title: Using user-inputted characters in If/Switch statements
body: <p>I am taking my first Java class, and am having a hard time finishing this assignment.</p>
  
  <p>The assignment itself is quite simple. All I have to do is prompt the user to input an integer, a character, then another integer. </p>
  
  <p>If the character inputted is +, the two integers should be added together. If the character inputted is -, the two integers should be subtracted. Etc...</p>
  
  <p><strong>The problem is that I do not know how to accept a character from the user, then use it in my If/Switch statements.</strong></p>
  
  <p>Here are my prompts:</p>
  
  <pre><code>// Prompt the user to enter an integer
      System.out.print("Please enter an integer number:");
      int int1  = input.nextInt();
  
  // Prompt the user to enter a character
  // Since I could not use characters, I am using integers to represent them.
      System.out.print("Enter 0 for +, 1 for -, 2 for /, 3 for %, and 4 for *");
      int char1 = input.nextInt();
  
  // Prompt the user to enter another integer
      System.out.print("Please enter another integer number:");
      int int2 = input.nextInt();
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Here are my If/Switch statements: (I know they are redundant, but it's part of the assignment) </p>
  
  <pre><code>if (char1 == 0) {
      int ans = int1 + int2;
      System.out.println(int1 + " + " + int2 + " = " + ans);
  } else if (char1 == 1) {
      int ans = int1 - int2;
      System.out.println(int1 + " - " + int2 + " = " + ans);
  } else if (char1 == 2) {
      int ans = int1 / int2;
      System.out.println(int1 + " / " + int2 + " = " + ans);
  } else if (char1 == 3) {
      int ans = int1 % int2;
      System.out.println(int1 + " % " + int2 + " = " + ans);
  } else if (char1 == 4) {
      int ans = int1 * int2;
      System.out.println(int1 + " * " + int2 + " = " + ans);
  } else
      System.out.println("Invalid operator");
  
  int result = 0;
  switch (char1) {
      case 0: result = int1 + int2;
              System.out.println(int1 + " + " + int2 + " = " + result); break;
      case 1: result = int1 - int2;
              System.out.println(int1 + " - " + int2 + " = " + result); break;
      case 2: result = int1 / int2;
              System.out.println(int1 + " / " + int2 + " = " + result); break;
      case 3: result = int1 % int2;
              System.out.println(int1 + " % " + int2 + " = " + result); break;
      case 4: result = int1 * int2;
              System.out.println(int1 + " * " + int2 + " = " + result); break;
      default: System.out.println("Invalid operator");
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Everything else works just fine. I'm just trying to change from using 0 for +, 1 for -, to just using +, -, /, %, and *.</p>