Can this lengthy if-else Java code be improved by using arrays?

I’m trying to simplify this Java code by adding arrays, but I’m having difficulty.

The code that I have so far that works:

import java.io.FileReader;
import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
import java.util.Scanner;
    
public class Homework4A {

    public static void main(String[] args) throws FileNotFoundException {
        Scanner scan = new Scanner(System.in);
        System.out.print("Enter name of the input file: ");
        String fileName = scan.next();
        try (Scanner inFile = new Scanner(new FileReader(fileName))) {
            char number0 = '0';
            char number1 = '1';
            char number2 = '2';
            char number3 = '3';
            char number4 = '4';
            char number5 = '5';
            char number6 = '6';
            char number7 = '7';
            char number8 = '8';
            char number9 = '9';
            int count0 = 0;
            int count1 = 0;
            int count2 = 0;
            int count3 = 0;
            int count4 = 0;
            int count5 = 0;
            int count6 = 0;
            int count7 = 0;
            int count8 = 0;
            int count9 = 0;
            
            while (inFile.hasNextLine()) {
                String line = inFile.nextLine();
                for (int i = 0; i < line.length(); i++) {
                    if (line.charAt(i) == number0) {
                        count0++;
                    }
                    else if (line.charAt(i) == number1) {
                        count1++;
                    }
                    else if (line.charAt(i) == number2) {
                        count2++;
                    }
                    else if (line.charAt(i) == number3) {
                        count3++;
                    }
                    else if (line.charAt(i) == number4) {
                        count4++;
                    }
                    else if (line.charAt(i) == number5) {
                        count5++;
                    }
                    else if (line.charAt(i) == number6) {
                        count6++;
                    }
                    else if (line.charAt(i) == number7) {
                        count7++;
                    }
                    else if (line.charAt(i) == number8) {
                        count8++;
                    }
                    else if (line.charAt(i) == number9) {
                        count9++;
                    }
                    
                }
                
            }
            
            System.out.println("n-= Count of Thistles in  =-");
            System.out.println("-= the Hundred Acre Wood =-n");
            System.out.println("        -----------");
            System.out.println("        type  count");
            System.out.println("        -----------");
            System.out.println("         0      " + count0);
            System.out.println("         1      " + count1);
            System.out.println("         2      " + count2);
            System.out.println("         3      " + count3);
            System.out.println("         4      " + count4);
            System.out.println("         5      " + count5);
            System.out.println("         6      " + count6);
            System.out.println("         7      " + count7);
            System.out.println("         8      " + count8);
            System.out.println("         9      " + count9);
            System.out.println("        -----------");
        }

    }
    
}

However, it’s kind of a brute-force attack. The spot of difficulty I’m running into is figuring out where to create and pass arrays. Since the code has to read the external file, should the arrays be created and passed in the while statement?

For further reference, the text file that is being read looks like this:

Thistle Map

The goal is to count the occurrences of digits only.

Answer

As you stated, you could use arrays.

I would suggest 2 arrays

• One to hold the digits to catch
• Second one for the counts

Initialization of the arrays

char[] numbers = new char[10];

//initialize of numbers(char) to count
for(int i = 0; i < numbers.length; i++) {
  numbers[i] = (char) ('0' + i);
}

int[] counts = new int[10]; //no initialization needed because int is default 0

In the for-loop where you iterate over the line, add a nested for loop, that iterates over the numbers-array. Here is the whole while loop:

while (inFile.hasNextLine()) {
  String line = inFile.nextLine();
  for (int i = 0; i < line.length(); i++) {
    for(int j = 0; j < numbers.length; j++) {
      if(line.charAt(i) == numbers[j]) {
        counts[j]++;
      }
    }
  }
}

For the output just use another for over the arrays:

for(int i = 0; i < numbers.length; i++) {
  System.out.println("         "+ numbers[i] +"      " + counts[i]);
}

Edit: Another solution using a Map

//...

Map<Character, Integer> charCounts = new HashMap<>();

for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
  charCounts.put((char) ('0' + i), 0);
}

while (inFile.hasNextLine()) {
  String line = inFile.nextLine();
  for (int i = 0; i < line.length(); i++) {
    charCounts.computeIfPresent(line.charAt(i), (key, val) -> val + 1);
  }
}

//...

for (Character number : charCounts.keySet()) {
  System.out.println("         " + number + "      " + charCounts.get(number));
}

With this solution you can easily extend your program to count any occuring character. Just remove the initialization of the map and add this line below the computeIfPresent.

charCounts.putIfAbsent(line.charAt(i), 1);