java.util.NoSuchElementException – Scanner reading user input

I’m new to using Java, but I have some previous experience with C#. The issue I’m having comes with reading user input from console.

I’m running into the “java.util.NoSuchElementException” error with this portion of code:

payment = sc.next(); // PromptCustomerPayment function

I have two functions that get user input:

• PromptCustomerQty
• PromptCustomerPayment

If I don’t call PromptCustomerQty then I don’t get this error, which leads me to believe I am doing something wrong with scanner. Below is my full code sample. I appreciate any help.

public static void main (String[] args) {   
    
    // Create a customer
    // Future proofing the possabiltiies of multiple customers
    Customer customer = new Customer("Will");
    
    // Create object for each Product
    // (Name,Code,Description,Price)
    // Initalize Qty at 0
    Product Computer = new Product("Computer","PC1003","Basic Computer",399.99); 
    Product Monitor = new Product("Monitor","MN1003","LCD Monitor",99.99);
    Product Printer = new Product("Printer","PR1003x","Inkjet Printer",54.23);
    
    // Define internal variables 
    // ## DONT CHANGE 
    ArrayList<Product> ProductList = new ArrayList<Product>(); // List to store Products
    String formatString = "%-15s %-10s %-20s %-10s %-10s %n"; // Default format for output

    // Add objects to list
    ProductList.add(Computer);
    ProductList.add(Monitor);
    ProductList.add(Printer);
    
    // Ask users for quantities 
    PromptCustomerQty(customer, ProductList);
    
    // Ask user for payment method
    PromptCustomerPayment(customer);
    
    // Create the header
    PrintHeader(customer, formatString);
    
    // Create Body
    PrintBody(ProductList, formatString);   
}

public static void PromptCustomerQty(Customer customer, ArrayList<Product> ProductList) {
    // Initiate a Scanner
    Scanner scan = new Scanner(System.in);
    
    // **** VARIABLES ****
    int qty = 0;
    
    // Greet Customer
    System.out.println("Hello " + customer.getName());
    
    // Loop through each item and ask for qty desired
    for (Product p : ProductList) {

        do {
        // Ask user for qty
        System.out.println("How many would you like for product: " + p.name);
        System.out.print("> ");
        
        // Get input and set qty for the object
        qty = scan.nextInt();
        
        }
        while (qty < 0); // Validation
        
        p.setQty(qty); // Set qty for object
        qty = 0; // Reset count
    }
    
    // Cleanup
    scan.close();
}

public static void PromptCustomerPayment (Customer customer) {
    // Initiate Scanner 
    Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in);
    
    // Variables
    String payment = "";

    // Prompt User
    do {
    System.out.println("Would you like to pay in full? [Yes/No]");
    System.out.print("> ");
    
    payment = sc.next();
    
    } while ((!payment.toLowerCase().equals("yes")) && (!payment.toLowerCase().equals("no")));
    
    // Check/set result
    if (payment.toLowerCase().equals("yes")) {
        customer.setPaidInFull(true);
    }
    else {
        customer.setPaidInFull(false);
    }
    
    // Cleanup
    sc.close(); 
}

Answer

This has really puzzled me for a while but this is what I found in the end.

When you call, sc.close() in first method, it not only closes your scanner but closes your System.in input stream as well. You can verify it by printing its status at very top of the second method as :

    System.out.println(System.in.available());

So, now when you re-instantiate, Scanner in second method, it doesn’t find any open System.in stream and hence the exception.

I doubt if there is any way out to reopen System.in because:

public void close() throws IOException --> Closes this input stream and releases any system resources associated with this stream. The general contract of close is that it closes the input stream. A closed stream cannot perform input operations and **cannot be reopened.**

The only good solution for your problem is to initiate the Scanner in your main method, pass that as argument in your two methods, and close it again in your main method e.g.:

main method related code block:

Scanner scanner = new Scanner(System.in);  

// Ask users for quantities 
PromptCustomerQty(customer, ProductList, scanner );

// Ask user for payment method
PromptCustomerPayment(customer, scanner );

//close the scanner 
scanner.close();

Your Methods:

 public static void PromptCustomerQty(Customer customer, 
                             ArrayList<Product> ProductList, Scanner scanner) {

    // no more scanner instantiation
    ...
    // no more scanner close
 }


 public static void PromptCustomerPayment (Customer customer, Scanner sc) {

    // no more scanner instantiation
    ...
    // no more scanner close
 }

Hope this gives you some insight about the failure and possible resolution.