H Frank you gave a pretty reply to a topic by Jamie http://www.javaranch.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000103.html
That you read both the long listings he provided amazes me
I have one question though, your comment:

Originally posted by Frank Carver:
and move the definitions of
String inData; String searchLastname = "Wokloy"; String searchFirstname = "Wokloy";
to inside the "while" loop where they are used.

Surely this will mean that you will initialize the strings every time the loop is "executed'. Why do you suggest that he moves it into the loop.
Thanks for sharing you obvious in depth knowledge by the way.
JdJ

Thanks for the comments. I'm equally amazed that you are re-reading old messages from over a year ago!
In the case you mention, both strings are never used with their default initialized values. If you follow the code down, looking for the first use of each of the two variables, the first use is when they are set. So a better use would be something like:
public static void main ( String[] args ) throws IOException { BufferedReader bf = new BufferedReader( new InputStreamReader ( System.in ) ); PhoneBook pb = new PhoneBook(); boolean cont = true; while (cont) { System.out.println( "Enter last name" ); String searchLastname = bf.readLine().toUpperCase(); if (searchLastname.equals( "QUIT" )) { System.out.println( "Goodbye" ); cont = false; } else { PhoneEntry entry; System.out.println( "Enter first name" ); inData = bf.readLine(); if (inData.length() != 0) { String searchFirstname = inData.toUpperCase(); entry = pb.flsearch( searchLastname, searchFirstname ); if ( entry == null ) { System.out.println( "Name not found. Try anew." ); } else { System.out.println( entry.lastname + " " + entry.firstname + ": " + entry.phone ); } } else { pb.print( searchLastname ); } } } }

At first I though you did not answer my question, then I printed it out compared your code with the original line for line, and the penny droped.
This was what you meant in your original comment to Jamie, intialize via the input you get from the user and not simply do this :
while (cont) { String searchLastname = "Wokloy"; String searchFirstname = "Wokloy"; etc.
Man I'll be watching out for you and learning from you
Thanks
JdJ
[This message has been edited by Johannes de Jong (edited March 01, 2001).]