How to block the user from typing text - c#

I'm recreating the game Hammurabi (just an assignment for my uni) and I want somehow my code to check if the user is typing text so it gets in a while loop to prompt him to type text. I know how to make the user type the numbers I want him to but I don't know how to fix it if he types something like "a" then my program will bug.
Here is an example of what I'm talking about:
while (acresToBuy < 0)
{
Console.WriteLine("Please type a positive number or 0");
acresToBuy = int.Parse(Console.ReadLine());
}
int cost = trade * acresToBuy;
while (cost > bushels)
{
Console.WriteLine("We have but " + bushels + " bushels of grain, not " + cost);
acresToBuy = int.Parse(Console.ReadLine());
cost = trade * acresToBuy;
}

You can use Int.TryParse for this. For example:
while (acresToBuy < 0)
{
Console.WriteLine("Please type a positive number or 0");
acresToBuy = int.TryParse(Console.ReadLine(), out acresToBuy) ? acresToBuy : -1;
}
If Int.TryParse fails, then the method will return false, in which then we assign -1 to acresToBuy, otherwise, if it succeeds, we simply assign it back to itself.

You shouldn't use int.Parse (or other types' equivalents) unless you can absolutely guarantee that the input will be parsable, and that's something you cannot do where user input is involved. Instead, you should use int.TryParse:
do
{
Console.WriteLine("Please type a positive number or 0");
int input;
if (int.TryParse(Console.ReadLine(), out input)
&& input >= 0) // You can validate the input at the same time
{
acresToBuy = input;
}
else
{
Console.WriteLine("That was not the correct input. Please try again.");
acresToBuy = -1;
}
} while (acresToBuy < 0);
Edit: The while loop will always check it's condition first before executing, so keep in mind that your code will only run if acresToBuy has an initial value of something less than 0 (i.e. -1). To prevent from having to constantly check this against pre-existing conditions, you should instead use a do-while loop, which will always run at least once.

