Need help right away.

Question

This is what I need to do:
Use dialog boxes to get first and last names of any number of people up to 12. Print the names in alphabetical order by (1) first name and (2) last name.
And this is what I have so far:
import javax.swing.JOptionPane;
public class NameSort {
  public static void main(String[] args)
    String name1;
    String name2;
    String name3;
    String orderStr;
    name1 = JOptionPane.showInputDialog
        ("Please enter the 1st name");
    name2 = JOptionPane.showInputDialog
        ("Please enter the 2nd name");
    name3 = JOptionPane.showInputDialog
        ("Please enter the 3rd name");
    orderStr = "";
    if (name1.compareTo(name2) >0)
        orderStr = name1 +" " + name2+" " +name3;
    else if (name1.compareTo(name3) >0)
        orderStr = name3 +" " + name2+" " +name1;
    else if (name2.compareTo(name3) >0)
        orderStr = name1 +" " + name2+" " +name3;
    else if (name2.compareTo(name1) >0)
        orderStr = name1+" " + name2+" " +name3;
    else if (name3.compareTo(name1) >0)
        orderStr = name1 +" " + name2+" " +name3;
    else if(name3.compareTo(name2) >0)
        orderStr = name1 +" " + name2+" " +name3;
    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null,"The alphabetical order "
                                    + "of the names is: " + orderStr,
                                    "Alphabetizing complete",
                                    JOptionPane.INFORMATION_MESSAGE);     
System.exit(0);
}There are a couple problems here:
1. How do I organize them alphabetically without doing 144 combinations in lines of code?
2. How do I get them to recognize the last names as well?
Someone said that an Array class would help, but I don't know how to do that exactly.
If someone could help, I'd appreciate it immensity.
Edited by: KingofBlades on May 18, 2008 4:24 PM
Edited by: KingofBlades on May 18, 2008 4:25 PM

Answer 1

Well, the reason I'm asking is this:
I took a Java class in the beginning of the year, and it was pretty easy and fun for the first few weeks. Then it got harder. I regret taking this class, because now I have no clue what I'm doing. I've managed to just barely pass the class, but this is the final project, worth 20% of our grade.
It's not that I didn't try, I really did. But I just couldn't get this stuff. By the time we got to the "return" function, I was completely lost.
What I was really hoping is that someone would be kind enough to do this for me.
I'm not going to sit here and make excuses becasue I don't have any. I simply do not understand Java no matter how hard I try to get it. This project has 4 parts to it, and I assure you I did the first 3 on my own, but I can't get this last one. I don't usually do this, but I just can't figure this stuff out. I need help. I don't know what else to say, I'd rather not cheat, but I'm not going to get this stuff any time soon, and I don't wanna fail the class, so I'm stuck.
So if anyone doesn't want to do it based on morals, I understand, but I don't know how I am going to fair in the class if I don't do this. So if anybody would be kind enough, would they please help?