Why can’t I read a string on the console?

Question

I’m trying to read a string typed into the console, which is halfway through the code, but what happens is it goes right through and displays the final information.

using System;

namespace Viernes
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            int xDig = -1, yDig = -1;
            char pCardeal = 'N';
           //Verificando a validade

            while (xDig < 0 && yDig < 0)
            {
                Console.Write("Digite as coordenadas \nx: ");
                xDig = Convert.ToInt32(Console.ReadLine());

                Console.Write("y: ");
                yDig = Convert.ToInt32(Console.ReadLine());
            }
            Console.Write("Cardeal 'N' 'S' 'L' 'O': ");
            pCardeal = Convert.ToChar(Console.Read());
            pCardeal = Char.ToUpper(pCardeal);

            //Comandos
            Console.WriteLine("Digite alguns comandos, 'E'squerda, 'D'ireita, 'A'vançar.");
            string str = Console.ReadLine();

            str = str.ToUpper();
            char[] Comands = str.ToCharArray();

            //Obj
            SpaceCar sp = new SpaceCar(xDig, yDig, pCardeal);

            foreach (var separaLetras in Comands)
            {
                switch (separaLetras)
                {
                    case 'E':
                        sp.girarEsquerda();
                    break;
                    case 'D':
                        sp.girarDireita();
                    break;
                    case 'A':
                        sp.avancarBloco(xDig, yDig);
                    break;
                }
            }
            //Imprimindo Destino
            Console.Write("Coordenadas: {0}{1}{2}", sp.PosicaoX,sp.PosicaoY, sp.PosicaoCardial);
            Console.WriteLine("Press Any Key to Exit");
            Console.ReadKey();
        }
    }
}

Code in the Pastebin

Complement to class SpaceCar in another Pastebin.

Answer 1

Use Console.ReadLine() and not Console.ReadKey()

Answer 2

Your code has some problems, but I’ll just answer your question.

A minimal, complete and verifiable example code could have been written as the example below that demonstrates the solution.

using static System.Console;
using static System.Convert;

public class Program {
    public static void Main() {
        Write("Cardeal 'N' 'S' 'L' 'O': ");
        var pCardeal = char.ToUpper(ToChar(ReadKey(false).Key.ToString()));
        WriteLine($"PosicaoCardinal {pCardeal}");
    }
}

Behold working in the ideone. And in the .NET Fiddle. Also I put on Github for future reference.

The problem I could understand was that I was using the method Console.Read() that does not wait for a key to be typed. It takes the character that is in the buffer, probably from the keyboard. The solution is to use a Console.ReadKey(false) who catches the key that was triggered. That is why it is necessary to treat your return as a key through the structure ConsoleKeyInfo. But it is possible to treat it easily with the ToString(), as shown above.

Has a partially refactored code and working on . NET Fiddle. For technical problem of it, can not test properly, so I tested with the compiler on my machine.

Anyway it gets weird having two fingerings waiting for a ENTER to finish typing after one that does not wait and then another that waits again. If you want to keep the pattern use a Console.ReadLine() in place of Console.ReadKey(). If you want to read one string, then read a string, and this is done with Console.ReadLine():

using static System.Console;
using static System.Convert;

public class Program {
    public static void Main() {
        Write("Cardeal 'N' 'S' 'L' 'O': ");
        var pCardeal = char.ToUpper(ToChar(ReadLine()));
        WriteLine($"PosicaoCardinal {pCardeal}");
    }
}

Behold working in the ideone. And in the .NET Fiddle. Also put on the Github for future reference.