Related

How to do while loop/Do while loop with sentinel value with switch

Hello I am trying to figure out why my program is not working, it's supposed to output a program in which department codes would be entered and followed by a prompt to enter a mark and so on until Q is entered. I can't seem to get that part working at all. If anyone could help please I will appreciate it.
// declare variables
char deptCode = ' ';
int count = 0;
double markVal, sum = 0, average = 0.0;
{
Console.WriteLine("Enter a department code: ‘C’ or ‘c’ for Computer Science,‘B’ or ‘b’ for History, ‘P’ or ‘p’ for Physics, or enter ‘Q’ or ‘q’ to quit:");
deptCode = Convert.ToChar(Console.ReadLine());
while (char.ToUpper(deptCode) != 'Q')
do
{
Console.Write("Enter a mark between 0 and 100 => ");
markVal = Convert.ToDouble(Console.ReadLine());
{
Console.WriteLine("Enter a department code: ‘C’ or ‘c’ for Computer Science,‘B’ or ‘b’ for History, ‘P’ or ‘p’ for Physics, or enter ‘Q’ or ‘q’ to quit:");
deptCode = Convert.ToChar(Console.ReadLine());
} while (markVal >= 0 && markVal <= 100);
count++;
average = (double)sum / count;
Console.WriteLine("***Error, Please Enter Valid Mark");
Console.WriteLine("The Average mark for Computer Science Students is {0}", average);
Console.WriteLine("The Average mark for Biology Students is {0}", average);
Console.WriteLine("The Average mark for Physics Students is {0}", average);
Console.ReadLine();
{
I am sympathetic to your dilemma and know it can be challenging to learn coding when you are not familiar with it. So hopefully the suggestions below may help to get you started at least down the right path. At the bottom of this is a basic “shell” but parts are missing and hopefully you will be able to fill in the missing parts.
One idea that you will find very helpful is if you break things down into pieces (methods) that will make things easier to follow and manage. In this particular case, you need to get a handle on the endless loops that you will be creating. From what I can see there would be three (3) possible endless loops that you will need to manage.
An endless loop that lets the user enter any number of discipline marks.
An endless loop when we ask the user which discipline to use
And an endless loop when we ask the user for a Mark between 0 and 100
When I say endless loop I mean that when we ask the user for a Discipline or a Mark… then, the user MUST press the “c”, “b” “p” or “q” character to exit the discipline loop. In addition the user MUST enter a valid double value between 0 and 100 to exit the Mark loop. The first endless loop will run allowing the user to enter multiple disciplines and marks and will not exit until the user presses the q character when selecting a discipline.
And finally when the user presses the ‘q’ character, then we can output the averages.
So to help… I will create two methods for you. One that will represent the endless loop for getting the Mark from the user… i.e.…. a number between 0 and 100. Then a second endless loop method that will get the Discipline from the user… i.e. … ‘c’, ‘b’, ‘p’ or ‘q’… and it may look something like…
private static char GetDisciplineFromUser() {
string userInput;
while (true) {
Console.WriteLine("Enter a department code: ‘C’ for Computer Science,‘B’ for Biology, ‘P’ for Physics, or enter ‘Q’ to quit:");
userInput = Console.ReadLine().ToLower();
if (userInput.Length > 0) {
if (userInput[0] == 'c' || userInput[0] == 'b' ||
userInput[0] == 'p' || userInput[0] == 'q') {
return userInput[0];
}
}
Console.WriteLine("Invalid discipline => " + userInput + " try again.");
}
}
Note… the loop will never end until the user selects the characters ‘c’, ‘b’, ‘p’ or ‘q’. We can guarantee that when we call the method above, ONLY those characters are returned.
Next is the endless loop to get the Mark from the user and may look something like…
private static double GetMarkFromUser() {
string userInput;
while (true) {
Console.WriteLine("Enter a mark between 0 and 100 => ");
userInput = Console.ReadLine().Trim();
if (double.TryParse(userInput, out double mark)) {
if (mark >= 0 && mark <= 100) {
return mark;
}
}
Console.WriteLine("Invalid Mark => " + userInput + " try again.");
}
}
Similar to the previous method, and one difference is we want to make sure that the user enters a valid number between 0 and 100. This is done using a TryParse method and most numeric types have a TryParse method and I highly recommend you get familiar with it when checking for valid numeric input.
These two methods should come in handy and simplify the main code. So your next issue which I will leave to you, is how are you going to store these values? When the user enters a CS 89 mark… how are you going to store this info? In this simple case… six variables may work like…
int totalsCSMarks = 0;
int totalsBiologyMarks = 0;
int totalsPhysicsMarks = 0;
double totalOfAllCSMarks = 0;
double totalOfAllBiologyMarks = 0;
double totalOfAllPhysicsMarks = 0;
Now you have something to store the users input in.
And finally the shell that would work using the methods above and you should see this uncomplicates things a bit in comparison to your current code. Hopefully you should be able to fill in the missing parts. Good Luck.
static void Main(string[] args) {
// you will need some kind of storage for each discipline.. see above...
char currentDiscipline = 'x';
double currentMark;
while (currentDiscipline != 'q') {
currentDiscipline = GetDisciplineFromUser();
if (currentDiscipline != 'q') {
currentMark = GetMarkFromUser();
switch (currentDiscipline) {
case 'c':
// add 1 to total number of CS marks
// add currentMarkValue to the total of CS marks
break;
case 'b':
// add 1 to total number of Biology marks
// add currentMarkValue to the total of Biology marks
break;
default: // <- we know for sure that only p could be left
// add 1 to total number of Physics marks
// add currentMarkValue to the total of Physics marks
break;
}
}
}
Console.WriteLine("Averages ------");
//Console.WriteLine("The Average mark for Computer Science Students is {0}", totalOfAllCSMarks / totalCSMarks);
//Console.WriteLine("The Average mark for Biology Students is {0}", ...);
//Console.WriteLine("The Average mark for Physics Students is {0}", ...);
Console.ReadLine();
}

How to use same variable for string input in one case, and int input in another case? (C#)

Quick question how do I use same variable for string input in case and int input in another case. Here is what I mean by that, I have a problem where I need to constantly insert number and then put the addition of those numbers inside another variable. This inserting is inside do while loop, for me to exit the loop and to show the sum of those numbers, I need to type "OK" or "ok". I have a problem where I do not know how to use string variable for int inputs.
Here is my code:
string input= "";
int sum = 0;
do
{
Console.WriteLine("Insert the number or OK (ok) for exit: ");
input = Console.ReadLine();
sum += Convert.ToInt32(input);
// this is where I get the error Input string was not in the correct fromat
} while (input != "OK" && input != "ok");
Console.WriteLine(sum)
If anyone knows how to help me with this, I would gladly appreciate it.
First identify that the user entered integer or not using int.TryParse(), if user entered integer then add it to the sum variable otherwise check the string
do
{
Console.WriteLine("Insert the number or OK (ok) for exit: ");
input = Console.ReadLine();
//This will add number only if user enters integer.
if(int.TryParse(input, out int number)
sum += number
} while (input != "OK" && input != "ok");
You have to test for OK before you try to convert to a number, because OK won't convert to a number
string input= "";
int sum = 0;
while(true)
{
Console.WriteLine("Insert the number or OK (ok) for exit: ");
input = Console.ReadLine();
if("OK".Equals(input, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)) //do a case insensitive check. Note that it's acceptable to call methods on constants, and doing a string check this way round cannot throw a NullReferenceException
break;//exit the loop
sum += Convert.ToInt32(input);
}
Console.WriteLine(sum);
You'll still get the error if the user enters input other than OK, that is not convertible to a number, but this is the crux of your current problem. I'll leave dealing with other garbages as an exercise for you...

