using arrays to identify palindromes

[davo tigora]

I am working on a program that would allow a user to input a phrase (with letters and spaces) and let them know whether or not it's a palindrome.

Here's my progress thus far:

import java.util.Scanner;

public class palindrome
{
	public static void main(String[] args)
	{
		System.out.println( "This program tests if a word or phrase is a palindrome.");
		System.out.println(
			"Please enter your word/phrase (just letters and spaces) terminated by a period:");
		
		Scanner keyboard = new Scanner(System.in);
		String phrase = keyboard.nextLine();
		
		String upperPhrase = phrase.toUpperCase();
		
		
	char[]arrayOne;
	arrayOne = upperPhrase.toCharArray();
	int arrayLength = arrayOne.length;

	for (index = 0; i < arrayLength; i++)
	System.out.println(i);	
	System.out.println(arrayOne);		
	}
	
	public static boolean isPalindrome(phrase){	
		
	}
}

I am trying to start a new method isPalindrome that will be responsible for creating an array with no spaces and then comparing characters to test if the phrase is a palindrome. What I don't quite understand are the parameters for this method. I keep getting an error that says an identifier is expected. Can someone help?

[Rameshwar Soni]

Please use code tags when posting any code

davo tigora wrote:

public static boolean isPalindrome(phrase){	
		
	}

What I don't quite understand are the parameters for this method.

The way you are starting your method definition is incorrect. The method must have been written in this manner

public static boolean isPalindrome(String checkString){	
		
	}

Now you pass your String variable (i.e. the variable which has the actual contents from the user) in your case it is "phrase" to the method parameter "checkString" and then do
your operation on checkString. You can call the method in this manner

boolean answer = palindrome.isPalindrome(phrase);

Note you can use any name in place of "checkString" i.e. you can even use "phrase" but to avoid any confusion i just changed the name.

[Campbell Ritchie]

Welcome to the Ranch

I have added code tags to your post, and you can see how much better it looks. Always use spaces, not tabs, for indenting.
You are going about this the wrong way. You should divide your work into smaller pieces, like this:

1: Remove spaces from string

2: Convert to consistent case

3: Check whether palindrome

You can make those all methods of a utility class.
You should work out with paper pencil and eraser (the latter is the most important piece of hardware) how you intend to do it. Write out a String like this on paper:
davo tigora
Get rid of the spaces
Work out how you can tell whether it is or is not a palindrome.

Now you can convert that to code easily.

[Winston Gutkowski]

davo tigora wrote:Here's my progress thus far:

Hi davo. I split up your enormous line 8 because it was screwing up the windowing here.

Winston

[Randall Twede]

this has already been answered but to make it more clear, your parameter must consist of a type and name. in this case the type is String