C# Tutorial 4 - Storing User Input in a Variable

Summary

In this tutorial, TheBossCoder dives into the fascinating world of handling user inputs in C#. Building on the previous lessons, you learn how to store user inputs into variables, transforming simple console applications into interactive programs. The video covers how to use Console.ReadLine() to capture and store input as strings and further explores converting those strings into other data types using methods like int.Parse() and double.Parse(). These skills are crucial for creating dynamic and user-friendly applications.

Highlights

• Capture user input as a string using Console.ReadLine(). 🎹
• Convert string inputs to integers with int.Parse() for numerical operations. 🔧
• Transform string data into various types like double using parsing methods. 🔀
• Understand the importance of user input in creating engaging programs. 🎯
• Get hands-on with storing and manipulating user input in C#. 🖥️

Key Takeaways

• Learn to store user input into variables with Console.ReadLine() in C#. 📥
• Understand how to convert user input strings into integers with int.Parse(). 🔄
• Explore converting strings to other data types like double using parse methods. 🔢
• Grasp why user input is essential for making interactive and exciting programs. 💡
• Master the basics of creating dynamic applications with user-driven data. 🌟

Overview

In this C# tutorial by TheBossCoder, you’ll discover the art of making your console applications interactive by incorporating user inputs. The tutorial focuses on using the Console.ReadLine() method to capture what users type and how to store this information in variables. With this knowledge, your applications can become more engaging as users get to interact directly with your code.

TheTrainer walks you through converting string inputs into other data types, like integers and doubles, using int.Parse() and double.Parse() methods. This process is crucial because although users might enter numbers, they’re initially received as strings. This tutorial helps demystify the process of turning those strings into usable numerical data—essential for arithmetic operations and logic within your programs.

User input is a vital component in software development, and this tutorial emphasizes its importance. By enabling user input, your programs can serve numerous functions and adapt to various user needs, making them versatile and exciting. Be ready to explore further in upcoming episodes, as this lesson lays the groundwork for understanding variable modifiers in C# to enhance your code’s functionality.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction and Overview In this chapter, the tutorial continues from previous lessons on C programming, specifically focusing on using variables. The instructor revisits the concept of declaring variables, storing values, and printing them out, which were covered in the last tutorial. The main focus of this chapter is on demonstrating how to obtain user input and save it into variables. An example is provided using a statement like 'string s = Console.ReadLine()' to capture and store user input.
• 00:30 - 01:00: Reading User Input This chapter introduces the concept of reading user input in a program. It explains the process by which a variable 's' is created to capture user input from the keyboard. As soon as the user types something and presses the enter key, the input is stored in 's' as a string. The chapter also covers how to display this input by printing it out.
• 01:00 - 01:30: Printing User Input The chapter titled 'Printing User Input' revolves around the process of using the console to print text inputs. The narrator demonstrates how to print a user-defined text string, exemplified by the phrase 'my name is Ryan'. This string is stored in a string variable, and the narrator explains the execution flow, noting a blank line for improved readability. The overall focus is on understanding how text can be input and displayed using simple console commands.
• 01:30 - 02:30: Handling Integers and Strings The chapter 'Handling Integers and Strings' discusses the process of storing and printing strings using console commands, particularly the 'rightline' and 'readline' commands. The example provided stores a string and prints it, showing how user input is taken and subsequently outputted. The chapter then transitions to handling integers, highlighting an error with variable naming or compilation if not done correctly. It underscores the importance of correct variable naming conventions, indicating a potential error due to using inappropriate variable names when dealing with integers.
• 02:30 - 04:00: Parsing Strings to Integers The chapter discusses parsing strings to integers in programming. It explains that when input is taken from the console using console.readline, it is read as a string literal—even if the input is a number like '5' or '172'. A string literal represents characters enclosed in double quotes. The chapter emphasizes that you cannot directly equate a string literal to an integer or other numeric types.
• 04:00 - 05:30: Demonstration and Explanation In this chapter, the focus is on the process of parsing a decimal point number, such as a double or a float in programming. The text explains that to properly handle such data types, one must use the int.parse function. It elaborates on the importance of paying attention to the parentheses while using parse, as an error in inputs, like typing letters instead of numbers, can lead to runtime errors. This demonstrates a crucial part of coding, where precision in syntax and understanding of function usage are essential.
• 05:30 - 06:30: Parsing Doubles and Conclusion The chapter explains the process of parsing a string input into an integer using the console.readline and int.parse methods in programming. It highlights how a string value, such as '156', can be converted into an integer and stored in a new variable, exemplified by changing the variable to 'X'. This conversion allows for further manipulation and use within the program, illustrating a fundamental concept in handling user input and data conversion in coding.