While loop breaks unintentionally

I am in my second week of C# training, so I am pretty new to programming. I have to make a program that returns the smallest integer out of a series of random integer inputs. Once the input = 0, the program should break out of the loop. I am only allowed to use while and for loops. For some reason my program breaks out of loop after the second input and it looks like it doesn't even care if there is a "0" or not. Could you please see where I went wrong? I have been busting my head off with this. Sorry if this question has already been posted by somebody else but I did not find an answer to it anywhere.
PS: The zero input should be taken into account for the comparison.
So this is what I've got so far:
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
int i = 0;
int input = Int32.Parse(Console.ReadLine());
int min = default;
while (input != 0)
{
Console.ReadLine();
if (i == 0)
{
min = input;
break;
}
if (input < min && i !=0)
{
input = Convert.ToInt32(Console.ReadLine());
min = input;
}
i++;
}
Console.WriteLine(min);
}
First of all you will want to re-read the documentation for for- and while-loops. There are several useful pages out there.. e.g. for / while.
Problem
The reason why your loop breaks is that you initialize i with 0.
int i = 0;
Inside your loop you are using the if-statment to break the loop if the condition "i is 0" is met.
if (i == 0)
{
min = input;
break;
}
The input that the user has to provide each iteration of the loop is ignored by your program as you are never storing this kind of information to any variable.
while (input != 0)
{
Console.ReadLine();
// ...
}
Possible Solution
As a beginner it is helpful to tackle tasks step by step. Try to write down each of this steps to define a simple algorithm. As there are many solutions to this problem one possible way could be:
Declare minimum value + assign max value to it
Use a while loop and loop till a specific condition is matched
Read user-input and try converting it to an integer
Check whether the value is 0 or not
4.1. If the value is 0, go to step 8
4.2. If the value is not 0, go to step 5
Check whether the value is smaller than the current minimum value
5.1. If the value is smaller, go to step 6
5.2. If the value is not smaller, go back to step 3
Set the new minimum
Go back to step 3
Break the loop
End program
A program that handles the above steps could look like:
using System;
namespace FindMinimum
{
public class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
// Declare minimum value + assign initial value
int minValue = int.MaxValue;
// Loop until something else breaks out
while (true)
{
Console.WriteLine("Please insert any number...");
// Read io and try to parse it to int
bool parseOk = int.TryParse(Console.ReadLine(), out int num);
// If the user did not provide any number, let him retry
if (!parseOk)
{
Console.WriteLine("Incorrect input. Please insert numbers only.");
continue;
}
// If the user typed in a valid number and that number is zero, break out of the loop
if (parseOk && num == 0)
{
break;
}
// If the user typed in a valid number and that number is smaller than the minimum-value, set the new minimum
if (parseOk && num < minValue)
{
minValue = num;
}
}
// Print the result to the console
Console.WriteLine($"Minimum value: {minValue}.");
// Keep console open
Console.ReadLine();
}
}
}
Try This:
int input;
Console.Write("Enter number:");
input = Int32.Parse(Console.ReadLine());
int min = input;
while(true)
{
if (input == 0)
break;
if (min > input)
min = input;
Console.Write("Enter number:");
input = Int32.Parse(Console.ReadLine());
}
Console.WriteLine(min);
Console.ReadKey();
I hope it helps.

Why doen't the smallest number from user input gets added to the list?

There was a test in school where we had to write a C# console program that reads positive integers below 100 from user input and then writes out some details like the biggest number. I used a list to store the numbers. I tested it with some random numbers I typed in but the program only adds the numbers to list starting with the second smallest one.
int count = 0;
List<int> bekertek = new List<int>();
int bekert = Convert.ToInt32(Console.ReadLine());
double atlag;
while (bekert > 0 && bekert < 100)
{
bekert = Convert.ToInt32(Console.ReadLine());
count++;
bekertek.Add(bekert);
}
/* This section is only for checking the list's elements
foreach (var i in bekertek)
{
Console.Write(i + " ");
}*/
Console.WriteLine("A bevitt adatok száma: {0}", count);
bekertek.Sort();
bekertek.Remove(bekertek.Last());
atlag = bekertek.Average();
Console.WriteLine("A legnagyobb érték: {0}", bekertek.Last());
Console.WriteLine("A legkisebb érték: {0}", bekertek.First());
Console.WriteLine("Az adatok átlaga: {0}", atlag);
What did I do wrong?
For input in console, I think the do...while loop is the ideal construct. Menus or requesting a number - it covers all of those.
As for what went wrong: Actually it adds all numbers to the collection (that debug code should confirm it). You just remove the smalest number from the collection between Sorting and Display:
bekertek.Sort();
bekertek.Remove(bekertek.Last()); //Should not have done this.
atlag = bekertek.Average();
There is a saying: "The 2 most common issues in Progamming is naming variables, chache invalidation and off-by-one errors." But this specific to make is somewhat unique :)
Edit: As Biesi Grr pointed out, you also ignore the first input:
int bekert = Convert.ToInt32(Console.ReadLine()); //this is never processed
double atlag;
while (bekert > 0 && bekert < 100)
{
bekert = Convert.ToInt32(Console.ReadLine());
count++;
bekertek.Add(bekert);
}
Maybe you wanted to use a ReadKey() here? There is also no need for a counter - that is actually the job of List.Lenght. In any case, a do..while would make that line unessesary any way.
let us make a fixed, do...while version
bool repeat= true;
do{
int bekert = Convert.ToInt32(Console.ReadLine());
if(bekert > 0 && bekert < 100)
bekertek.Add(bekert);
else
repeat = false;
}while(repeat )

