Can't see why it doesn't verify, it does what it's supposed to?

Question about the task

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Is the problem that I should check whether there are more than 1 shortest string, and only then put them in another list and print that list?

1. Create a list of strings.
2. Read 5 strings from the keyboard and add them to the list.
3. Using a loop, find the shortest string in the list.
4. Display the string.
5. If there is more than one, display each on a new line.

Requirements:

Declare a string list variable and immediately initialize it.
The program should read 5 strings from the keyboard and write them to the list.
The program should display the shortest string.
If several strings are the shortest, then you need to display each of them on a new line.

package com.codegym.task.task07.task0709; import java.io.BufferedReader; import java.io.InputStreamReader; import java.util.ArrayList; /* Expressing ourselves more concisely */ public class Solution { public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception { BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in)); ArrayList<String> list = new ArrayList<>(); ArrayList<String> shortList = new ArrayList<>(); int shortest = 0; for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) { list.add(br.readLine()); } for(int i = 0; i < list.size(); i++) { for (int j = 0; j < list.size(); j++) { if (list.get(i).length() < list.get(j).length()) { shortest = list.get(i).length(); } } } for (int i = 0; i < list.size(); i++) { if (list.get(i).length() == shortest) { shortList.add(list.get(i)); } } for (int i = 0; i < shortList.size(); i++) { System.out.println(shortList.get(i)); } } }

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Switch/Cypher

Level 25 , Bexleyheath, United Kingdom

1 November 2020, 15:40

useful

You don't need the double loop, you are comparing everything n*n times.

for(int i = 0; i < list.size(); i++) {
            for (int j = 0; j < list.size(); j++) {
                if (list.get(i).length() < list.get(j).length()) {
                    shortest = list.get(i).length();
                }
            }
        }

Try:

int shortest = list.get(0).length;
for (i = 0; i < list.size(); i++){
if (list.get(i).length < shortest){
shortest = list.get(i).length}
}

Marcus W

Level 13 , Not in list, Sweden

2 November 2020, 10:24

You are right, the double loop was unnecessary, thank you!

horst

Level 26 , Not in list

1 November 2020, 15:35

solution

You're on the right track and your output-logic is correct (find the shortest length and print every string in the list that has the shortest length). However, your shortest-length-variable may hold the wrong value. There's just one flaw in your second for-loop: In line 25, you are checking whether your current string is shorter than the next one (which will always be true at some point for every string that is not the longest of them all). Instead, you should check if the current string is shorter than the current minimum(shortest-variable).

Marcus W

Level 13 , Not in list, Sweden

2 November 2020, 10:25

Can't see how I didn't figure that out, thank you for the help!