How do you print a character a random number of times?

[Ashley Kin]

Hi, I'm trying to write a method that will print a string of a random number of X's (from 5 to 20) on a line, then another number of X's on the next line, etc. until the random number = 16.
I have to use while loops and probably fencepost algorithms. I'm confused with how to print the number of x's the random number of times over and over.
Right now, I'm pretty sure my for loop is wrong or unnecessary.
Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks!

So far, this is my code:

public static void randomX() 
	{
		int x = 0;
		while (x != 16)
		{
			x = (int)(Math.random()*20) + 5;
			for (int i = 0; i <= x; i++);
			{
				System.out.print("x");
			}
		}
	}

[Campbell Ritchie]

And what happens when you run that code? I can only see one error.

[Campbell Ritchie]

Make that two errors.

[Campbell Ritchie]

three. I ought to learn to read.

[Campbell Ritchie]

Four. Most of them standard beginners’ errors. Look at the end of the line beginning for

[Ashley Kin]

Well, it's only printing one line of x's. I need it to continue to print lines of random numbers of x's until the random number is 16.
I'm thinking I went wrong with the for loop?

[Campbell Ritchie]

Earlier, I wrote:. . . Look at the end of the line beginning for

If I drop any heavier hints, they will go through the floor.

[Jesper de Jong]

Ashley Kin wrote:Well, it's only printing one line of x's.
I'm thinking I went wrong with the for loop?

Yes, there's a small problem with big consequences at the end of line 7.

[Campbell Ritchie]

Have you really not read that line, AK? Look very carefully. You have even had hints which part of the line to look at first.

By the way: Insert this line before the line saying print("x")

//      Line only there for testing, so you can delete it later.
        System.out.printf("x = %2d: ", x); //test

If you are lucky, that will bring the other three errors to your notice. If you are unlucky, only two of them. One of those three errors is related to an error I pointed out yesterday in a different thread of yours about a different program.

[Harsha Smith]

public static void randomX()   
    {  
		throw new IfCampbellSeesThisCodeHeWillDeleteItException();
    
		
	}

[Campbell Ritchie]

No, no, no, no, no. You, Harsha Smith, are going to deprive AK of any chance of learning if you simply post code like that

[Kita Kata]

Hello members of CodeRanch!

I have the same problem as Ashley. I believe if Ashley runs her code, there will be an infinite loop because of the while loop, it will never equal to 0.

Here is my version of my code so far.

import java.util.*; 

public static void randomX ()
{
   
    Random rand = new Random(); 
    int printRandom = rand.nextInt(19) + 1;
    //prints random numbers from 1 - 19
    
    while (printRandom < 16)
    {
        for (int i = 0; i < printRandom; i++)
        {
            System.out.print("x");
        }
        printRandom = rand.nextInt(19) + 1;
        System.out.println();
    }

}

It does print x randomly, however, not like how the exercise wants it.

Here is the expected output:
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Here is my output:
xxx
xxxxxxxxx
xx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
x
x
x
xxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Can someone please tell me where I've gone wrong? Thank you! I appreciate your help!

[ One-time courtesy moderator edit: added code tags ]

[Junilu Lacar]

Kita Kata wrote:
It does print x randomly, however, not like how the exercise wants it.

Here is the expected output:
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Here is my output:
...

Can someone please tell me where I've gone wrong?

Welcome to the Ranch!

Where you have gone wrong is thinking that the "expected output" is literally what your program should output. Since you are using random numbers, then the actual output will randomly vary from the "expected" output. What that really is is an example of what you might reasonably expect from the program. The key thing to note is that all the lines in the output, except for the last one, has less than 16 "x"s.

For future reference, when you are posting code, please UseCodeTags (←click on that; it's a link to a page that tells you how to use code tags). As a first-time courtesy, I will edit your post to add them for you.