instead of the ==.

answered Feb 15 '14 at 04:04

Kent Shikama

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score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Feb 15 '14 at 04:08

You have an instance variable String vYourName; with no value. What does the string hold? " ", "Hello World", ???

You always need to declare AND initialize any variables.

The proper way to do this would String vYourName = ""; this will default it to "" which holds nothing.

variable vYourName might not have been initialized

3 Answers3