Converting infix expressions to postfix expressions

Question

I have a problem i can't find the wrong in this function it sometimes do well with any input but it cached when there is parentheses in the input {i want to know where is the wrong in this code and how to fix it , and Is there another better way instead this way}

    public static String Converting_infix_expressions_to_postfix_expressions(String infix) throws Exception{
    StringTokenizer st = new StringTokenizer(infix);
    int numOF_tokens = st.countTokens();
    String postfix = "" ;
    for (int i = 1; i <= numOF_tokens; i++) {
        String term = st.nextToken();
        try {  // if it is an Float there is no problem will happen
            float x =  Float.parseFloat(term);
            postfix += x +" " ;
            System.out.println("term is number " + term);
        } catch (Exception e) {
            System.out.println("term is symbol " + term);
            if(stack.isEmpty())
                stack.push(term);
            else if(term == "(")
                stack.push(term);
            else if(term == ")"){
                while((String)stack.peek() != "(")
                    postfix += stack.pop() +" ";
                stack.pop();
            }

            else{
                int x = 0,y = 0;
                switch(term){
                case "+": x = 1; break;
                case "-": x = 1; break;
                case "*": x = 2; break;
                case "/": x = 2; break;
                }
                switch((String)stack.peek()){
                case "+": y = 1; break;
                case "-": y = 1; break;
                case "*": y = 2; break;
                case "/": y = 2; break;
                }
                if(x > y)
                    stack.push(term);
                else {
                    int x1 = x , y1 = y;
                    boolean puchedBefore = false;
                    while(x1 <= y1){
                        postfix += stack.pop() +" ";
                        if(stack.isEmpty() || stack.peek() == "(" ){
                            stack.push(term);
                            puchedBefore = true;
                            break;
                        }
                        else{
                            switch(term){
                            case "+": x1 = 1; break;
                            case "-": x1 = 1; break;
                            case "*": x1 = 2; break;
                            case "/": x1 = 2; break;
                            }
                            switch((String)stack.peek()){
                            case "+": y1 = 1; break;
                            case "-": y1 = 1; break;
                            case "*": y1 = 2; break;
                            case "/": y1 = 2; break;
                            }
                        }
                    }
                    if(!puchedBefore)
                        stack.push(term);
                }   
            }
        }
    }
    while(!stack.isEmpty()){
        postfix += stack.pop() +" ";
    }
    System.out.println("The postfix expression is : " + postfix);
    return postfix;
}

Answer 1

You have a couple of problems with your code.

1. You should make a custom string tokenizer since there may not be a space between a parenthesis and a number. Ex: (5 + 6)
2. The try-catch block is not being used properly. Consider, first checking if the field is symbol then moving on to parsing it as a Float. This way you can avoid having most of your code appear in the catch block.

3. The bug you are referring to can be fixed with the follow change to line 18.

   while(!stack.isEmpty() && (String)stack.peek() != "(")