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Thread: Code not printing correctly

  1. #1
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    Exclamation [Solved] Code not printing correctly

    I'm creating a program for school that tells whether or not a phone number is a palindrome. A palindrome is when a number is reversed and the order is the same. The program is below, but the problem is that the program that does not print right. In the last method it's supposed to return a true or false to the main function, but no matter what number is entered it always goes to the false path and if the true and false were to be reversed then it would print everything as being true even when it shouldn't be. Let me know if I need to clarify anything. Thank You.

    Here's the code:



    import java.io.*;
    import java.util.StringTokenizer;
    public class palindrome
    {
    public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException
    {
    String phone;
    BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader (new InputStreamReader(System.in));
    System.out.print("Enter a telephone number (xxx) xxx-xxxx: ");
    phone = br.readLine();
    phone = remove(phone);
    System.out.println("Original number: " + phone);
    if (reverse(phone))
    System.out.println("This is a palindrome");
    else
    System.out.println("This is not a palindrome");
    }

    public static String remove(String telephone)
    {
    StringTokenizer num;
    StringBuffer numbers, numbers2, numbers3;
    StringBuffer allnumbers = new StringBuffer();
    num = new StringTokenizer(telephone, " ()-");
    numbers = new StringBuffer(num.nextToken());
    numbers2 = new StringBuffer(num.nextToken());
    numbers3 = new StringBuffer(num.nextToken());
    allnumbers.append(numbers).append(numbers2).append (numbers3);
    telephone = allnumbers.toString();
    return telephone;
    }

    public static boolean reverse(String palindrome)
    {
    StringBuffer numbers = new StringBuffer();
    numbers = new StringBuffer(palindrome).reverse();
    palindrome = numbers.toString();
    System.out.println("palindrome: " + palindrome);
    System.out.println("numbers: " + numbers);
    if (palindrome.equals(numbers))
    return true;
    else
    return false;
    }
    }
    Last edited by Movies32; March 8th, 2010 at 04:22 PM.


  2. #2
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    Default Re: Code not printing correctly

    Is the output from the following two lines what you expect it to be?
    System.out.println("palindrome: " + palindrome);
    System.out.println("numbers: " + numbers);

    I'm guessing it's not. This sets palindrome equal to numbers (roughly speaking):
    palindrome = numbers.toString();

    I think if you just remove that line, your program will work as intended.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Code not printing correctly

    Hi I have debugged your code and here is the solution to it.

    You have to change your code on two places:

    1. Remove this particular line: palindrome = numbers.toString();

    Why I said this is Firstly you are reversing your original string by reverse function and storing it into numbers variable.
    And then again you are storing the same reversed number into palindrome.
    So now both palindrome and numbers become same. And it will always return true for an unpalindrome number also.

    2. Why it is going into the false case.
    Because you are matching a string with a string buffer object. It will never be equal.
    So you change this particular line " if (palindrome.equals(numbers)) " to " if (palindrome.equals(numbers.toString())) "

    You will now be able to run.

    Give your feedback.

  4. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to jassi For This Useful Post:

    Movies32 (March 8th, 2010), Shambolic (February 6th, 2010)

  5. #4
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    Default Re: Code not printing correctly

    Ah, good point jassi. A String can be compared to a StringBuffer using the String.contentEquals(StringBuffer) method; String.equals(Object) will always return false if the Object is not a String. See here: String (Java 2 Platform SE 5.0)

    Movies32, you should always make sure you understand the specification of methods before you use them!

  6. The Following User Says Thank You to Shambolic For This Useful Post:

    jassi (February 6th, 2010)

  7. #5
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    Default Re: Code not printing correctly

    Yeah you are absolutely right Shambolic..Good point.

    Thanks...

    Hi Movies32, Are you able to run it now?

  8. #6
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    Smile Re: Code not printing correctly

    Yes the program works now. Thank you both so very much. I knew it was something minor that was messing it up. Thank you.

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