Java Scanner Input/Output Guide (for
Interviews & Competitive Programming)
The java.util.Scanner class provides methods to read various data types
from input (e.g., console) in Java. You first create a Scanner object, usually
connected to System.in, like:
Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in); // Scanner for console input
Then use methods like nextInt(), nextDouble(), nextLine(), etc., to read
values. Remember to sc.close() when done[1][2].
1. Basic Inputs and Outputs
Integer input: Use nextInt().
Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in);
System.out.print("Enter an integer: ");
int num = sc.nextInt(); // reads an integer
System.out.println("You entered: " + num);
sc.close();
This reads a whole number and prints it. (Internally nextInt() skips
whitespace and converts the token to int[1].)
Double input: Use nextDouble().
Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in);
System.out.print("Enter a double: ");
double d = sc.nextDouble(); // reads a double (e.g. 3.14)
System.out.println("Double: " + d);
sc.close();
nextDouble() parses a floating-point number (with decimal) from
input[3].
String input (single word): Use next().
Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in);
System.out.print("Enter a word: ");
String word = sc.next(); // reads the next token (up to
whitespace)
System.out.println("Word: " + word);
sc.close();
next() reads the next word (token) stopping at whitespace.
String input (full line): Use nextLine().
Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in);
System.out.print("Enter a line: ");
String line = sc.nextLine(); // reads the entire line
(including spaces)
System.out.println("Line: " + line);
sc.close();
nextLine() reads input until a newline is encountered. It can capture
full sentences with spaces (unlike next()). Note: if mixing nextInt()
and nextLine(), you may need to consume the leftover newline (e.g.,
call an extra nextLine() after nextInt() to clear the buffer).
Boolean input: Use nextBoolean().
Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in);
System.out.print("Enter true or false: ");
boolean flag = sc.nextBoolean(); // reads a boolean
System.out.println("Boolean: " + flag);
sc.close();
nextBoolean() parses true or false from input[4].
Each of these methods blocks until valid input is entered; entering the wrong
type (e.g. text when expecting nextInt()) causes an exception. Always guide
the user with a prompt (e.g., System.out.print) so they know what to enter.
2. Multiple Space-Separated Inputs in One Line
Scanner can read multiple values from the same line by calling its methods
in sequence. For example:
Multiple integers:
Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in);
System.out.print("Enter two integers separated by space: ");
int a = sc.nextInt();
int b = sc.nextInt(); // both read from one line
System.out.println("Sum = " + (a + b));
sc.close();
If the user types 10 20 and presses Enter, nextInt() reads 10, then the
second nextInt() reads 20. Scanner automatically splits on
whitespace.
Multiple strings:
Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in);
System.out.print("Enter two words: ");
String s1 = sc.next();
String s2 = sc.next();
System.out.println("Words: " + s1 + ", " + s2);
sc.close();
If input is Hello World, s1 becomes "Hello" and s2 becomes "World".
Mixed types:
Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in);
System.out.print("Enter an integer and a word: ");
int x = sc.nextInt();
String w = sc.next();
System.out.println("Number: " + x + ", Word: " + w);
sc.close();
For input 5 code, this reads integer 5 then string "code".
These patterns are common in coding tests: just keep calling nextInt(),
nextDouble(), next(), etc., in order. Scanner tokenizes input on whitespace
by default.
3. Array Input
Integer array: Read the size, then loop.
Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in);
System.out.print("Enter size of array: ");
int n = sc.nextInt(); // e.g. 5
int[] arr = new int[n];
System.out.println("Enter " + n + " integers:");
for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
arr[i] = sc.nextInt(); // read each element
}
// Example: print the array
System.out.println(Arrays.toString(arr));
sc.close();
This reads n integers into an array. (Scanner will accept them space-
separated or newline-separated.) As GeeksforGeeks illustrates, you can use a
loop with nextInt() to fill the array[5].
String array: Similarly, for strings:
Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in);
System.out.print("Enter number of strings: ");
int n = sc.nextInt();
String[] arr = new String[n];
System.out.println("Enter " + n + " words:");
for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
arr[i] = sc.next(); // reads the next word
}
System.out.println(Arrays.toString(arr));
sc.close();
Each next() reads one word into the array. If you need full lines (with
spaces), use nextLine() inside the loop instead.
Arrays can also be read from a single line by reading a line and splitting it.
For example:
String line = sc.nextLine();
String[] parts = line.split(" "); // split by spaces
int[] arr = new int[parts.length];
for (int i = 0; i < parts.length; i++) {
arr[i] = Integer.parseInt(parts[i]);
}
(This reads all space-separated integers in one line and parses them.) The
Scanner approach above is more direct when you know the count.
4. 2D Array (Matrix) Input
To read an m×n integer matrix, first read the dimensions, then use nested
loops:
Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in);
System.out.print("Enter rows and columns: ");
int m = sc.nextInt();
int n = sc.nextInt();
int[][] mat = new int[m][n];
System.out.println("Enter " + m + "x" + n + " matrix elements:");
for (int i = 0; i < m; i++) {
for (int j = 0; j < n; j++) {
mat[i][j] = sc.nextInt();
}
}
// Print matrix to verify
for (int i = 0; i < m; i++) {
for (int j = 0; j < n; j++) {
System.out.print(mat[i][j] + " ");
}
System.out.println();
}
sc.close();
This prompts for dimensions and then reads m*n integers into mat[i][j].
GeeksforGeeks shows the same pattern of nested loops filling a 2D array
with nextInt()[6]. Scanner splits each line’s input into tokens, so it works
whether the user enters all numbers on one line or each row on a new line.
5. List Input (Dynamic Size)
If the number of inputs isn’t known ahead of time, you can use an ArrayList.
