Having trouble creating class objects using an array

[Shawn Gordian]

Not sure if I worded my question correctly, but here it is. Here is what I was asked to do.

Create an array of 8 HospitalEmployees – then assign the references to 2 each (using both constructors) of the Doctor, Nurse, Surgeon, and Administrator class objects.
Use a loop to issue each one’s paycheck – observe the use of the overridden method in code

Here is my code so far. The project ask me to create instance of three other classes, but for right now I just added the Nurse class. Once I learn how to do it I can use that for the other three classes. Any help , advice, or nudges are welcome.

package hospitalemployee;

/**
 *
 * @author S.Gordian
 */
public class Hospital 
{
    public static void main(String[] args) 
    {
      HospitalEmployee[] employees = new HospitalEmployee[7];
        for( int i=0; i<employees.length; i++ )
        {
        employees[i] = new HospitalEmployee() 
        {
          @Override
          protected double calculatePay() 
          {
              throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Not supported yet."); 
          }
         };
      System.out.print(i);
        }   
    }
}
      

package hospitalemployee;

import java.util.Scanner;


public abstract class HospitalEmployee 
{
   protected String name;   // Employee's name provided
   protected String ssn;    // Employee's ssn provided
   protected double netPay; // Employee's netPay...must be calculated
   protected static double benefitsDeduction = 98.50; //Employee's benefits deduction
   private int dependents;  // Employee's number of dependents provided
   
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   //  Creates a hospital employee by asking user for specified information.
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
  public HospitalEmployee()
    {
      Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);
      System.out.print(" Please enter the employee's name > ");
      name = input.nextLine();
      System.out.print(" Please enter the employee's SSN  > ");
      ssn = input.nextLine();
      System.out.print(" Please enter the employee's number of dependents > ");
      dependents = input.nextInt();
      netPay = netPay - benefitsDeduction;
      
      
  }

   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   //  Sets up this hospital employee with the specified information.
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   public HospitalEmployee (String empName, String ssNumber, int numDepend)
   {
      name = empName;
      ssn = ssNumber;
      netPay = 0;
      dependents = numDepend;
   }
 
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   //  Sets the name for this employee.
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   public void setName(String empName) {
      name = empName;
   }
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   //  Sets the employee ss number for this employee.
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   public void setSSN (String empNumber)
   {
      ssn = empNumber;
   }
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   //  Sets the number of dependents for this employee.
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   public void setDependents(int depNumber)   {
      dependents = depNumber;
   }

   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   //  Returns this employee's name.
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   public String getName()
   {
      return name;
   }

   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   //  Returns this employee's ss number.
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   public String getSSN()
   {
      return ssn;
   }
   
    //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   //  Returns this employee's netPay amount.
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   public double getPay()
   {
      return netPay;
   }

   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   //  Returns this employee's number of dependents.
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   public int getDependents()
   {
      return dependents;
   }
   /**
    *   method to issue ALL employees a W2
    */
   public void issueW2()
   {
       
   }
    /**
     * specific to each HospitalEmployee
     * @return
     */
   protected void issuePayCheck() 
   {
       
   }
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   //  Returns a description of this employee as a string.
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   public String toString()
   {
      return name + "\t" + ssn + "\tNumber of Dependents: " + dependents +"\n";
   }
    //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   //  Calculates pay of the hospital employees.
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------

    /**
     *
     * @return 
     */
   abstract protected  double calculatePay();
   
   
}

package hospitalemployee;

/**
 *
 * @author S.Gordian
 */
public class Nurse extends HospitalEmployee
{
   protected double hoursWorked;
   protected double shiftDifferential;
   protected double hourlyRate;
   private int dependents;
   
   public Nurse()
   {
    hoursWorked = 30;
    hourlyRate = 20;
   }

   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   //  Sets up this nurse with the information specified.
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   public Nurse(String empName, String empSSN, int dep, double hours,
           double rate, double shift)   
   {
      super (empName, empSSN, dep);
      hoursWorked = hours;
      shiftDifferential = shift;
      hourlyRate = rate;
   }

   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   //  Sets the hourly rate of pay for this nurse.
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   public void setHourlyRate (int hrate)
   {
      hourlyRate = hrate;
   }

   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   //  Returns this nurse's currenthourly rate of pay.
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   public double getHourlyRate()
   {
      return hourlyRate;
   }
//-----------------------------------------------------------------
   //  Sets the hours worked for this nurse.
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   public void setHoursWorked (int hrs)
   {
      hoursWorked = hrs;
   }

