Pass a variable to a method in another class, then pass back

[Scott M Summers]

Hello,
I have a variable, month, in a method, inputSystemTask(), which is in class, SystemTask.

import java.util.Scanner;
public class SystemTask {
        private String month;
}
public SystemTask(){
        month = "Jan";
}
public SystemTask(String newMonth){
        setMonth(newMonth);
}
public String getMonth(){ //Month get method.
        return month;
}
public void setMonth(String newMonth){ //Month set method.
        if(newMonth.length()== 3){
            month=newMonth;
        }
        else{
            System.out.println("Incorrect input for the month.");
        }
}
public void inputSystemTask(){                          //THIS IS THE METHOD I'M HAVING THE PROBLEM
        Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);
        System.out.println("Input the month: ");
        month = input.next();                               //THIS IS THE VARIABLE I NEED TO SEND TO THE getString METHOD.
        UserInput.                                               // ?
}

In another class, UserInput, I have a method, getString(int minString, int maxString).

import java.util.Scanner; // Scanner is in java.util
public class UserInput {
//Variable string for the getString() and getString(int min, int max) methods.
        static String string;
}
    public static String getString(int minString, int maxString){
        minString = 2;
        maxString = 100;
        getString(); //Call getString() method.
        /*Checking parameters*/
        if(string.length()>=minString && string.length() <=maxString){
            return string;
        }
        else{
            System.out.println("Invalid input, please enter a string between"
                    + " two and one hundred characters: ");
            getString(minString, maxString);
        }
        return string;
    }

I need to pass the variable, month, to method, getString, then have it come back to method inputSystemTask().

Thank you.

[Rodion Gork]

You can simply add this variable as a third parameter to your "getString" method - and as you return the string from it, you will receive it back after call is completed (if it is the string you want).

However I dare say that your code is not looking quite proper - or at least I could not make good sense of it. For example getString recursively calls itself - I believe it is not what you wanted to do. You wanted to use loop for user to be able to retry - and as you input the string in the inputSystemTask - that is where your loop also should be. Your getString really is not "getString" but more like "checkString".

[Winston Gutkowski]

Scott M Summers wrote:In another class, UserInput, I have a method, getString(int minString, int maxString).
I need to pass the variable, month, to method, getString, then have it come back to method inputSystemTask().
Thank you.

Scott,

When you post code, you really should try to give us the full picture. It would appear that your UserInput class ALSO has a method called getInput() that takes no arguments, but you haven't shown it, which is a bit confusing for us.

I'm also not quite sure why you would need to pass a "month" to an input method.

I'm guessing here, but I assume that what you want to do is have the user enter a month, and then validate that it is between 1 and 12 - or maybe between 1 and some "current month", and you want to know how to do that.

If I'm right, then here's my suggestion:
Write a method in your UserInput class, that forces the user to enter a number within certain limits (getNumberInRange(...) ?).
Then, to get a valid month, all you need to do is call:
    getNumberInRange(1, 12)

You may also find the UserInput page worth reading. It's fairly long, and the third part still isn't finished; but it might give you some pointers.

Winston

[Campbell Ritchie]

I would suggest you enhance that user input method. It is a good idea to write that sort of utility class to get your Scanner working at full power. But you can make the length check into a loop continuation condition. Then if the input is of the wrong length, you can print a message with something like “try again” included, and make the user repeat the input. That will keep going until you get the correct size String.

You haven't indented your code correctly. Your methods should start and finish farther to the right than the class starts.

[Campbell Ritchie]

This is what your class should have looked like. Note one blank line between pairs of methods. Also if you use K&R indentation the { should be separated from the preceding text; I have used one space each time. Long comments deleted. Space before and after binary operators like ==:-

import java.util.Scanner;
public class SystemTask {
        private String month;
    }

public SystemTask() {
        month = "Jan";
    }

public SystemTask(String newMonth) {
        setMonth(newMonth);
    }

public String getMonth() { //Month get method.
        return month;
    }

public void setMonth(String newMonth) { //Month set method.
        if(newMonth.length() == 3) {
            month=newMonth;
        }
        else {
            System.out.println("Incorrect input for the month.");
        }
    }

public void inputSystemTask() {  
        Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);
        System.out.println("Input the month: ");
        month = input.next();   
        UserInput.     
    }
}

I don't usually use K&R indentation so you might do well, if you have the time, to read about the exact number of spaces suggested. That will probably vary from source to source so find one convention you like and stick to that.
Leave out comments like month set method, which don't tell us anything we don't already know.