Use variable assigned a value inside try catch block later in application?

Question

So I'm trying to use my variable n after my try-catch, but I can't because my compiler is complaining that my n variable 'might not have been initialized'. How can I fix this? Here is the code:

public static void main(String[] args) {

    int n;

    boolean validInput = false;
    String scanner;

    while (!validInput) {
        scanner = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Please insert an integer:");
        try {
            n = Integer.parseInt(scanner);
            validInput = true;
        } catch (NumberFormatException exception) {
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Not an integer!");
            validInput = false;
        }
    }

    System.out.println(n); //I can't use the n even though I give it a value inside my try-catch
}

Answer 1

You should initialize n.

int n = 0;
...

Answer 2

You merely need to initialize it beforehand:

public static void main(String[] args) {

    int n = 0;

    boolean validInput = false;
    String scanner;

    while (!validInput) {
        scanner = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Please insert an integer:");
        try {
            n = Integer.parseInt(scanner);
            validInput = true;
        } catch (NumberFormatException exception) {
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Not an integer!");
            validInput = false;
        }
    }

    System.out.println(n); //I can't use the n even though I give it a value inside my try-catch
}

---

On a side note, you don't need to have a validInput variable at all. If you use continue and break statements, you also won't need to initialize the variable:

public static void main(String[] args) {
    int n;

    String scanner;

    while (true) {
        JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Please insert an integer:");
        try {
            n = Integer.parseInt(scanner);
            break;
        } catch (NumberFormatException exception) {
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Not an integer!");
            continue;
        }
    }

    s.close();

    System.out.println(n);
}