   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   //  Returns this nurse's hours.
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   public double getHoursWorked()
   {
      return hoursWorked;
   }
   /**
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   //  Issue nurse's paystub.
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
    */
   protected void issuePayCheck()
    {
     netPay = hoursWorked * hourlyRate;
     
     System.out.println(" -------------------------------------------------");
     System.out.println ( "Nursing Staff");
     System.out.println(" Name: " + getName() + "\tID " + ssn);
     System.out.println("\n\nAmount electronically deposited: $" + 
             (String.format("%.2f",(this.calculatePay()))));
     System.out.println(" -------------------------------------------------");
   }
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   //  Returns a description of this nurse as a string.
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   public String toString()
   {
       String output = " Nurse ";
      output += super.toString() + " has worked:  " + hoursWorked
              + " this week\n";
       return output;
   }

   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   //  
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------

    @Override
    public double calculatePay() 
    {
        netPay = (hoursWorked * hourlyRate)- HospitalEmployee.benefitsDeduction;
                
        return netPay;
   
    }
}

[Zachary Griggs]

HospitalEmployee[] employees = new HospitalEmployee[1]

You say that you need 8 employees, but this is an array of size 2.

Also, I think you misunderstood the part about filling the array. The way you're doing it, you're making a new, anonymous class for every employee added, which rather defeats the purpose of creating those other classes (Nurse, etc). Instead, you can do this:

employees[0] = new Nurse();

This is a perfectly valid statement since a Nurse is-an employee. Since the nurse's constructor calls super, it will do all the associated stuff with that Scanner reading input in.

[Shawn Gordian]

Zachary Griggs wrote:

HospitalEmployee[] employees = new HospitalEmployee[1]

You say that you need 8 employees, but this is an array of size 2.

Yeah I had it set to 2 while playing with it, just to try to get it to run before I tried 8.

Also, I think you misunderstood the part about filling the array. The way you're doing it, you're making a new, anonymous class for every employee added, which rather defeats the purpose of creating those other classes (Nurse, etc). Instead, you can do this:

employees[0] = new Nurse();

This is a perfectly valid statement since a Nurse is-an employee. Since the nurse's constructor calls super, it will do all the associated stuff with that Scanner reading input in.

Ah gotcha. Yeah that was part of the problem. I wasnt sure what the questions was asking me to do. Ill give this a shot for the classes when I get back to my PC thanks.

[Shawn Gordian]

What I decided to go with. Thanks again!

public class Hospital 
{
    public static void main(String[] args) 
    {
      HospitalEmployee[] employees = new HospitalEmployee[8];
      employees[0] = new Nurse("Nurse Jackie", "987-65-4321", 3, 50, 30, 2);
      employees[1] = new Nurse("Carla Espinoza", "987-56-1234", 1,40,30,2);
      employees[2] = new Doctor("John Dorian", "243-12-8621",1,"General", "DocIns");
      employees[3] = new Doctor("Perry Cox", "621-89-3512", 2, "General", "ETNA");
      employees[4] = new Surgeon("Meredith Grey", "172-65-1826", 3, "Cigna", 5);
      employees[5] = new Surgeon("Christina Yang", "781-42-0976", 0, "MetLife",3);
      employees[6] = new Administrator("Ted Buckland", "890-08-1524", 0, 2000, 1, "Legal");      
      employees[7] = new Administrator("Bob Kelso", "014-26-3391", 1, 5000, 0, "Board");
                
        for (HospitalEmployee employee : employees) 
        {
            System.out.print(employee);
        }
        for (HospitalEmployee employee : employees) 
        {
            employee.issuePayCheck();
        }  
    }
}

[Campbell Ritchie]

There is an easier way t do that, which also obviates any risk of empty places in your array or overrunning the bounds of the array. I have done that by deleting parts of your code:-

// ...
      HospitalEmployee[] employees = {
            new Nurse("Nurse Jackie", "987-65-4321", 3, 50, 30, 2),
            new Nurse("Carla Espinoza", "987-56-1234", 1,40,30,2),
            new Doctor("John Dorian", "243-12-8621",1,"General", "DocIns"),
            new Doctor("Perry Cox", "621-89-3512", 2, "General", "ETNA"),
            new Surgeon("Meredith Grey", "172-65-1826", 3, "Cigna", 5),
            new Surgeon("Christina Yang", "781-42-0976", 0, "MetLife",3),
            new Administrator("Ted Buckland", "890-08-1524", 0, 2000, 1, "Legal"),
            new Administrator("Bob Kelso", "014-26-3391", 1, 5000, 0, "Board")
     };
// ...

