I think this challenge question is wrong.

Hi there,

You haven't used user input to set the values held in the variables.

To set the firstName you want a line like this:

String firstName = console.readLine("What is your first name?: ");

Correcting that will let your code pass. This allows the user to enter their first name, rather than having it hard-coded. I'm guessing the tests behind the challenge are setting that user input but not seeing it stored in the firstName variable as it expects. You'll need to do the same with lastName too.

I hope that helps,

Steve.

Hi Austin,

The challenge is split into various stages, as you know. The first is, Declare a variable that is named the camel-cased version of "first name". Store the user's first name into this new variable using console.readLine

So, this means we're asking the user for input - that's what console.readLine() does - it prompt the user for input. The string inside the brackets is the prompt which is where the string "What is your first name" came from. We're asking the user to enter their name. You can put any string, or nothing, in there, though. There's two versions of this method - one takes a prompt string, the other doesn't. The docs detail these two methods.

So, in essence, the challenge wants you to ask the user for their first name and then their last name, and then use a formatted string to output them both. The output is using printf and string interpolation using the %s placeholder within a defined template such as "First name: ".

Your second code snippet hasn't worked because you didn't put the string output in your printf - the challenge is expecting the output First name: Austin.

In all the challenge would look like:

String firstName = console.readLine("What is your first name?: "); 
String lastName = console.readLine("What is your last name?: "); // both the prompt strings are optional but clearer
console.printf("First name: %s", firstName);
console.printf("Last name: %s", lastName);

I hope that makes sense.

Steve.

I appreciate your explanation. I have a better understanding of what's being asked. Thank you very much!

However, I do want to point out that #3 of this challenge only asks for the first name to be printed as opposed to both. So when I input the code so that it only shows the first name as asked, it gives an error.

String firstName = console.readLine("What is your first name?: ");

console.printf("First name: %s", firstName);

The code you gave does pass (thanks again!), but I would have never known otherwise that the challenge wanted both the first and last name prompts.

I'm sorry for pestering. I'm just trying to give constructive feedback. I'm not trying to upset you.

You have helped for sure! And I know that the fourth question asks for the last name, but what I'm saying is that on number #3, it only asks for the first name.

Challenge 3 of 4 "Using the console's printf method, display a message that says, "First name: ", followed by the first name that the user has entered."

And when I use the following code:

String firstName = console.readLine("What is your first name? ");
console.printf("First name: %s", firstName);

That's when it gives the error "Oops! It looks like Task 2 is no longer passing."

When I use the code you've provided, which includes the last name prompt, it works for #3. When I use the exact same code for #4, it works here as well.