Question about sentinal loops with strings

import java.io.*;

import javax.swing.JOptionPane;


public class WritePayrollFile {

static String year, month, day, name;
static double weeklyhoursWorked, overtimehoursWorked, bonusPaid;


public static void main(String[] args) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
writeData();

}

private static void writeData() {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
year = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Enter Year of today: ");
month = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Enter Month of today: ");
day = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Enter day of today: ");

FileWriter payrollfile;
try {
payrollfile = new FileWriter("Monthlypayroll.txt");
BufferedWriter buffer = new BufferedWriter(payrollfile);
PrintWriter stream = new PrintWriter(buffer);
stream.println(year+day+month);

while(!"END".equals(name)) {
name = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Enter Name: ");
weeklyhoursWorked = Double.parseDouble(JOptionPane.showInputDialog("En ter weekly hours worked: "));
overtimehoursWorked = Double.parseDouble(JOptionPane.showInputDialog("En ter over time hours worked: "));
bonusPaid = Double.parseDouble(JOptionPane.showInputDialog("En ter any bonus paid: "));

}
double normalhours = weeklyhoursWorked * 4;
stream.println(name+","+normalhours+","+overtimeho ursWorked+","+bonusPaid);
stream.close();
} catch (IOException e) {
// TODO Auto-generated catch block
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}

Looking at the while loop: I want the user to enter the name, weekly hours worked, and over time hours worked and bonuspaid. Then the loop starts again at asking the name. at that point the user types "END" to exit out of the loop.

When i run the above set of codes, the loop goes through twice and then writes the txt file. How can I make the loop end when the user types END?

Thank you

The check is not performed until after the rest of the code is executed inside the loop. Even if user enters "END" it will still ask the other question. So you only want those other questions to asked if name is not "END".

The way you have written your code even if the user entered "END" it would have to run the whole loop anyways to do the test on the next loop start. Instead you could use a while(true) and brake the loop from inside. Second you need to write the file for each loop you do so you should put the stream.println() inside the loop.

Code:

---

payrollfile = new FileWriter("Monthlypayroll.txt");
            BufferedWriter buffer = new BufferedWriter(payrollfile);
            PrintWriter stream = new PrintWriter(buffer);
            stream.println(year + day + month);

            while (true) {
                name = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Enter Name: ");
                if (name.equalsIgnoreCase("END")){
                    break;
                }
                weeklyhoursWorked = Double.parseDouble(JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Enter weekly hours worked: "));
                overtimehoursWorked = Double.parseDouble(JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Enter over time hours worked: "));
                bonusPaid = Double.parseDouble(JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Enter any bonus paid: "));
                double normalhours = weeklyhoursWorked * 4;
                stream.println(name + "," + normalhours + "," + overtimehoursWorked + "," + bonusPaid);
            }
            stream.close();

---

That said you shouldn't use all these JOptionPanes. If the user hits cancel the program crashes. You should do something to handle that. Even better you could create a simple JFrame, throw in a couple of buttons and textfields and it would be much clearer for the user. And if you are going to always enter today's date at the beginning you should conciser using a date object to get the current date automatically, except you want to enter a different date.

Thank you both sooo much for your help. Really appreciate it :D