Reading user input as a String and comparing it to any ArrayList for validation

Question

I'm working on a program for a plant nursery that has two classes; PlantNursery and Plant. The user gets promoted 4 questions. 1) Add a plant, 2) List all the plants, 3) Edit a plant, and 4) Quit. I got 1, 2, and 4 working fine. My problem lies within option 3. I display the current list of plants in the array and ask the user to pick one by it's common name. Then I store the String and compare it with an if statement. The if statement is not working as expected. I get the error message:

Exception in thread "main" java.lang.IndexOutOfBoundsException: Index: 2, Size: 2
    at java.util.ArrayList.rangeCheck(ArrayList.java:653)
    at java.util.ArrayList.get(ArrayList.java:429)
    at plantnursery.PlantNursery.main(PlantNursery.java:92)
C:\Users\diggz\AppData\Local\NetBeans\Cache\8.1\executor-snippets\run.xml:53: Java returned: 1
BUILD FAILED (total time: 52 seconds)

Plant class:

package plantnursery;

public class Plant 
{
    //Variables
    private String commonName, scientificName;
    private double maxHeight, price;
    private boolean fragile;

    //Constructor
    public Plant(String commonName, String scientificName, double maxHeight, 
            double price, boolean fragile)
    {
        this.maxHeight = maxHeight;
        this.price = price;
        this.commonName = commonName;
        this.scientificName = scientificName;
        this.fragile = fragile;
    }

    public double getMaxHeight()
    {
        return maxHeight;
    }

    public void setMaxHeight(double maxHeight)
    {
        this.maxHeight = maxHeight;
    }

    public double getPrice()
    {
        return price;
    }

    public void setPrice(double price)
    {
        this.price = price;
    }

    public String getCommonName()
    {
        return commonName;
    }

    public void setCommonName(String commonName)
    {
        this.commonName = commonName;
    }

    public String getScientificName()
    {
        return scientificName;
    }

    public void setScientificName(String scientificName)
    {
        this.scientificName = scientificName;
    }

    public boolean isFragile()
    {
        return fragile;
    }

    public void setFragile(boolean fragile)
    {
        this.fragile = fragile;
    }

    @Override
    public String toString() {
        return "Plant{" + "commonName= " + commonName + ", scientificName= " 
                + scientificName + ", maxHeight= " + maxHeight + ", price= " 
                + price + ", fragile= " + fragile + '}';
    } 
}

PlantNursery class:

package plantnursery;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Scanner;


public class PlantNursery
{

    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        //Variables to hold user input.
        double userHeight, userPrice;
        String userComName, userSciName, blankLine;
        boolean userFragile;
        int ans, choice;
        //Reference variable to an object.
        Plant p;
        //Scanner for user input.
        Scanner scan = new Scanner(System.in);
        //ArrayList to store all the plants in.
        ArrayList<Plant> plantList = new ArrayList<>();

        //While loop asking the user to create new plants and store them
        //in the the ArrayList. Edit any of the plants already in the ArrayList
        //or quit the program.
        while(true)
        {
            //Ask the user what they want to do.
            System.out.println("What do you want to do?\n1. Add a plant. "
                    + "\n2. List all plants.\n3. Edit a plant. \n4. Quit.");
            //Store answer
            ans = scan.nextInt();

            //Choice 1. Add a new plant into the ArrayList.
            if(ans == 1)
            {
                //Get rid of buffer overflow from int ans.
                blankLine = scan.nextLine();

                //Ask the user for input for a new plant object.
                System.out.println("Please enter the common name of the plant:");
                userComName = scan.nextLine();
                System.out.println("Please enter the scienitific name of the plant: ");
                userSciName = scan.nextLine();
                System.out.println("Please enter the maximum height (in feet) of the plant: ");
                userHeight = scan.nextDouble();
                System.out.println("Please enter the price of the plant: ");
                userPrice = scan.nextDouble();
                System.out.println("Please enter if the plant is fragile (true or false): ");
                userFragile = scan.nextBoolean();

                //Create the new plant object.
                p = new Plant(userComName, userSciName, userHeight, userPrice, 
                        userFragile);

                //Add the plant object to the ArrayList.
                plantList.add(p);
            }

            //Choice 2. Display all plant(s) in the ArrayList.
            if(ans == 2)
            {
                //List all the current plants in the ArrayList.
                for(Plant curList : plantList)
                {
                    System.out.println(curList);
                }
            }

            //Choice 3. Edit information on plant(s) in ArrayList.
            if(ans == 3)
            {
                //Allows the user to edit until they wish to quit.
                while(true)
                {
                    //Counter for ArrayList
                    int i;
                    //String to hold which plant the user wishes to edit.
                    String userAns;
                    //Ask the user which plant they wish to edit.
                    System.out.println("Which plant to wish to edit (choose the common name)?");
                    //Display the plant(s).
                    for(i = 0; i < plantList.size(); i++)
                    {
                        System.out.println(plantList.get(i));
                    }   
                    //Get the user input and compare it to the Common Name
                    blankLine = scan.nextLine();
                    userAns = scan.nextLine();

