Java skips the while statement and goes straight to the end

Question

This is my first semester doing computer programming and our professor totally bailed on us mid class. But I managed to nearly complete the classwork but for some reason my while statement is getting skipped.

import java.util.Scanner;
import java.text.DecimalFormat;

public class Election
{
    public static void main (String[] args)
        {

            DecimalFormat f = new DecimalFormat("##.00");

            float votesForPolly; 
            float votesForErnest; 
            float totalPolly = 0; 
            float totalErnest = 0; 
            String response; 
            int precinctsforpolly = 0; 
            int precinctsforernest = 0;
            int precinctsties = 0;

            Scanner scan = new Scanner(System.in);
            System.out.println ();      
            System.out.println ("Election Day Vote Counting Program");
            System.out.println ();


            do
            {   
                System.out.println("Do you wish to enter more votes? Enter y:n");
                response = scan.next();
                //this is where it skips from here*********
                while (response == "y")
                {
                    System.out.println("Enter votes for Polly:");
                    votesForPolly = scan.nextInt();
                    System.out.println("Enter votes for Ernest:");
                    votesForErnest = scan.nextInt();

                    totalPolly = totalPolly + votesForPolly;
                    totalErnest = totalErnest +  votesForErnest;

                    System.out.println("Do you wish to add precincts? Enter y:n");
                    response = scan.next();
                    if (response =="y")
                    {   
                        System.out.println("How many precincts voted for Polly: ");
                        precinctsforpolly = scan.nextInt();
                        System.out.println("How many precincts votes for Ernest: ");
                        precinctsforernest = scan.nextInt();
                        System.out.println("How many were ties: ");
                        precinctsties = scan.nextInt(); 
                    }
                }
            }
            while (response == "n");
            //to here*********************************************
            System.out.println("Final Tally");
            System.out.println("Polly received:\t " + totalPolly + " votes\t" + f.format((totalPolly/(totalPolly + totalErnest))*100) + "%\t" + precinctsforpolly + " precincts");
            System.out.println("Ernest received: " + totalErnest + " votes\t" + f.format((totalErnest/(totalPolly + totalErnest))*100) + "%\t" + precinctsforernest + " precincts");
            System.out.println("\t\t\t\t\t" + precinctsties + " precincts tied");

        }
}

Does the response variable have a value when it hits your while statement? What is the value? — Anton, Apr 21 '17 at 19:58

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 21 '17 at 20:01

3

Strings effectively point to values in Java, and aren't values themselves. Try using

while (response.equals("y"))

instead of

while (response == "y")

In the former case you're telling the runtime to actually compare the values. The latter case is telling the runtime to compare the pointers, which may not actually match.

answered Apr 21 '17 at 20:01

James Cronen

5,715
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* address of response to value of `y` – Shark Apr 21 '17 at 20:02

Java skips the while statement and goes straight to the end

1 Answers1