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Java Java Basics Getting Started with Java IO

Pauliina K
Pauliina K
1,973 Points
Posted by Pauliina K
Pauliina K
1,973 Points

firstname

I don't understand how to write the "first name that the user has entered". I tried using %s, but that got an error as it's not declared anywhere. I then tried using just "firstName", but that gave me an error too. I also tried just putting in my name. What am I missing?

IO.java 
// I have imported java.io.Console for you.  It is a variable called console.
String firstName = console.readLine("What's your name?");
String lastName = console.readLine("What's your last name?");
console.printf("First name:  ", firstname);
Pauliina K
Pauliina K
1,973 Points
Pauliina K
Pauliina K
1,973 Points

This is the error I get:

JavaTester.java:119: error: cannot find symbol console.printf("First name: ", firstname); ^ symbol: variable firstname location: class JavaTester 1 error

And I sometimes get this:

Bummer! Ensure you put the string formatter %s in your format string

Pauliina K
Pauliina K
1,973 Points
Pauliina K
Pauliina K
1,973 Points

Thank you Ethan! That makes sense.

1 Answer

Ethan Lane
Ethan Lane
876 Points

Hi Pauliina,

In your code you need to use the %s because you are using the "printf" method where the 'f' stands for format. This allows you to use things such as %s. Using %s represents that a string will be placed where you placed the %s. In this case we want it to display what the user has entered for his/her first name. The problem you are having is you do not have %s in your print method, and if you were to place it you are calling the wrong variable, "firstname", which has not been declared. You declared the variable as firstName using the proper camel casing style. So your code should look like this.

 // I have imported java.io.Console for you.  It is a variable called console.
String firstName = console.readLine("What's your name?");
String lastName = console.readLine("What's your last name?");
console.printf("First name:  %s", firstName);

Mod Note - Changed from comment to answer so that it may be voted on or marked as best answer.