Average

[jonny93]

Hello again. I am trying to create a simple code that can compute the average of a set of numbers read in using a scanner.

import java.util.Scanner;

public class Average
{
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        double number = 0;
        double total = 0;
        int count = 0;
        Scanner scan = new Scanner(System.in);
        while (number != -1)
        {
            System.out.println("Please enter a non negative number.");      
            number = scan.nextDouble();
            total = number++;
            System.out.println("The total is " + total);
            count++;
        }
        double average = total/count;
        System.out.println("The average is " + average);    

    }
}

The loop occurs but it won't end. I wanted the code to work like this: every time I enter a number that is not negative one ( I know it says non negative number, but i will fix this later, as I am not using negative numbers), the number entered would add to the total, the count would increase, and when -1 is entered, the compiler should exit out of the loop and compute the average and print it like so. But when I enter negative one, it prints -1 just like any other number. The total is always the same as the number just scanned in as well, so it is not increasing. Does anyone know what I did wrong?

[JamesCherrill]

total = number++;

Probably not what you intended!. This copies number to total, then adds 1 to number. You ned to add number to total.

[NormR1]

To see what your code is doing, add a println just before the } at the end of the loop (after line 17) that prints out the value of number.

Does the value of total that is printed look correct when you enter several numbers?

[jonny93]

It worked, but now I need the code to ignore adding the negative one to the total and the count total.

[JamesCherrill]

You can use an if test to prevent the relevant code being executed if input < 0 - just think about it.

[delta_frost]

Everytime you finish entering all values,you end with -1.So increase the total by 1 and decrease count by 1