Text Input: How To Perform Procedure on Console Input Without Variables

Question

Problem Defined:
Need to analyze text input on console to ensure it meets conditional statements before assigning to a variable.
I can't find a method to take scanner input from the console without first assigning it to a variable. I don't want to assign it to a variable unless it meets a certain condition.
This is for a class assignment and I must use the console for input--no dialog boxes.
This is what I want to do:
Read Input; Hold In Memory; Test if Null; Test if Length is 14 Digits; Assign to Acct if All Conditions Are Met
If Null, tell the user he needs to actually enter input or q to quit. Exit after five failures.
If input is not equal to 14 digits, inform user. Offer escape with q. Exit after five failures.
I only know how to assign a value to a variable from the various methods that take input. How do I take input and store it in memory to analyze without assigning it to a variable?
I have this and the code is probably not correct. I'm a rank newbie. I've written several programs, but they're all basic, mostly using only the methods I learned in class and what I pulled out of books. My prof doesn't even intend on going over if, for and while! She's happy with us just copying verbatim and editing one or two lines so the source isn't exactly what she wrote on the board. I'm trying to learn how to do things that I know are useful, like making sure input is in the proper format, asking questions like what did people use before scanner just gets me blank responses with a quizzical look, but no answer.
new Scanner = console scanner (system.in);
String Acct
Acct = console.next();
if Acct == null . You entered nothing. Try again or press q to exit.");
return to Line 1 //No idea how to do this.
if Acct == 'q'
Close Program
if length.Acct = 14 ( Acct = Acct )
else System.out.print("Your account number is 14 digits. You didn't enter 14 digits. Try again. Or press q to quit.")
goto Acct = console.next
Also, if you need to read an address from the console entered on one line, what methods can you use to pull one word at a time and then position them onto multiple lines?
Enter Address: 123 Main Street Apt 321 Port View, FL 32547
123 Main Street
Apartment 121
Port View FL
32547
Any help putting this together would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Alec

Answer 1

805228 wrote:
How do I take input and store it in memory to analyze without assigning it to a variable?Where do you think variables are stored? In memory. So no, you're not gonna be able to do anything to the value before you assign it to a variable. Then you can do any checks you need and
possibly assign it to another variable (or more likely, ask the user for valid input if the checks don't pass).
You can use loops and other constructs to keep asking for user input until valid values are provided.
if Acct == null . You entered nothing. Try again or press q to exit.");
return to Line 1 //No idea how to do this.Read up on while loops.
Also, if you need to read an address from the console entered on one line, what methods can you use to pull one word at a time and then position them onto multiple lines?
Enter Address: 123 Main Street Apt 321 Port View, FL 32547
123 Main Street
Apartment 121
Port View FL
32547Well that depends. How do you know that the street is "123 Main Street" and not "123 Main Street Apartment" or "123 Main Street Apartment 121".
You can get the whole String from the user and then split the String into smaller Strings _if_ you can answer the question on the previous line.