converting a word into numbers

[matt1117]

Ok so i have this work for my java class done so far. And i cannot figure out how to get the different letters from an inputted word to output as a number. The assignment is get a user to input a 7 letter word and output it as a phone number. The code I have is crap I'm sure but yeah.

import java.util.*;
import javax.swing.JOptionPane;
import java.lang.*;
public class Veneski_Chp5
{
	static Scanner console = new Scanner(System.in);
	
	public static void main(String[] args) 
	{
		char letter1;
		String inputMessage;
		String inputString;
		String outputMessage;
		int outputWord;
		
		
		inputMessage = "Enter in a word to be converted to a phone number";
		inputString = JOptionPane.showInputDialog(inputMessage);
		
		
		
		 letter1 = inputString.charAt(0);
		 letter2 = inputString.charAt(1);
		 letter3 = inputString.charAt(2);
		 letter4 = inputString.charAt(3);
		 letter5 = inputString.charAt(4);
		 letter6 = inputString.charAt(5);
		 letter7 = inputString.charAt(6);
		
		
		
	
		while (letter1 != '#' )
		{
			outputMessage = "The word you entered is: "
				+ inputString + "\n"
				+ "The Phone number corresponding with that word is: ";
		
		if (letter1 >= 'A' && letter1 >= 'Z')
		{
			switch (letter1)
			{
			case 'A':
			case 'B':
			case 'C':
			case 'a':
			case 'b':
			case 'c':
				char letter1Num2;
				letter1 = letter1Num2;
				
				break;
			
			case 'D':
			case 'E':
			case 'F':
			case 'd':
			case 'e':
			case 'f':
				char letter1Num3;
				letter1 = letter1Num3;
				
				break;
				
			case 'G':
			case 'H':
			case 'I':
			case 'g':
			case 'h':
			case 'i':
				char letter1Num4;
				letter1 = letter1Num4;
				
				break;
				
			case 'J':
			case 'K':
			case 'L':
			case 'j':
			case 'k':
			case 'l':
			   char letter1Num5;
			   letter1 = letter1Num5;
			   
				break;
				
			case 'M':
			case 'N':
			case 'O':
			case 'm':
			case 'n':
			case 'o':
				char letter1Num6;
				letter1 = letter1Num6;
				
				break;
				
			case 'P':
			case 'Q':
			case 'R':
			case 'S':
			case 'p':
			case 'q':
			case 'r':
			case 's':
				char letter1Num7;
				letter1 = letter1Num7;
				
				break;
				
			case 'T':
			case 'U':
			case 'V':
			case 't':
			case 'u':
			case 'v':
				char letter1Num8;
				letter1 = letter1Num8;
				
				break;
				
			case 'W':
			case 'X':
			case 'Y':
			case 'Z':
			case 'w':
			case 'x':
			case 'y':
			case 'z':
				char letter1Num9;
				letter1 = letter1Num9;
				
				break;
			}	
		}
		else 
			outputMessage = outputMessage + "Invaild Input";
		 outputWord = Character.Digit(letter1, 10);
		JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, outputWord);
				
				
		}
	System.exit(0);
	}
		 
}

[NormR1]

how to get the different letters from an inputted word to output as a number.

Do you have an algorithm for converting the letters to a number?
Can you give some examples?

[matt1117]

That's what's in the switch code. The program looks at the letter, if it's an a,b, or c then it outputs it as a 2. and so on.

[NormR1]

Then please explain what your problem is.

I don't see you definitions for; letter1, letter2, etc.
Instead of having separate variables for each letter,
Use an array.
Then, loop through the array of letters checking each one.

[StephNicolaou]

You need to actually initiate a number for each case and create a shared/global phone number string to add this number (as a string) to. Then finally output it.

e.g. [case1 = 5, phonenumber = phonenumber & case1], [case2 = 10, phonenumber = phonenumber & case2].

That's not the exact syntax, but the logic I would use.