Can you help w/ simple io problem?

Question

i have this code and am expecting it to do a couple of things. first the code.
import java.io.*;
class BasicTests2 {
public static void main(String[] args) {
String input="";
InputStreamReader converter = new InputStreamReader(System.in);
BufferedReader in = new BufferedReader(converter);
System.out.println("Please enter your name: ");
while((System.in.read())!=-1) {
input=in.readLine();
System.out.println(input);
} // end while
} // main()
} // BasicTests2
my problems. one, when i enter a -1 the program does not exit. and secondly why does it cut the first char i enter when it echoes my entry back to me???
thanks for any help,
erik

Answer 1

my problems. one, when i enter a -1 the program does
not exit. The InputStream.read() method returns a -1 when the end of the stream has been reached. If the user enters a -1, then the end of the stream has not been reached. Entering a CTRL+Z will send the end of file marker indicating that the end of the stream has been reached.
and secondly why does it cut the first char
i enter when it echoes my entry back to me???This is because your code is reading in a byte of data (or one character), and then reading in a line of characters to echo back via System.out.println().
Perhaps you could try something like this:
import java.io.*;
class BasicTests2 {
public static void main(String[] args) {
String input= new String();
BufferedReader in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
System.out.println("Please enter your name (-q to quit) : ");
try {
input=in.readLine();
while(input !=null && !input.equalsIgnoreCase("-q")) {
System.out.println(input);
input=in.readLine();
} // end while
} catch (Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace();
} // main()
} // BasicTests2