For example, to read integers until end-of-input:
Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in);
List<Integer> list = new ArrayList<>();
System.out.println("Enter integers (end input with non-number):");
while (sc.hasNextInt()) {
list.add(sc.nextInt());
}
// Now list contains all entered integers
System.out.println("List: " + list);
sc.close();
Here, sc.hasNextInt() checks if another integer is available. The loop reads
integers until none remain (e.g. EOF or a non-integer is entered). This lets
your program adapt to any number of inputs. (You could also check for a
sentinel value and break.) Using an ArrayList means the list grows
dynamically as needed.
6. Edge Input Types
Character input: Scanner has no nextChar() method. To read a single
character, read a string and take its first char:
Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in);
System.out.print("Enter a character: ");
char ch = sc.next().charAt(0); // take first character of the
next token
System.out.println("Char: " + ch);
sc.close();
This uses next() (reads a word) then .charAt(0). As GeeksforGeeks
notes, this is how to read a character with Scanner[7].
Long and Float: Similar to other primitives, Scanner provides
nextLong() and nextFloat(). For example:
Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in);
System.out.print("Enter a long and a float: ");
long L = sc.nextLong(); // reads a long integer
float f = sc.nextFloat(); // reads a float
System.out.println("Read long = " + L + ", float = " + f);
sc.close();
nextLong() and nextFloat() parse the corresponding types[8][9]. You
can use them just like nextInt()/nextDouble() for other numeric types.
7. Output Formats
System.out.print(...) vs System.out.println(...):
print() writes text without a newline, whereas println() appends a
newline after the text[10]. For example:
System.out.print("Hello ");
System.out.print("World");
// output: Hello World (on same line)
System.out.println("Hello");
System.out.println("World");
// output: Hello [newline] World [newline]
Formatted output (printf): Use System.out.printf() with format
specifiers (like %d for integers, %s for strings, %n for newline). Example:
String name = "Alice";
int score = 42;
System.out.printf("Name: %s, Score: %d%n", name, score);
// e.g., prints: Name: Alice, Score: 42
This is similar to C’s printf. For instance, System.out.printf("I like
%s!%n", name); uses %s to insert a string[11].
Printing arrays:
For a one-dimensional array, the easiest way is Arrays.toString(arr):
int[] arr = {1, 2, 3};
System.out.println(Arrays.toString(arr)); // prints: [1, 2, 3]
This returns a readable string of the array contents[12].
For 2D arrays, you can either loop through elements, or use
Arrays.deepToString(matrix). Example with loops:
for (int i = 0; i < mat.length; i++) {
for (int j = 0; j < mat[i].length; j++) {
System.out.print(mat[i][j] + " ");
}
System.out.println();
}
This iterates rows and columns to print each element (same as
[26†L113-L121]). Alternatively,
System.out.println(Arrays.deepToString(mat)); will print the entire
2D array in one line (useful for debugging), as it returns a string of the
“deep contents” of the array[13].
8. Competitive Programming Input Tips
Scanner Speed: Scanner is convenient but relatively slow because it
does parsing and has more overhead[14]. For small to medium input
sizes it’s fine, but in contests with very large input, it may become a
bottleneck. GeeksforGeeks notes that Scanner is “slow and not
recommended for performance-critical tasks”[14].
Faster I/O: For large inputs, consider using BufferedReader (with
InputStreamReader) or a custom fast reader. For example:
BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new
InputStreamReader(System.in));
String line = br.readLine();
StringTokenizer st = new StringTokenizer(line);
int a = Integer.parseInt(st.nextToken());
int b = Integer.parseInt(st.nextToken());
BufferedReader with readLine() is faster because it reads raw lines of
text with minimal parsing overhead[15]. You then manually split or
tokenize the line and parse integers (Integer.parseInt). This requires
more code, but it’s much faster for huge inputs. A common pattern is
to wrap BufferedReader with StringTokenizer or write a custom
FastReader class.
Using Scanner Efficiently: If you stick with Scanner, you can still
improve performance a bit by:
Reusing one Scanner object (do not create many).
Using sc.useDelimiter("\\s+") to ensure it splits on whitespace (the
default).
Reading entire lines and splitting manually when reading many
numbers in a row (e.g. one large line of numbers).
Minimizing calls to I/O methods and doing bulk parsing.
In summary, Scanner covers most input needs for interviews and simple
problems. For competitive programming with heavy I/O, be aware of its
speed limits and consider faster alternatives (e.g. [39†L121-L126], [39†L174-
L181]).
Sources: Java Scanner usage and I/O examples are adapted from
GeeksforGeeks and Oracle documentation[1][2][5][6][10][12][16][7][14][13].
[1] [2] [3] [4] [8] [9] Java User Input - Scanner Class - GeeksforGeeks
https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/java/java-user-input-scanner-class/
[5] [6] How to Take Array Input From User in Java? - GeeksforGeeks
https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/java/how-to-take-array-input-from-user-in-
java/
[7] Scanner and nextChar() in Java - GeeksforGeeks
https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/java/gfact-51-java-scanner-nextchar/
[10] [11] Java's print vs println method: What's the difference?
https://www.theserverside.com/blog/Coffee-Talk-Java-News-Stories-and-
Opinions/println-vs-print-difference-printf-Java-newline-when-to-use
[12] Simplest Method to Print Array in Java - GeeksforGeeks
https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/java/simplest-method-to-print-array-in-java/
[13] Java Arrays Deep ToString Method
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/java/util/arrays_deeptostring.htm
[14] [15] Fast I/O in Java in Competitive Programming - GeeksforGeeks
https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/competitive-programming/fast-io-in-java-in-
competitive-programming/
[16] Print a 2D Array or Matrix in Java | GeeksforGeeks
https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/print-2-d-array-matrix-java/
