Flogging a dead horse - reading a number

[Kenneth Fogel]

Hi,

I have started a new course this past week, a first level Java course. Once we get past "Hello Moose" (in Canada we prefer this to Hello World) I present a simple program that calculates loan payments. Then I present an interactive version where I am forced to write:

    var loan = Double.parseDouble(readln("Loan: "));
    var interest = Double.parseDouble(readln("Interest: "));
    var term = Double.parseDouble(readln("Term: "));

Its all going well until I must describe what Double.parseDouble is.

I do not need a read for each numeric type. A read for doubles is all I think is necessary and then I could write:

    var loan = (readNum("Loan: "));  // loan is a double

or if I need an integer:
   var numberOfCarrots = (int)readNum("How many carrots do you need? ");

Heck, if I were greedy, I'd ask that if you cast a readln this results in numeric input:
    var loan = (double) readln("Loan: "));  // Just like Python

But I'm not that greedy, today.

Ken

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