                 if(userAns.equalsIgnoreCase(plantList.get(i).getCommonName())) //PROBLEM CODE
                    {
                        //Ask what the user wishes to edit.
                        System.out.println("What do you wish to edit?\n1. Common Name."
                                + "\n2. Scientific Name.\n3. Maximum Height.\n4. Price"
                                + "\n5. Is it fragile (true or false)?\n6. Quit.");
                        //Get user choice.
                        choice = scan.nextInt();
                        //Choice 1
                        if(choice == 1)
                        {
                            System.out.println("What is the new Common Name? ");
                            String newComName = scan.nextLine();
                            plantList.get(i).setCommonName(newComName);
                        }
                        //Choice 2
                        if(choice == 2)
                        {
                            System.out.println("What is the new Scientific Name? ");
                            String newSciName = scan.nextLine();
                            plantList.get(i).setScientificName(newSciName);
                        }
                        //Choice 3
                        if(choice == 3)
                        {
                            System.out.println("What is the new Maximum Height? ");
                            double newHeight = scan.nextDouble();
                            plantList.get(i).setMaxHeight(newHeight);
                        }
                        //Choice 4
                        if(choice == 4)
                        {
                            System.out.println("What is the new Price?");
                            double newPrice = scan.nextDouble();
                            plantList.get(i).setPrice(newPrice);
                        }
                        //Choice 5
                        if(choice == 5)
                        {
                            System.out.println("Is the plant Fragile (true or false)? ");
                            boolean newFragile = scan.nextBoolean();
                            plantList.get(i).setFragile(newFragile);
                        }
                        //Choice 6
                        if(choice == 6)
                        {
                            break;
                        }
                    }
                }  
            }
            //Choice 4. End program.
            if(ans == 4)
            {
                break;
            }
        }
    } 
}

Okay so I changed the third choice into a switch statement. Now the problem I have is I can only do one edit. After that first edit when I try to pick another plant or the same one to edit it doesn't read it and keeps asking me the same question.

Code:

//Choice 3. Edit information on plant(s) in ArrayList.
            if(ans == 3)
            {
                OUTER:
                while (true) {
                    int i;
                    String userAns;
                    System.out.println("Which plant to wish to edit (choose the common name)?");
                    for(i = 0; i < plantList.size(); i++)
                    {
                        System.out.println(plantList.get(i));
                    }
                    blankLine = scan.nextLine();
                    userAns = scan.nextLine();
                    if (userAns.equalsIgnoreCase(plantList.get(i-1).getCommonName())) {
                        System.out.println("What do you wish to edit?\n1. Common Name."
                                + "\n2. Scientific Name.\n3. Maximum Height.\n4. Price"
                                + "\n5. Is it fragile (true or false)?\n6. Quit.");
                        choice = scan.nextInt();
                        //Choices
                        switch (choice) 
                        {
                            //Choice 1
                            case 1:
                                System.out.println("What is the new Common Name? ");
                                blankLine = scan.nextLine();
                                String newComName = scan.nextLine();
                                plantList.get(i-1).setCommonName(newComName);
                                break;
                            //Choice 2
                            case 2:
                                System.out.println("What is the new Scientific Name? ");
                                blankLine = scan.nextLine();
                                String newSciName = scan.nextLine();
                                plantList.get(i-1).setScientificName(newSciName);
                                break;
                            //Choice 3
                            case 3:
                                System.out.println("What is the new Maximum Height? ");
                                double newHeight = scan.nextDouble();
                                plantList.get(i-1).setMaxHeight(newHeight);
                                break;
                            //Choice 4
                            case 4:
                                System.out.println("What is the new Price?");
                                double newPrice = scan.nextDouble();
                                plantList.get(i-1).setPrice(newPrice);
                                break;
                            //Choice 5
                            case 5:
                                System.out.println("Is the plant Fragile (true or false)? ");
                                boolean newFragile = scan.nextBoolean();
                                plantList.get(i-1).setFragile(newFragile);
                                break;
                            //Choice 6
                            case 6:
                                break OUTER;
                            default:
                                break;
                        }
                    }
                }  
            }

Ashraff Ali Wahab · Accepted Answer · 2016-02-04 18:23:56Z

1

ArrayList index starts with 0, so you have to do plantList.get(i-1).setPrice(newPrice);

answered Feb 4, 2016 at 18:23

Ashraff Ali Wahab

1,10810 silver badges20 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

Comments

logger · Accepted Answer · 2016-02-04 18:30:07Z

1

You are starting index 0. So if you type 2 it means you trying to access 3 values array[0], array[1], array[2].

Change for(i = 0; i < plantList.size(); i++) to for(i = 1; i < plantList.size(); i++)

if you do not wish to change your for loop then you need to change plantList.get(i) to plantList.get(i-1) to make sure it is within the range

edited Feb 4, 2016 at 18:30

answered Feb 4, 2016 at 18:25

logger

2,0535 gold badges37 silver badges65 bronze badges

Comments

sparkhee93 · Accepted Answer · 2016-02-04 18:39:35Z

1

for(i = 0; i < plantList.size(); i++)
{
    System.out.println(plantList.get(i));
}

You've incremented i to plantList.size(). When you access the list with plantList.get(i).getCommonName(), i is already larger that the largest index.

You probably shouldn't use a variable defined outside the loop as the counter in the loop.

Have you considered a Map instead of seaching through the list?

edited Feb 4, 2016 at 18:39

sparkhee93

1,3753 gold badges21 silver badges31 bronze badges

answered Feb 4, 2016 at 18:29

bradimus

2,5341 gold badge19 silver badges24 bronze badges

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Reading user input as a String and comparing it to any ArrayList for validation

3 Answers 3

Comments

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

3 Answers 3

Comments

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related