Java Scanner nextShort() Method

The nextShort() method in Java, part of the java.util.Scanner class, is used to retrieve the next token from the input as a short value. This method is useful for reading and processing short integer values from the input.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. nextShort() Method Syntax
3. Understanding nextShort()
4. Examples
   • Basic Usage
   • Using a Custom Radix
   • Handling Input Errors
5. Real-World Use Case
6. Conclusion

Introduction

The nextShort() method returns the next token from the scanner's input as a short. This method is useful when you need to read and process short integer values, typically in the range of -32,768 to 32,767.

nextShort() Method Syntax

There are two versions of the nextShort() method:

Default Radix

public short nextShort()

Custom Radix

public short nextShort(int radix)

Parameters:

• radix: The radix (base) to be used for interpreting the token as a short.

Returns:

• The next token as a short value.

Throws:

• InputMismatchException: If the next token does not match the short regular expression, or is out of range.
• NoSuchElementException: If no more tokens are available.
• IllegalStateException: If the scanner is closed.

Understanding nextShort()

The nextShort() method retrieves the next token and converts it to a short. If the token cannot be interpreted as a short, an InputMismatchException is thrown.

Examples

Basic Usage

To demonstrate the basic usage of nextShort(), we will create a Scanner object and use it to read short values from a string.

Example

import java.util.Scanner;

public class NextShortExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String input = "10 20 30";

        // Create Scanner object in try-with-resources to ensure it closes automatically
        try (Scanner scanner = new Scanner(input)) {

            while (scanner.hasNextShort()) {
                short value = scanner.nextShort();
                System.out.println("Short value: " + value);
            }
        } // Scanner is automatically closed here
    }
}

Output:

Short value: 10
Short value: 20
Short value: 30

Using a Custom Radix

This example shows how to use nextShort(int radix) to read short values with a specific radix.

Example

import java.util.Scanner;

public class NextShortWithRadixExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String input = "1010 1111";

        // Create Scanner object in try-with-resources to ensure it closes automatically
        try (Scanner scanner = new Scanner(input)) {

            while (scanner.hasNextShort(2)) { // Check for binary numbers (base 2)
                short value = scanner.nextShort(2);
                System.out.println("Short value (binary): " + value);
            }
        } // Scanner is automatically closed here
    }
}

Output:

Short value (binary): 10
Short value (binary): 15

Handling Input Errors

This example shows how to handle errors when the input token cannot be interpreted as a short.

Example

import java.util.InputMismatchException;
import java.util.Scanner;

public class HandleInputErrorsExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String input = "10 abc 20";

        // Create Scanner object in try-with-resources to ensure it closes automatically
        try (Scanner scanner = new Scanner(input)) {

            while (scanner.hasNext()) {
                try {
                    short value = scanner.nextShort();
                    System.out.println("Short value: " + value);
                } catch (InputMismatchException e) {
                    System.out.println("Invalid input: " + scanner.next());
                }
            }
        } // Scanner is automatically closed here
    }
}

Output:

Short value: 10
Invalid input: abc
Short value: 20

Real-World Use Case

Reading Configuration Data

In real-world applications, the nextShort() method can be used to read and process short integer configuration data from a file.

Example

import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
import java.util.Scanner;

public class ConfigParser {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        try (Scanner scanner = new Scanner(new File("config.txt"))) {
            while (scanner.hasNext()) {
                try {
                    short value = scanner.nextShort();
                    System.out.println("Configuration value: " + value);
                } catch (InputMismatchException e) {
                    System.out.println("Invalid input: " + scanner.next());
                }
            }
        } catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
            System.out.println("File not found: " + e.getMessage());
        } // Scanner is automatically closed here
    }
}

Output (Assuming config.txt contains valid and invalid short values):

Configuration value: 10
Invalid input: abc
Configuration value: 20
...

Conclusion

The Scanner.nextShort() method is used to retrieve the next token from the input as a short value. This method is particularly useful for applications requiring short integer input values. By understanding and using this method, you can efficiently parse and handle short input data. Always close the Scanner using try-with-resources to ensure proper resource management.