Counter-based while loop in Java - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Counter-based while loop

📖 Scenario: You are helping a cashier count the number of customers who entered a store today.

🎯 Goal: Build a Java program that uses a counter-based while loop to count customers entering the store.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create an integer variable called customerCount initialized to 0

Create an integer variable called maxCustomers set to 5

Use a while loop with a counter variable called count to count up to maxCustomers

Inside the loop, increase customerCount by 1 each time

Print the final value of customerCount after the loop ends

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Counting events or items one by one is common in many programs, like counting customers, clicks, or steps.

💼 Career

Understanding loops and counters is essential for programming jobs that involve data processing, automation, or user interaction.

1

Create the initial counter variable

Create an integer variable called customerCount and set it to 0.

Java

int customerCount = 0;  // Your code here

Need a hint?

Use int customerCount = 0; to create the counter variable.

2

Add the maximum customers variable

Add an integer variable called maxCustomers and set it to 5.

Java

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int customerCount = 0;
        // Your code here
    }
}

Need a hint?

Use int maxCustomers = 5; to set the limit.

3

Write the counter-based while loop

Create an integer variable called count set to 0. Use a while loop with the condition count < maxCustomers. Inside the loop, increase customerCount by 1 and increase count by 1.

Java

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int customerCount = 0;
        int maxCustomers = 5;
        // Your code here
    }
}

Need a hint?

Use while (count < maxCustomers) and increment both customerCount and count inside the loop.

4

Print the final customer count

Add a System.out.println statement to print the value of customerCount after the loop.

Java

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int customerCount = 0;
        int maxCustomers = 5;
        int count = 0;
        while (count < maxCustomers) {
            customerCount++;
            count++;
        }
        // Your code here
    }
}

Need a hint?

Use System.out.println(customerCount); to show the final count.