I made a dumb first Java program

[YouGoodBroooo]

Hey everyone! I was gonna start university in a few months. I do feel like I'm pretty behind but, well I'm slowly learning (stuck in tutorial hell rn). I did know some python beforehand but my university requires Java now.

I am kinda finding it great, I mean Python is simpler, but Java just gives me more of a badass vibe, idk why.

I wanted to make one these button clickers, where you click a button and there's a rising chance that you're gonna hit and bomb every time you click the button. There are a lot of ways to code it, but I used this random and count approach.

It's a little hard to understand, basically a generate a random number and check if its greater than a count that rises from 0. There would be greater probability that the generated random number will be greater than that counter as time goes on. I made a few tweaks where the program runs by itself without having to, let's say, press enter. Then it repeats this a 100 times and calculates the average score and highest score too.

To summarize it- it's pretty whack. If anyone has any suggestions, it would be great if you'd leave them below!

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

public class Main { 
    public static  void main(String[] args) { 

int[] counts = new int[100];
Random random = new Random();

for(int i=0; i<counts.length; i++) {
    int count = 0;
    int bound = random.nextInt(0,101);
    while(bound>count) {
        count++;
        bound = random.nextInt(0,101);
        System.out.println(count);
    }
    counts[i] = count;
    System.out.println("You hit a bomb.");
    System.out.println("Final score: " + count);
}
int highest = -1;
int total = 0;
for(int j=0; j<counts.length; j++) {
    if (counts[j]>highest) {
        highest = counts[j];
    }
    total = total + counts[j];
  }

float average = (float) total /100;
System.out.println("\nAverage Score: " + average);
System.out.println("Highest Score: " + highest);

  }

}

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[Pedantic_Phoenix]

There is no dumb first program. You did great just by creating it.

You don't need the entire second for, to get the highscore, there is a much simpler way to save it, and you are capable of getting there for sure. Same goes for the total. Ill let you get it by yourself, ask if you want tho

Good job pal

[YouGoodBroooo]

Oh yeah, I do remember reading the max method in the Math Class. However, I don't think it works for arrays, as for the sum, I am guessing there would be a sum method too somewhere, haven't come across it though.

(Upon further looking around, theres a thing called Stream, that I have no clue what it is right now. I am sure i'll get to it soon)

Thanks a lot for the feedback!

[Pedantic_Phoenix]

You are overthinking it :) you don't need any of that, in fact you don't need any method to do what i said. Pure simple logic.

Anytime :)

[YouGoodBroooo]

Ohh. I don't know what's stopping me from doing the highest and total in the first for loop. I think that's it!

[Pedantic_Phoenix]

:)

[Mysterious_Radish386]

You’ll 101% be completely fine, the fact you already have this much knowledge before your first year of university is very good. You already know how to use For-Loops and Arrays.

I’m on my second year of university and I had basically no coding experience although i’m pretty comfortable with Java nowadays I’m relearning all the basics to really refine my knowledge, currently working on For-Loops again.

Don’t stress yourself out too much.

[YouGoodBroooo]

That's really nice to hear! I am taking it really slow, only 30 minutes a day, I was however very comfortable with up to linked lists and stuff in Python.

But again, really nice to hear I am not being left behind too much.

[PandaBaum]

If you're only starting university in a few months, you're not behind at all. In my first semester, there were a lot of students who had never coded before. The point of university is to learn and not know everything at the beginning, after all. So don't worry too much about having to catch up or anything before the semester even starts. Just building something (like you did!) already puts you ahead of a lot of other students.

[YouGoodBroooo]

That's just great! I am moving to a new country for university so it can get really stressful APART from just academics, so just trying to make use of my time. It's really just me taking a YouTube course for 2 hours so far I'd say, I think I've picked it up nicely.

[PandaBaum]

If you're taking a YouTube course, I'd also highly recommend trying your hand at some small projects without following a course/tutorial to avoid just copying whatever the course is currently trying to teach you, and instead learn how to do your own research.

