odd output when using multiple classes

Question

I am very new with java programming and I am close to finishing a very big project for me. I am trying to make an employee registry that simply relays information back. Whenever I enter the info it just returns stuff like Name@5a965654. My classes are below and any help would be appreciated.

Main:

import java.util.Scanner;

public class Main 
{
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        Scanner Input = new Scanner(System.in);

        System.out.println("Enter the number of employees to enter.");
        int employeeCount = Input.nextInt();
        Input.nextLine();

        Employee employees[] = new Employee[employeeCount];

        String firstName;
        String lastName;
        String street;
        String city;
        String state;
        String zipCode;
        String monthHired;
        String dateHired;
        String yearHired;
        int employeeID;

        for(int x = 0; x < employeeCount; x++)
        {
            System.out.println("Please enter the first name of employee " + (x + 1));
            firstName = Input.nextLine();
            System.out.println("Please enter the last name of employee " + (x + 1));
            lastName = Input.nextLine();
            System.out.println("Please enter the street of employee " + (x + 1));
            street = Input.nextLine();
            System.out.println("Please enter the city of employee " + (x + 1));
            city = Input.nextLine();
            System.out.println("Please enter the state of employee " + (x + 1));
            state = Input.nextLine();
            System.out.println("Please enter the zip code of employee " + (x + 1));
            zipCode = Input.nextLine();
            System.out.println("Please enter the month hired for employee " + (x + 1));
            monthHired = Input.nextLine();
            System.out.println("Please enter the date hired for employee " + (x + 1));
            dateHired = Input.nextLine();
            System.out.println("Please enter the year hired for employee " + (x + 1));
            yearHired = Input.nextLine();
            Name name = new Name(firstName, lastName);
            name.setName(firstName, lastName);
            Address address = new Address(street, city, state, zipCode);
            DateOfHire hireDate = new DateOfHire(monthHired, dateHired, yearHired);
            employees[x] = new Employee(name, address, hireDate, x);
        }

        for(int x = 0; x < employeeCount; x++)
        {
            employees[x].printInfo(x);
        }
    }
}

Employee class:

public class Employee 
{
    private Name name;
    private Address address;
    private DateOfHire hireDate;
    int ID;

    public Employee()
    {

    }

    public Employee(Name name, Address address, DateOfHire hireDate, int x)
    {
        this.name = name;
        this.address = address;
        this.hireDate = hireDate;
        this.ID = x;
    }

    public void printInfo(int x)
    {
        System.out.println("Employee-" + (x + 1));
        System.out.println("Name: " + this.name);
        System.out.println("Address: " + this.address);
        System.out.println("Date of Hire: " + this.hireDate);
    }
}

Format of Name, DateHired, and Address classes:

public class Name 
{
    private String firstName;
    private String lastName;

    public Name()
    {

    }

    public Name(String firstName, String lastName)
    {
        this.firstName = firstName;
        this.lastName = lastName;
    }

    public void setName(String firstName, String lastName)
    {
        this.firstName = firstName;
        this.lastName = lastName;
    }

    public String getName()
    {
        return firstName + " " + lastName;
    }
}

Answer 1

All classes in Java extend from the java.lang.Object which has a method toString(). This method is implemented as

public String toString() {
    return getClass().getName() + "@" + Integer.toHexString(hashCode());
}

Whenever you call

System.out.println("Name: " + this.name);

String concatenation is done by implicitly calling the toString() method of your instance. If your class doesn't implement (override) the toString() method, then Object's implementation is used.

See the String Conversion rules in the Java Language Specification.

Otherwise, the conversion is performed as if by an invocation of the toString method of the referenced object with no arguments; but if the result of invoking the toString method is null, then the string "null" is used instead.

Since your Name class does not have a toString() method, then its parent class' method is called, ie. Object#toString() and you get the output you see.

You should override the toString() method in all your classes. For example,

public class Name 
{
    private String firstName;
    private String lastName;

    public Name()
    {

    }

    public Name(String firstName, String lastName)
    {
        this.firstName = firstName;
        this.lastName = lastName;
    }

    public void setName(String firstName, String lastName)
    {
        this.firstName = firstName;
        this.lastName = lastName;
    }

    public String toString()
    {
        return firstName + " " + lastName;
    }

    public String getName()
    {
        return firstName + " " + lastName;
    }
}

It does not matter than toString() and getName() return the same thing in this case. You have to follow the language spec.

Answer 2

A Name is not the same as a String, so when you print this.name in Employee.printInfo, it prints Name@[numbers], indicating that what you're printing is a Name object at the location described by the numbers.

Try replacing that line with

System.out.println("Name: " + this.name.getName());

Also, you'll need to do something similar for the Address and DateOfHire, but I don't know what you have implemented for those, so I can't really say what specifically to do. Essentially, though, you'll need a method that gives a string representation of whatever object it is that you want to print.

Answer 3

You should implement String toString() method if you wanna print an object