How can you assign a variable that is defined inside an if else statement
I need to create something that will find the current hour in GMT and convert it to EST.
When I try to compile and run the program, I get this error: currentHourEST cannot be resolved to a variable
. I think my problem at some point in the statements if else
is that I have assigned the variables incorrectly or something.
// Obtain total milliseconds since midnight, Jan 1, 1970
long totalMilliseconds = System.currentTimeMillis();
// Seconds
long totalSeconds = totalMilliseconds / 1000;
long currentSecond = totalSeconds % 60;
// Minutes
long totalMinutes = totalSeconds / 60;
long currentMinute = totalMinutes % 60;
// Hours
long totalHours = totalMinutes / 60;
long currentHour = totalHours % 24;
// Read in EST offset
long offSetAdded = currentHour - 5;
// If the time is negative make it a positive
if (offSetAdded > 0) {
long currentHourEST = offSetAdded * -1;
} else {
long currentHourEST = offSetAdded;
}
// Display time
System.out.println("The current time is " + currentHourEST + ":" + currentMinute + ":" + currentSecond);
System.out.println("Current time in GMT is " + currentHour + ":" + currentMinute + ":" + currentSecond);
I use an if else statement to plural offSetAdded
by -1
, so that the hour if negative, when I subtract from it 5
, it becomes positive, making it easier for people to see the hour.If the value is offSetAdded
positive then it will be printed currentHour
, just subtracted by 5.
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The variable that is defined in the block if
is limited to this if block
, you simply cannot use the variable outside of the if block.
If you want the variable to be used outside the if, just declare it outside the if block.
// If the time is negative make it a positive
long currentHourEST;
if (offSetAdded > 0) {
currentHourEST = offSetAdded * -1;
} else {
currentHourEST = offSetAdded;
}
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Change your code to:
// If the time is negative make it a positive
long currentHourEST;
if (offSetAdded > 0) {
currentHourEST = offSetAdded * -1;
} else {
currentHourEST = offSetAdded;
}
This will declare the currentHourEST
outsite block variable if/else
, so you can use it in the rest of the method code.
Your current code is declaring a variable inside this block, which means that it expires if a block exists in the program if/else
. Therefore, you could not access it later.
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I'm not an expert enough to tell what's going on, but if you declare currentHourEST outside of the if statement and if it's an else statement, it should work. Like this:
long currentHourEST;
// If the time is negative make it a positive
if (offSetAdded > 0) {
currentHourEST = offSetAdded * -1;
} else {
currentHourEST = offSetAdded;
}
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First you declare a variable and then you initialize it like
long currentHourEST;
if (offSetAdded > 0) {
currentHourEST = offSetAdded * -1;
} else {
currentHourEST = offSetAdded;
}
or you can use the conditional operator ? :
(aka ternary)
long currentHourEST = (offSetAdded > 0) ? offSetAdded * -1 : offSetAdded;
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