That is of course called an array initialiser. You will have your eight elements as long as you counted them correctly.
Why did you use two loops; you could have done both printouts in the same loop? Why are you not using both versions of the constructor, as it said in your first post?

[Shawn Gordian]

Campbell Ritchie wrote:There is an easier way t do that, which also obviates any risk of empty places in your array or overrunning the bounds of the array. I have done that by deleting parts of your code:-

// ...
      HospitalEmployee[] employees = {
            new Nurse("Nurse Jackie", "987-65-4321", 3, 50, 30, 2),
            new Nurse("Carla Espinoza", "987-56-1234", 1,40,30,2),
            new Doctor("John Dorian", "243-12-8621",1,"General", "DocIns"),
            new Doctor("Perry Cox", "621-89-3512", 2, "General", "ETNA"),
            new Surgeon("Meredith Grey", "172-65-1826", 3, "Cigna", 5),
            new Surgeon("Christina Yang", "781-42-0976", 0, "MetLife",3),
            new Administrator("Ted Buckland", "890-08-1524", 0, 2000, 1, "Legal"),
            new Administrator("Bob Kelso", "014-26-3391", 1, 5000, 0, "Board")
     };
// ...

That is of course called an array initialiser. You will have your eight elements as long as you counted them correctly.
Why did you use two loops; you could have done both printouts in the same loop? Why are you not using both versions of the constructor, as it said in your first post?

Array initialiser? Dont think we've learned that yet. I put the paystubs in a different loop cause I have to do a little more with them and right now it's just easier if I have them separate. I dont understand what she means by both constructors. I dont understand how I can use the default one then use a conversion one. Wouldnt the conversion overwrite everything anyway since I am passing it information?

[Campbell Ritchie]

You don't have any default constructors, because you wrote constructors in all classes. You may have no‑arguments constructors, but they are different from default constructors.
I think you are supposed to write

// ...
new Doctor("Elliott Reid", "23-456-7890", "Neuro", "MedicsUS"),
new Doctor(),
// ...

At least that is how I interpreted what you said about both constructors in the first post.

[Shawn Gordian]

Campbell Ritchie wrote:You don't have any default constructors, because you wrote constructors in all classes. You may have no‑arguments constructors, but they are different from default constructors.
I think you are supposed to write

// ...
new Doctor("Elliott Reid", "23-456-7890", "Neuro", "MedicsUS"),
new Doctor(),
// ...

At least that is how I interpreted what you said about both constructors in the first post.

Oh boy thanks. So this whole time I've been reading that as make one doctor object and use both constructors on the one. Not make one doctor using one constructor, then make the other one using the other constructor. Wow. I've been sitting here trying to figure out if its possible to use both the constructors on one doctor.

[Campbell Ritchie]

Shawn Gordian wrote:. . . Wow. I've been sitting here trying to figure out if its possible to use both the constructors on one doctor.

The only way you can call two constructors on the same object is if constructor 1 calls constructor 2 with the this(...); construct.

And, you're welcome

[Shawn Gordian]

Here we go now. Cant believe I was misinterpreting that question for hours. This looks more like it.

public class Hospital 
{
    public static void main(String[] args) 
    {
      HospitalEmployee[] employees = new HospitalEmployee[8];
      employees[0] = new Nurse("Nurse Jackie", "987-65-4321", 3, 50, 30, 2);
      employees[1] = new Nurse();
      employees[2] = new Doctor("John Dorian", "243-12-8621",1,"Pedi", "DocIns");
      employees[3] = new Doctor();
      employees[4] = new Surgeon("Meredith Grey", "172-65-1826", 3, "Cigna", 5);
      employees[5] = new Surgeon();
      employees[6] = new Administrator("Ted Buckland", "890-08-1524", 0, 2000, 1, "Legal");      
      employees[7] = new Administrator();
              
        for (HospitalEmployee employee : employees) 
        {
            System.out.print("\n");  
            System.out.print(employee);
            
        }
        for (HospitalEmployee employee : employees) 
        {
            employee.issuePayCheck();
        }  
    }
}

[Campbell Ritchie]

Don't use \n unless you have been asked for a specific line end character, even though you see it in some books. Don't write print([line end]); Write println();