Thread: print a shape a variable number of times across and down (for-loop hell)

I have a program where I am attempting to using asterisks to print a shape with a variable size a certain number of times across and down the screen, and the borders of the shape need to overlap.

For example:

to print a 3x3 square across the screen 4 times and down 2 times, the input would be

S, 3, 4, 2

and the output would be

*********
*********
*********
*********
*********
(that should has 9 * across and 5 * down--I know that asterisks tend to blur together when you try to count/type them)

I actually have completed the code to produce the overlapping squares, but I need to have a right-side-up right triangle, and up-side-down right triangle, a box, and a tic-tac-toe grid.

The code I have thus far is:

import java.util.Scanner;   public class AsteriskSenior {   public static void main(String[] args) {	Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);   String inputLine = input.nextLine(); String shapeType; int firstNumber; int secondNumber; int thirdNumber; int fourthNumber;	shapeType = obtainLetter(inputLine);   if (shapeType.equals("S")) //square {	firstNumber = obtainFirstNumber(inputLine);	secondNumber = obtainSecondNumber(inputLine);	thirdNumber = obtainThirdNumber(inputLine);  	square(firstNumber, secondNumber, thirdNumber); } else if (shapeType.equals("H")) //up side down triangle {	firstNumber = obtainFirstNumber(inputLine);	secondNumber = obtainSecondNumber(inputLine);	thirdNumber = obtainThirdNumber(inputLine);  	UDTriangle(firstNumber, secondNumber, thirdNumber); } else if (shapeType.equals("L")) //right side up triangle {	firstNumber = obtainFirstNumber(inputLine);	secondNumber = obtainSecondNumber(inputLine);	thirdNumber = obtainThirdNumber(inputLine);  	RUTriangle(firstNumber, secondNumber, thirdNumber); } else if (shapeType.equals("B")) //box {	firstNumber = obtainFirstNumber(inputLine);	secondNumber = obtainSecondNumber(inputLine);	thirdNumber = obtainThirdNumberOfBox(inputLine);	fourthNumber = obtainFourthNumber(inputLine);  	box(firstNumber, secondNumber, thirdNumber, fourthNumber); } else if (shapeType.equals("T")) //tic-tac-toe grid {	firstNumber = obtainFirstNumber(inputLine);	secondNumber = obtainSecondNumber(inputLine);	thirdNumber = obtainThirdNumber(inputLine);  	TTT(firstNumber, secondNumber, thirdNumber); }   }   public static void square(int firstNumber, int secondNumber, int thirdNumber)//S { for (int a=0; a<(firstNumber*(thirdNumber)-thirdNumber+1); a++) { for (int b=0; b<(firstNumber*(secondNumber)-secondNumber+1);b++) { System.out.print("*"); } System.out.println(""); } }     public static void UDTriangle(int firstNumber, int secondNumber, int thirdNumber)//H { for (int i=0; i<firstNumber; i++) { for (int j=0; j<i; j++) { System.out.print(" "); } for (int j=i; j<(firstNumber*(secondNumber)-secondNumber+1); j++) { System.out.print("*"); } System.out.println(""); } }     public static void RUTriangle(int firstNumber, int secondNumber, int thirdNumber)//L {   }     public static void box(int firstNumber, int secondNumber, int thirdNumber, int fourthNumber)//B {   }     public static void TTT(int firstNumber, int secondNumber, int thirdNumber)//T {   }     public static String obtainLetter(String inputLine) { //Assume input.nextLine() was used to obtain input int locationOfComma = inputLine.indexOf(","); String theLetter = inputLine.substring(0, locationOfComma); return theLetter; }   public static int obtainFirstNumber(String inputLine) { //Assume input.nextInt() was used to obtain input int locationOfFirstComma = inputLine.indexOf(","); //Start of First Way (using 2 parameters .indexOf()) int locationOfSecondComma = inputLine.indexOf(",", locationOfFirstComma+1); String firstNumberString = inputLine.substring(locationOfFirstComma+2, locationOfSecondComma); //Convert from String to int int firstNumber = Integer.valueOf(firstNumberString);   return firstNumber; }   public static int obtainSecondNumber(String inputLine) { //Assume input.nextInt() was used to obtain input int locationOfFirstComma = inputLine.indexOf(","); //using 2 parameters for .indexOf()) int locationOfSecondComma = inputLine.indexOf(",", locationOfFirstComma+1); int locationOfThirdComma = inputLine.indexOf(",", locationOfSecondComma+1); String secondNumberString = inputLine.substring(locationOfSecondComma+2, locationOfThirdComma); //convert from String to int int secondNumber = Integer.valueOf(secondNumberString);   return secondNumber; }   public static int obtainThirdNumber(String inputLine) { //Assume input.nextInt() was used to obtain input int locationOfFirstComma = inputLine.indexOf(","); //using 2 parameters for .indexOf()) int locationOfSecondComma = inputLine.indexOf(",", locationOfFirstComma+1); int locationOfThirdComma = inputLine.indexOf(",", locationOfSecondComma+1); //using 1 parameter for .indexOf()) String thirdNumberString = inputLine.substring(locationOfThirdComma+2); //convert from String to int int thirdNumber = Integer.valueOf(thirdNumberString);   return thirdNumber; }   public static int obtainThirdNumberOfBox(String inputLine) { //Assume input.nextInt() was used to obtain input int locationOfFirstComma = inputLine.indexOf(","); //using 2 parameters for .indexOf()) int locationOfSecondComma = inputLine.indexOf(",", locationOfFirstComma+1); int locationOfThirdComma = inputLine.indexOf(",", locationOfSecondComma+1); int locationOfFourthComma = inputLine.indexOf(",", locationOfThirdComma+1); //convert from String to int String thirdNumberString = inputLine.substring(locationOfThirdComma+2, locationOfFourthComma); int thirdNumber = Integer.valueOf(thirdNumberString);   return thirdNumber; }   public static int obtainFourthNumber(String inputLine) { //Assume input.nextInt() was used to obtain input int locationOfFirstComma = inputLine.indexOf(","); //using 2 parameters for .indexOf()) int locationOfSecondComma = inputLine.indexOf(",", locationOfFirstComma+1); int locationOfThirdComma = inputLine.indexOf(",", locationOfSecondComma+1); //using 1 parameter for .indexOf()) int locationOfFourthComma = inputLine.indexOf(",", locationOfThirdComma+1); String fourthNumberString = inputLine.substring(locationOfFourthComma+2); //convert from String to int int fourthNumber = Integer.valueOf(fourthNumberString);   return fourthNumber; }   }