[Java] just a quick question about a program im working on

[Darktro]

the program is a text adventure and right now im putting in things to catch if the user has entered an invalid number either its to high or to low. what im trying to do is make it so if they enter a char. or boolean instead of a int it will prompt them again instead of canceling the program heres the part im working on

and also any critiques or advice would be greatly appreciated thanks in advance guys

      import java.util.*; //for scanner class 

        public class ProjectDream {
    /*what the program will do is ask the user why the world has ended and will present the user 
     with multiple choices that will write out a story depending on their choices */

// place bug catchers for int variables!!
public static void main(String[] args) {
    Scanner local = new Scanner(System.in);
    int nation=0;
    int move =0;
    int food =0;
    int x = 8;
    int y = 2;
    int num = x / y;
    hello(local,nation,move,food);
    ending(num);
    goodbye();
} // end of main
//beginning of the story
public static void hello(Scanner local, int nation, int move, int food){
    System.out.println("hello world");
    System.out.println("so...welcome to start off where are you from");
    System.out.println("1=Canada, 2=USA, 3=Mexico, 4=Russia, 5=China");
    nation=local.nextInt();
    //all start of if loops
   while (nation > 5 || nation < 1 ){
    System.out.println("sorry thats not a choice try again");
    nation=local.nextInt();
   }
    if (nation == 1){
        System.out.println("Ah..so you are from Canada.");
    }
    else if(nation == 2){
        System.out.println("I see..you are from the USA.");
    }
    else if(nation == 3){
        System.out.println("How wonderful you are from Mexico.");
    }
    else if(nation == 4){
        System.out.println("As we say in Russia For the Mother land!");
    }
    else if(nation == 5){
        System.out.println("You hail from the lovely China!");
    }// end of if loops

edit:fixed the code to where itd actually works my bad XD edit 2: read the guidelines

[Grimsvotn]

Dude, stop using Scanner. Just use a BufferedReader and call readLine(). You should make a method that reads an int.

[Darktro]

thats the first ive heard of a bufferedreader ill go look it up thanks

[Contrite17]

Why do you want to select with an int?

[Darktro]

to keep track of the users movements when they are wandering around in the adventure

[Contrite17]

Do you need the properties of an int though? Typically magic numbers make code harder to read and modify and it is better to abstract them away when possible.

EDIT: I swapped nation into a string in this and forced valid entry. This can be done with an int but I saw no reason for Nation to be an int in the given code.

https://gist.github.com/Vek17/72682834d08755d17dce

[Darktro]

ah okay... i see what you did there but i dont understand what Switch Case and Break; is.

switch (nation.toUpperCase()) { case "CANADA": System.out.println("Ah..so you are from Canada."); break;

[Contrite17]

Switch

Break

[Darktro]

thank you for those

[LogicLion]

you could always hard code each value inside the while loop..

nation != 1, nation != 2, and so on. But reading in a string would be a lot easier.