Question

public static void main (String [] args)
{
    // declare variables, capture input

    String input, name = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Please " +
                          "enter your first and last name.");
    double testScore1, testScore2, testScore3, average;

    // capture input, cast, and validate input

    input = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("What is the score " +
                                        "of your first test?");
    testScore1 = Double.parseDouble(input);

    while (testScore1 < 1 || testScore1 > 100)
    {
        input = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("This test score is not " +
                "between 1 and 100. \nPlease enter a test score in " +
                "this range:");

        testScore1 = Double.parseDouble(input); 
    }

    input = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("What is the score " +
                                        "of your second test?");
    testScore2 = Double.parseDouble(input);

    while (testScore2 < 1 || testScore2 > 100)
    {
        input = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("This test score is not " +
                "between 1 and 100. \nPlease enter a test score in " +
                "this range:");

        testScore2 = Double.parseDouble(input); 
    }

    input = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("What is the score " +
                                        "of your third test?");
    testScore3 = Double.parseDouble(input);

    while (testScore3 < 1 || testScore3 > 100)
    {
        input = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("This test score is not " +
                "between 1 and 100. \nPlease enter a test score in " +
                "this range:");

        testScore3 = Double.parseDouble(input);
    }

    // calculate average and display output

    average = (testScore1 + testScore2 + testScore3)/3; 

    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, name + ", your average score is: " + average);

}

First off, I’m a beginner programmer. My terminology and jargon are quite lacking, so bear with me.

I’m writing a program to capture 3 test scores then validate them using a while loop (must be within the 1-100 range). The test scores are then averaged and the output displays the average. Pretty simple stuff.

I’m wanting to find a way, if possible, to capture the number of test scores, then from there, capture each actual score. For example, the program asks “How many tests are being computed for average?”, then take that number and have it be the same amount of times the program prompts, “Please enter test score (1):” or something along those lines. So for further clarity, if the user typed 4 for number of tests, then the prompt for inputting the score would show up 4 times.

I feel the above code is redundant by using a while loop for each score and at that, limited because the program is only meant for 3 scores. Any help is much appreciated and feel free to critique anything else in the code.

Answer 1

Yes you can.

What you need is a nested loop. In pseudo code:

while(condition)
{
   int numberOfInput = getInput() ; //get the input from the user

   for(int i =0 ; i < numberOfInput; i++) //iterate for the amount of prompts required
     prompt() ; //get input

}



function prompt
      while (testScore1 < 1 || testScore1 > 100)
      {
        input = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("This test score is not " +
                "between 1 and 100. \nPlease enter a test score in " +
                "this range:");

        testScore1 = Double.parseDouble(input); 
      }