C# Tutorial 4 - Storing User Input in a Variable Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 hey guys welcome to your fourth c tutorial um in the last tutorial I showed you guys how to declare variables and store values in those variables and how how you can um use them to print them out and in this tutorial I want to show you an interesting thing that you can do with them and that's um getting user input to be stored inside of them so let's start with a statement like string s equals and we're going to actually set this equal to the console. read line
• 00:30 - 01:00 method let me let me go ahead and put the other readline method in there now what this is actually going to do is once the program starts running it's going to create this variable a string variable called s and it's going to wait for you to type something in your keyboard as soon as you type it in the keyboard and then you hit the enter button it's going to take whatever you typed out and it's going to store it in that variable S as a string and so then I can actually come down and print it out let's see
• 01:00 - 01:30 console. uh right line S and I can actually print out whatever I just typed so I'm just going to put oh oops um let put like my name is Ryan because that's my name and then it came down it stored that string my name is Ryan that I typed out into that string variable and then it skip this line cuz it's blank obviously I just put it there for um space so it looks nicer and then it came down to this console.
• 01:30 - 02:00 rightline s and it took whatever I stored in that s which is what I typed out the my name is Ryan and then it reprinted it out on the screen for us and now it's actually waiting for me to hit the enter button again obviously because we did the console. readline and now you can actually do this same thing I'm going to rename this x because I don't like using the letter s for my integers but and um you can do it for integers too but see how it's um it is underlined that's because if I were to compile this it would give me an error and the reason being is that
• 02:00 - 02:30 whenever you do console.readline and you type something out it's actually um whatever you type out even if I typed out the number five or 172 it takes that 172 but it stores it as um it reads it as a string literal which is whatever you set a string to a string literal is basically just anything inside of a double quote and you can't set a double quote equal to an integer or like a long or a
• 02:30 - 03:00 decimal point number like a double or a float and so what you actually have to do is you have to go in here and do int. parse parse parse and then um now this see it's highlighted the first um parentheses here is going to the very last one because inside this parse it's going to take whatever we type and I'm going to actually type out a number not a letter cuz if you type out letters it will give you a um a runtime error
• 03:00 - 03:30 um which is no good so Bo know um so you have console. readline and you're going to type out like6 or something and then it will take that 156 string and then the in. parse method takes that string and it turns it into an integer value and once you turn that string into an integer value you can store that into your new variable called X and so I actually have to come down here and change that to X also um so then it's going to
• 03:30 - 04:00 so let me go ahead and run this and type something out and then I'll explain it again just so it doesn't um get too tricky okay so I typed in 172 now in the actual this um the uh command prompt is what this is called for those of you that know Windows pretty well it takes that 172 that I typed and it's basically thinking okay so he types I have to close this first so he typed out 172 and it oh my gosh what is
• 04:00 - 04:30 this doing okay he typed out 172 okay so that's what it's reading it as but what I want it to read it as is just a simple 172 I want it to read it as 172 on the right and not the 172 on the left so what the in the parse um value does or the parse method sorry um it takes this string that is reading 172 and it just basically just
• 04:30 - 05:00 magically changes it into the number 172 and that's basically what that does so I'm just going to go ahead and compile that again just so I can show you again and explain it one more time because it's really important that you understand what's going on 172 okay again this is reading as a string once it goes into that in the int. par method it's taking the 172 string turning it into an integer value storing it in X
• 05:00 - 05:30 and then it gets to the console. right line and then it printed out that 172 as an integer um which is the second one and now it's waiting me for to waiting for me to hit enter because that console. read line um you can do the same exact thing with a double except you have to do double do pars whatever data type you're using you have to use the name of the data type. parse it works for any of them um so if I type a 5.5 5 75 it'll do
• 05:30 - 06:00 the same thing except instead of T instead of changing the string into an integer it changes it into a double um that's pretty much all I wanted to talk about in this tutorial because that is a Nifty tool and I know it can be somewhat confusing for people especially if you're just now learning the language but it's very important for um things CU user input drives a program if you make a program and you don't have any kind of user input in it then it's going to be dull boring and no one's going to want to look at at it except
• 06:00 - 06:30 for you because you made it for a specific purpose but if you can in um Implement user input then anyone's going to be able to use it if they need to depending on what it does so um in the next tutorial I am probably going to be talking to you guys about um words that can modify your variables and I'll have to explain that in the next tutorial but until then I'll see you guys later