How would I initialize a String in a separate method from the main method?

Question

I want the user to enter a lower case b and the program recognizes that the b is lower case, and switch it to an upper case B. Since you cannot edit Strings during run time, how can I use a separate method from the main method in order to assign "name" to "name2". Once I try to print out "name2" after the method changes it, the compiler claims name2 hasn't been initialized even though it has been in a separate class.

I've tried initializing name2 as name2=""; so the compiler doesn't say "name2 hasn't been initialized once I try to print name2 to console, however, you cannot redefine a String during run time.

import java.util.Scanner;

public class Runner
{ 
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);

        String name;
        String name2;


        TextArguments test1 = new TextArguments();

        System.out.println("Please enter a lower case b");
        name = input.nextLine();


        test1.test(name,name2);




        System.out.println(name2);
    }
}






public class TextArguments
{
    public String test(String name, String name2)
    {                               
        if(name == "b") 
        {
           name2 = "B";
        }
        else
        name2 = name;

        return name2;
    }
}

Expected results:

Enter a lowercase b. b B

Actual Results:

test1.test(name,name2); ("name2 might have no been initalized")

`if(name == "b") ` is not how you compare Strings in java – Scary Wombat Apr 04 '19 at 00:55 — Scary Wombat, Apr 04 '19 at 00:55
You can't do that, because Java is pass-by-value. – Andreas Apr 04 '19 at 00:57 — Andreas, Apr 04 '19 at 00:57
`return name.toUpperCase();` – Elliott Frisch Apr 04 '19 at 01:10 — Elliott Frisch, Apr 04 '19 at 01:10

score -1 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 04 '19 at 00:56

-1

Parameters are inputs to a function. You want to return the string so you can get it back out of the function.

Use:

name2 = test1.test(name);

and:

public String test(String name)
{                    
    String name2;           
    if(name == "b") 
    {
         name2 = "B";
    // etc

answered Apr 04 '19 at 00:56

user253751

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I did that, however now when I run it, it returns name2 as b and not B. – Matt M Apr 04 '19 at 01:16
@MattM Maybe that's because you shouldn't use `==` to compare strings. – user253751 Apr 04 '19 at 01:26

How would I initialize a String in a separate method from the main method?

1 Answers1