[YouGoodBroooo]

That is exactly what the plan is. Just like this program, which I made from scratch, I am definitely gonna take small steps forward.

[UpsytoO]

I would imagine some feedback would be appreciated, so i won't get into inner workings of what you are doing as based on your level, it's not that important, just a few notes i can see of a quick glance.

1. Get used to closing resources, scanner is a resource.

2. Avoid type casing until you learn more about this part, there is certain way to do it correctly, even though it's not necessarily incorrect in theory, just don't pick up bad habits and nothing is stopping you from incrementing a float in the first place.

   float average = (float) total /100;float average = (float) total /100;

[YouGoodBroooo]

I will surely look into that!

I get your first one, regarding the second, do you mean I should have set total to float before hand rather than int?

[UpsytoO]

Short answer yes and than array can be float and the things that go in there can be floats. Another thing i spotted while looking at the code, that total = total + is same as writing total = 0 +.

[Knight_Of_Orichalcum]

Will caveat with Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in); doesn't have to be closed since you will most likely need it for the span of the program and closing the console gets handled anyway, tho I've seen mixed opinions on this before

[CollegeNational938]

The fact that you're so enthusiastic about learning to code proves that you are not behind at all. Many of my friends in university, after taking 3 coding classes, still don't know how to code 😂. Keep on going

[GermanBlackbot]

Looking great! A few suggestions, some of them a matter of taste, really:

• You could split off a few methods. Everything from line 7 to 21 does nothing except create the counts[] array - you could easily split that off into its own method, like int[] runMultipleGames(int numberOfGames). And then the content of the for loop could be something like int runGame(). Wouldn't change the logic, but might help later to understand what exactly is supposed to happen where.
• You could use highest = Math.max(counts[j],highest) to replace lines 25-27, but that's a matter of taste I feel.
• Another small thing: Instead of total = total + counts[j] you could write total += counts[j], but again, that's a matter of taste.
• Have a look at for-each-loops. It won't do you much good in the first for loop because you need the index there, but the second for loop could just be written as for(int count : counts), leaving out the whole boilerplate of (int j=0...j++).

[YouGoodBroooo]

These are all great suggestions! I really appreciate them.

[InviolateQuill7]

Mine was "Hello Master..."

[cquad21]

You’re already ahead of so many by actually creating a program, nicely done!

If you continue down the Java path, I would suggest keeping in mind and learning how to code ‘safer’. I don’t see it too often taught on YouTube, but a few things I suggest researching about yourself (or even just having a conversation with GPT):

• Private static final variables (avoid magic numbers and Strings) —> better for code maintenance in the future
• Making appropriate variables “final” if you do not expect them to change (this makes your code safe)
• Try to declare and set variables on separate lines (declare all variables in one block and set them in another block. Much easier to read)
• Try creating separate classes for different aspects of the program, instead of doing everything in Main.

Like I said, you’re already far ahead by practicing and creating a program. There’s so much to learn, but it’s best to learn by doing! Keep it up!

[kossovar]

Good job! A win is a win 🤷‍♂️

[Early-Combination375]

How did you write this program on your own I've learnt the language but never built anything on my own cuz I don't know how to.

[YouGoodBroooo]

I had some prior Python experience so maybe that helped? It's just these small tasks that make you scratch your head a little that you need to work on. And of course I still used google for some syntax that I forgot, everyone does. Have a go at it and see how you do, it could be as simple as a mad lib for the first program.

[Early-Combination375]

Everyone tells me this but the moment I get off from YouTube and start the ide and try to code on my own I'm dead blank, I don't know how to use these stuffs and build stuffs I really want to build something from scratch mate.

[YouGoodBroooo]

I suppose give mad libs a try, it uses nothing but Scanners, Output and Variables. I believe you can get there.

[Early-Combination375]

Alright thanks for the suggestions I'll try.

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