How to Determine the Max and Min Values Read in From a Text File in Java

Question

I am doing a homework assignment for a class, and am looking for some helpful pointers, not full solutions. Basically, I have to write a Java program that reads in a text file and lists the information line by line, lists the line number, and finally, prints out the maximum and minimum value and the years that relates to each. The text file contains a year and the temperature for that year. So, it lists something like, "1900 50.9." I am not meant to use an array, or the scanner, this is part of the assignment. I've already been able to successfully get the program to print out each year and corresponding temperature line by line with the line count. I was told to, and did use the while loop. Now, my only issues is accessing the text file in a way that I can somehow distinguish out of all the temperatures, which is the maximum and which is the minimum, and which year each one occurred in. I haven't sought help until now because I wanted to be able to figure it out on my own, but the assignment is no longer worth any credit due to late penalties. Any help would be really appreciated, as I still want to solve this. Thanks.

This is what I have.

public class main {

/**
 * @param args the command line arguments
 */

public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {


File temps = new File ("temps.txt"); //Creates path to temps.txt file
FileReader textReader = new FileReader (temps); //Input information from temps.txt file into file reader
BufferedReader kb = new BufferedReader (textReader); //Use buffered reader to hold temps.txt file info from the file reader




String tempList; //Create string variable named tempList
int lineCount = 0; //Create integer variable named lineCount
String sep = ": Temp "; //Create string variable named sep (short for separation) and set it equal to the literal string ":"
String space = " "; //Create string variable named space and set it equal to an actual space between texts


System.out.println("The following is the provided information from the file input. ");
while ((tempList = kb.readLine()) !=null) { //while loop stating that as long as the text file still has values to read (is not null), continue to execute


    System.out.println("Line " + lineCount++ + ": Year " + tempList.replace(space, sep)); //Prints out the line number (lineCount++), the info from the temps.txt file with a ":" between the year and the number (tempList.replace (space,sep)

}




}

}

The output thus far is this:

Line 0: Year 1900: Temp 50.9
Line 1: Year 1901: Temp 49
Line 2: Year 1902: Temp 49.7
Line 3: Year 1903: Temp 49.5
Line 4: Year 1904: Temp 47.1
Line 5: Year 1905: Temp 49.1

Etc. all the way to...

Line 99: Year 1999: Temp 52.7
BUILD SUCCESSFUL (total time: 0 seconds)

Answer 1

Here is a way to do it:

String tempList; //Create string variable named tempList
int lineCount = 0; //Create integer variable named lineCount
String sep = ": Temp "; //Create string variable named sep (short for separation) and set it equal to the literal string ":"
String space = " "; //Create string variable named space and set it equal to an actual space between texts

String maxValueYear = "";
String minValueYear = "";
double maxValue = 0;
double minValue = Double.MAX_VALUE;
System.out.println("The following is the provided information from the file input. ");
while ((tempList = kb.readLine()) !=null) { //while loop stating that as long as the text file still has values to read (is not null), continue to execute

    String year = tempList.substring(0, tempList.indexOf(space));
    double temp = Double.valueOf(tempList.substring(tempList.indexOf(space), tempList.length()));

    if (temp > maxValue) {
        maxValue = temp;
        maxValueYear = year;
    }
    if (temp < minValue) {
        minValue = temp;
        minValueYear = year;
    }
    System.out.println("Line " + lineCount++ + ": Year " + tempList.replace(space, sep)); //Prints out the line number (lineCount++), the info from the temps.txt file with a ":" between the year and the number (tempList.replace (space,sep)

}

System.out.println("The minimum temp occured in year " + minValueYear + " and was " + minValue);
System.out.println("The maximum temp occured in year " + maxValueYear + " and was " + maxValue);

Answer 2

You need to use a few variables to keep track of the min and max temp.
Every time a higher (lower) temp comes along you update the variables.

Ok start with very high max and very low min outside the loop.
As soon as you see a (higher) lower temp inside the loop you adjust the vars.
After the loop you recap.

Answer 3

Highest Seen So Far: -Infinity
    (or any really low number so that any number you see next will be higher)
Lowest Seen So Far: Infinity
    (or any really high number so that any number you see next will be lower)

Walk through each data point "d":
    is d higher than your latest "highest seen so far"?
        -> if yes, your new highest seen so far is now d
    is d lower than your latest "lowest seen so far"?
        -> if yes, your new lowest seen so far is now d

Your highest seen so far is now the highest data point
Your lowest seen so far is now the lowest data point

In pseudocode:

highest = -inf
lowest = inf

for d in dataset:
  if d > highest:
    highest = d
  if d < lowest:
    lowest = d

print "highest: " + highest
print "lowest: " + lowest

here is an example

let's say your dataset is 5 2 8 4

Step 0
    Highest: -inf
    Lowest: inf

Step 1
  See d = 5...that's higher than highest -inf, so new highest is 5.
  See d = 5...that's lower than lowest -inf, so new lowest is 5
    Highest: 5
    Lowest: 5

Step 2:
  See d = 2...that's not higher than highest 5...highest is still 5
  See d = 2...that is lower than lowest 5...new lowest is 2
    Highest: 5
    Lowest: 2

Step 3:
  See d = 8...that's higher than highest 5...new highest is 8
  See d = 8...that's not lower than lowest 2...lowest is still 2
    Highest: 8
    Lowest: 2

Step 4:
  See d = 4...that's not higher than highest 8...highest is still 8
  See d = 4...that's not lower than lowest 2...lowest is still 2
    Highest: 8
    Lowest: 2

Result:
    Highest: 8
    Lowest: 2