How to find biggest variable using while loop?

Question

I have defined 16 variables and assigned them with different kind of values.

int block0 = 5;
int block1 = 6;
int block2 = 8;
int block3 = 25;
int block4 = 8;
int block5 = 23;
int block6 = 2;
int block7 = 1;
int block8 = 6;
int block9 = 4;
int block10 = 5;
int block11 = 7;
int block12 = 15;
int block13 = 4;
int block14 = 5;
int block15 = 8;

How can i find the biggest variable among all using while or for loop?

Im assuming (from the `int`) that that's Java and not JavaScript, right? — acdcjunior, May 17 '13 at 00:06
Use an array. Question answered already, check here for code : http://stackoverflow.com/questions/13794225/finding-largest-integer-in-array-javascript — xShirase, May 17 '13 at 00:06
[SortedSet](http://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/util/SortedSet.html) — mcalex, May 17 '13 at 00:06
This is not JavaScript, this is Java. They are not the same thing. Anyways, store them in some array, sort it largest to smallest, and get the first item. — Joseph, May 17 '13 at 00:07
yes, its blueJ but its java so I could customize the answer. — Michael Gamage, May 17 '13 at 00:07
@JosephtheDreamer Sorting is not that optimal when you only want to find the max. — anana, May 17 '13 at 00:13
@MichaelGamage I don't belileve you. Can you post the text of your assignment.(maybe they want you to use a linked list or something) — Sam I am says Reinstate Monica, May 17 '13 at 00:14
with int type, you only can use a while loop if you declare one array or List, or other think you know less than one variable for each value. — Ricardo Cacheira, May 17 '13 at 00:17
@SamIam - I did post the assignment question and end up losing my whole reputation.. here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/16599079/solve-without-using-arrays?noredirect=1 — Michael Gamage, May 17 '13 at 00:21
@MichaelGamage The reason I read your assignment is because I wanted to see if it actually told you to not use arrays(and it didn't) — Sam I am says Reinstate Monica, May 17 '13 at 00:31
@MichaelGamage And posting your assignment's text per-se isn't what made you lose rep, It was that you didn't do much other than ask us to solve your assignment. What you want to do is try to present it as though you're not asking for us to do your work. Make it more focused on how can sense be made of this assignment if you can't use arrays. — Sam I am says Reinstate Monica, May 17 '13 at 00:33
@MichaelGamage and the problem is, even with the assignment definition in that question, I still don't have proper context — Sam I am says Reinstate Monica, May 17 '13 at 00:38

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered May 17 '13 at 00:09

3

first you have to make them into an array

int[] intArr = new int[16];

int[0] = 5;
int[1] = 6;
...

and then you can iterate

int max = 0;
int maxIndex = 0;

for(int i=0; i<intArr.length; i++)
{
    if(max < intArr[i])
        maxIndex = i;
}

answered May 17 '13 at 00:09

Sam I am says Reinstate Monica

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acdcjunior · Answer 2 · 2013-05-17T00:18:01.877

You should, but if you can't use arrays, you can use Math.max(), like this beautiful code:

int max = Math.max(block0, Math.max(block1, Math.max(block2, Math.max(block3, Math.max(block4, Math.max(block5, Math.max(block6, Math.max(block7, Math.max(block8, Math.max(block9, Math.max(block10, Math.max(block11, Math.max(block12, Math.max(block13, Math.max(block14, block15)))))))))))))));

Unless they are fields in a class, you cannot iterate (using a for or while, as you say) through those variables (local variables). You only option other than Math.max() is a huge if statement. Compared to it, though, Math.max() looks pretty.

score 2 · Answer 3 · answered May 17 '13 at 00:46

If you really can't use arrays, make your own method:

public static int maxValue(int... values) {
        int maximum = Integer.MIN_VALUE;

        for(int x : values)
            maximum = (x > maximum) ? x : maximum;

        return maximum;
    }

That way you can call it with multiple arguments, eg. by saying

int max = maxValue(block0, block1, /*etc*/, block15);

@acdcjunior 's solution with multiple Math.max methods works of course, too.

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered May 17 '13 at 00:09

0

it's rather easy..

Just do a simple sort..

function findlarge()
{
   var largest = 0;
   for (i = 0; i < 15; ++i)
   {
     largest = ((block+i) > block+(i+1)) ? block+i : block+i+1; 
   }
   return largest;
}

please note you'd need to address the incorrect variable names I used..but this is how I'd sort out the largest..

Good luck :)

answered May 17 '13 at 00:09

Dory Zidon

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You can't do what you seem to think you can do. If `i` is 1, `block+i` just adds 1 to `block`, it does not get you the value of `block1`. – James Montagne May 17 '13 at 00:11
1

@Dory In java you can write this code and you will not have an error, but it will not produce what you think – Ricardo Cacheira May 17 '13 at 00:16
Guys I know this..The tag also said javascript :) and besides please see the note I had bellow..I was just suggesting the logic, not more than that. – Dory Zidon May 17 '13 at 00:19
1

But you can't "suggest the logic" if that involves tools that do not exist in the entourage of the solution (as you cannot say "just use eval()"). Now that it is clear that it is only Java related, you should remove this answer. – SJuan76 May 17 '13 at 00:20

How to find biggest variable using while loop?

4 Answers4

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