java nested if statement else not working

Question

the else part of the statement is not executing when none of the other statements are true.

if (personPlay.equals(computerPlay))  
        System.out.println("It's a tie!");
    else if (personPlay.equals("R"))
        if (computerPlay.equals("S")) 
        System.out.println("Rock crushes scissors.  You win!!");
    else if (personPlay.equals("P"))
        if (computerPlay.equals("R")) 
        System.out.println("Paper raps around rock. You win!");
    else if (personPlay.equals("S"))
        if (computerPlay.equals("P"))
        System.out.println("Scissors cut paper. You win!");
    else 
        System.out.println("you lose");

Use brackets `{ }` and you will discover where the error lies. — Luiggi Mendoza, Sep 10 '14 at 15:53
It's because the second else if right now is checking the nested if of the first else if. Same with third else if for second one, etc. You need to add some brackets — Chronicle, Sep 10 '14 at 15:53
Look at [this topic](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/8020228/is-it-ok-if-i-omit-curly-braces-in-java). — But I'm Not A Wrapper Class, Sep 10 '14 at 15:56

Eran · Answer 1 · 2014-09-10T16:06:46.107

Use brackets :

if (personPlay.equals(computerPlay)) {
    System.out.println("It's a tie!");
} else if (personPlay.equals("R")) {
    if (computerPlay.equals("S")) 
      System.out.println("Rock crushes scissors.  You win!!");
} else if (personPlay.equals("P")) {
    if (computerPlay.equals("R")) 
        System.out.println("Paper wraps around rock. You win!");
} else if (personPlay.equals("S")) {
    if (computerPlay.equals("P"))
        System.out.println("Scissors cut paper. You win!");
} else {
    System.out.println("you lose");
}

As mentioned in comments, this code would still not work, since the logic is flawed. You should either have an else clause in each internal if, in which you should print "you lose" :

if (personPlay.equals(computerPlay)) {
    System.out.println("It's a tie!");
} else if (personPlay.equals("R")) {
    if (computerPlay.equals("S")) 
        System.out.println("Rock crushes scissors.  You win!!");
    else 
        System.out.println("you lose");
} else if (personPlay.equals("P")) {
    if (computerPlay.equals("R")) 
        System.out.println("Paper wraps around rock. You win!");
    else 
        System.out.println("you lose");
} else if (personPlay.equals("S")) {
    if (computerPlay.equals("P"))
        System.out.println("Scissors cut paper. You win!");
    else 
        System.out.println("you lose");
} else {
    System.out.println("invalid input");
}

Or you could eliminate the inner ifs and use && instead :

if (personPlay.equals(computerPlay)) {
    System.out.println("It's a tie!");
} else if (personPlay.equals("R") && computerPlay.equals("S")) {
      System.out.println("Rock crushes scissors.  You win!!");
} else if (personPlay.equals("P") && computerPlay.equals("R")) { 
        System.out.println("Paper wraps around rock. You win!");
} else if (personPlay.equals("S") && computerPlay.equals("P")) {
        System.out.println("Scissors cut paper. You win!");
} else {
    System.out.println("you lose");
}

real programmers do not need brackets to hold their teeth ;) — injecteer, Sep 10 '14 at 15:55
You might want to fix his logic too :) The user never gets "you lose" unless using bad input. — user1071777, Sep 10 '14 at 15:55

java nested if statement else not working

1 Answers1