[Amadrid064]

trying to get my charAt (0) from a string to ignore the input case but getting an int cannot be dereferenced error.

   String source = name1;
    mut = source.charAt (0);
    {
    mut1 =mut.toLowerCase();
    }

[g00se]

Quote

 mut1 =mut.toLowerCase();

should be

 mut1 = Character.toLowerCase(mut);

[pbl]

You can't apply a method to a basic datatype

Lucky you are, most class that represent a basic datatype (Integer, Character, ...) have jacket static method to do the job so

mut.toLowerCase();

can be replace by

char xxx = Character.toLowerCase(mut);

[Amadrid064]

Ok I changed it to Character.toLowerCase(mut); but now I'm getting a incompatible type error with a required java.lang.String and java.lang.Character. Here's my entire code.

 import java.util.Random;
import java.util.Scanner;

public class Lab5_1
{
  public static void main (String[] args)
  {
    Scanner scan = new Scanner (System.in);
    Random generator = new Random();
   
    String name1, name2, mutation, mut, mut1, mut2;
    
    System.out.print ("Please enter your first name: ");
    name1 = scan.next();
   
    System.out.print ("Please enter your last name: ");
    name2 = scan.next();
   
    String source = name1;
    mut = source.charAt (0);
    {
    mut1 = Character.toLowerCase (mut);
    }
   
    mutation = name2.substring (0,6);
    {
    mut2 = mutation.toLowerCase();
    }
    
    
  
    int num1 = generator.nextInt(10);
    int num2 = generator.nextInt(10);
    int num3 = generator.nextInt(10);
   
    System.out.println (mut1 +mut2 +num1 +num2 +num3+"@student.highlands.edu");
  }
} 

[jon.kiparsky]

Mut1 is declared to be a String, and you're assigning a character to it. They're not the same thing.

Looking at this, it looks like you want to assemble a String by taking the first initial, first six characters of the last name, and three random numbers. Why not just assemble the String and call the toLowerCase method of the String class to lowercase the whole thing?

[pbl]

mut = source.charAt (0);

mut is a String
String.charAt() retuns a char

can't put a char in a String

[g00se]

Quote

mut1 = Character.toLowerCase (mut);

mut1 += Character.toLowerCase (mut);

But better to use correct data type in first place

Edit: don't do the above at all

This post has been edited by g00se: 10 October 2012 - 12:19 PM

[Amadrid064]

What is the toLowerCase method for the String class? will I have to import anything for this method?

[jon.kiparsky]

I betcha if you enter "java string" into any search engine you choose, the API for the String class will be the first thing that comes up.

I betcha if you read that, you'll find all of the methods of the String class, including toLowerCase

[pbl]

Amadrid064, on 10 October 2012 - 03:28 PM, said:

What is the toLowerCase method for the String class? will I have to import anything for this method?

Honnestly..... String class ? Look the API for the String class

http://docs.oracle.c...ang/String.html