Do while loop is moving to the next step without meeting conditions

I have just started to learn C# this week and am trying to run a simple code that prompts the user to enter a number if they enter text, or prompts them to enter a positive number if they enter a negative one (so a boolean operation for the text, and an if statement for the negative). If they enter a valid (positive) number the program continues on with the rest of the steps.
However with this code, if the user inputs a negative, then a text, then another negative number and so forth it seems to break the loop and continue on with the next operations.
The code is part of a bigger program so I have scaled it down and pulled out only the most critical parts for it to run. Is anyone able to spot what I have missed here?
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
namespace IncomeTaxCalculator
{
class IncomeTax
{
public static void Main()
{
double income;
income = income_input();
show_output(income);
}
public static double income_input()
{
double income; string income_string; bool bad_value = true;
do
{
Console.Write("What is your total income: ");
income_string = Console.ReadLine();
if (double.TryParse(income_string, out income))
{
bad_value = false;
}
else
{
Console.WriteLine("Enter your income as a whole-dollar numeric figure.");
}
if (income < 0)
{
Console.WriteLine("Your income cannot be a negative");
}
} while (bad_value || income < 0);
return income;
}
public static void show_output(double income)
{
Console.WriteLine("Your income is " + income);
Console.WriteLine("\n\n Hit Enter to exit.");
Console.ReadLine();
}
}
}
Here's what's happening. When you enter a negative number bad_value will be set to false. Then when you enter a non-numeric value income will be set to 0 by the TryParse. Now your condition of bad_value || income < 0 is false. To fix it you just need to reset bad_value to true at the beginning of each loop.
Alternatively you could as René Vogt suggests set bad_value to true in the else and additionally in the if that checks if it is negative and then you can just do while(bad_value).
do
{
Console.Write("What is your total income: ");
income_string = Console.ReadLine();
if (double.TryParse(income_string, out income))
{
bad_value = false;
}
else
{
Console.WriteLine("Enter your income as a whole-dollar numeric figure.");
bad_value = true;
}
if (income < 0)
{
Console.WriteLine("Your income cannot be a negative");
bad_value = true;
}
} while (bad_value);
I realize this has already been accepted but this can be done in a much simpiler loop. Why not just create an infinite loop and break/return when the values are satisfied. Instead of checking for invalid input search for valid input.
I wont go into detail as to why this is a more acceptable solution, consider the instructions given, if you exepect an invalid input then your instructions are wrong. Instead check for positive results. Read This!!
static double income_input()
{
double income = double.NaN;
while (true)
{
Console.WriteLine("What is your income?:");
if (double.TryParse(Console.ReadLine(), out income) && income > 0)
return income;
Console.WriteLine("Invalid input. Please enter a valid number greater than zero.");
}
}
Really all we have done here is created an infinite-loop with the while(true). So now the loop can never end unless we explicitly tell it to.
Next you can simply parse the result and assure the conditions that double.TryParse succeeds and income > 0. Note the return simply exits the loop.
Now this compiles (note there is no return at the end) as the compiler understands that the only exit point is through the return statement. Example Post
If you wanted to go for the shortest code possible could use some C# 7 syntax for inline variables.
static double income_input()
{
while (true)
{
Console.WriteLine("What is your income?:");
if (double.TryParse(Console.ReadLine(), out double income) && income > 0)
return income;
Console.WriteLine("Invalid input. Please enter a valid number greater than zero.");
}
}
Happy Coding!.
Change your code to be something like this:
double income;
string income_string;
do
{
Console.Write("What is your total income: ");
income_string = Console.ReadLine();
} while (!double.TryParse(income_string, out income) || income < 0);
//rest of your code here, in another method that takes the valid income
You should split the method that procures income from the one that has (business ) logic in it.

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