CODEWITHSUNDEEP
java
twoheadedmona
twoheadedmona

Reputation: 35

cannot find symbol for an existing variable

public static void main(String[] args) {


        int [] array= {4,5,7,1,5,4};
        for(int j=0;j<array.length;j++) {
            int min;
            min=array[0];
            if(array[j]>min) {
                min=array[j];
            }
        }
        System.out.print(min);
    }
}

can you help me why min cannot be found?

Upvotes: 0

Views: 145

Answers (8)

jh314
jh314

Reputation: 27792

You need to declare min outside of the loop (because of scope):

int [] array= {4,5,7,1,5,4};
int min = array[0];// initialize min outside the loop.
for(int j=0;j<array.length;j++) {
    //min=array[0]; If you leave this here, you will 'reset' min each time
    if(array[j] < min) { // use "<" so that min will be the minimum
        min=array[j];
    }
}
System.out.print(min);

Also, you should not have min=array[0]; in your loop; this wil cause min to "reset" back to array[0] at each loop iteration. Instead, initialize it outside the loop. Finally, it looks like your code will set min to the largest element in array. To fix, reverse the comparision in the if statement.

Upvotes: 2

wkl
wkl

Reputation: 79921

You are attempting to access min from a different scope from where it was declared.

You are declaring it inside your for-loop:

for(int j=0; j < array.length; j++) {
    int min;
    min=array[0];
    if(array[j]>min) {
        min=array[j];
    }
} // min can't be used after this.

However, you are using it outside of the loop. int min is only valid within the scope of the for loop block (the } that closes the loop ends the block that min is accessible in).

Move the min declaration outside of the loop and it should work.

int min = array[0];
for (int i : array) {
    if (i > min) {
        min = i;
    }
}

System.out.println("The min is: " + min);

I made your code a little more syntactically sweet with Java's for-each loop.

Also, is there a logic error in your code? You call the variable min but you are assigning numbers larger than min to min. Sounds like you're looking for max value, not minimum?

Upvotes: 4

bsd
bsd

Reputation: 2717

Just moving min out of the for loop doesn't help. It will overwrite min everytime. Also move min=array[0]; out of the for loop.

Upvotes: 0

MGorgon
MGorgon

Reputation: 2607

Shouldn't it be if(array[j]<min) min=array[j]; ?

Upvotes: 0

mistahenry
mistahenry

Reputation: 8724

Min is local to the for loop

    int [] array= {4,5,7,1,5,4};
    int min = array[0];
    for(int j=0;j<array.length;j++) {
        if(array[j]>min) {
            min=array[j];
        }
    }
    System.out.print(min);

Upvotes: 1

Ale Zalazar
Ale Zalazar

Reputation: 1980

Because the scope of the min variable lasts inside of the for block.

Upvotes: 0

nanofarad
nanofarad

Reputation: 41281

min was declared inside the for loop.

Remove int min; and put the following outside the for loop:

 int min=0;

Since it's a local variable it must be initialized.

Also move min=array[0]; outside the for loop as well.

Upvotes: 0

StephenTG
StephenTG

Reputation: 2647

Min is being declared within the for-loop. If you move the declaration outside, it should work fine.

For example:

public static void main(String[] args) {
        int [] array= {4,5,7,1,5,4};
        int min=array[0];
        for(int j=0;j<array.length;j++) {
            if(array[j]>min) {
                min=array[j];
            }
        }
        System.out.print(min);
    }
}

Upvotes: 1

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