Please don't cringe

Code:

---

namespace keyPad
{
    class Program
    {

        Dictionary<string, int> numberMap;
        //Rest of the program
    }
}

---

To access numberMap from all static methods (without having to pass it around), declare it as a class variable by putting the declaration (above, bold/underlined) right after the class Program statement.

Some info on variable scope: http://www.csharpuniversity.com/2009...f-c-variables/

Also, don't forget to make sure you have the using directive: using System.Collections.Generic at the top of your source file.

Finally, check your declarations for W, X and Y... looks like you said 2 when you probably meant 9.

Hope that helps!

Okay, so I changed the X,Y,Z numbers. I made sure numberMap was declared at the class level, but there seems to be something wrong with the bool phase. When ever I enter a number 1-9, it displays the "Hey! That number wasn't valid!" text. I coudn't locate the problem.

Ah, okay so my example was slightly misleading. When it prompts, it should be prompting you to enter a letter (not a number) since your program accepts a letter and outputs a number. Thus, displaying the error message when you enter a number is the correct behavior.

Here is the full text of a program that works

Code:

---

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

namespace tmpCG20111206
{
    class Program
    {
   
        static Dictionary<string, int> numberMap = new Dictionary<string, int>()
        {
            { "a", 2 }, { "b", 2 },{ "c", 2 },
            { "d", 3 },{ "e", 3 },{ "f", 3 },
            { "g", 4 },{ "h", 4 },{ "i", 4 },
            { "j", 5 },{ "k", 5 },{ "l", 5 },
            { "m", 6 },{ "n", 6 },{ "o", 6 },
            { "p", 7 },{ "q", 7 },{ "r", 7 },
            { "s", 7 },{ "t", 8 },{ "u", 8 },
            { "v", 8 },{ "w", 9 },{ "x", 9 },
            { "y", 9 },{ "z", 9 }};   
        public static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(requestInputAndConvertToNumber());
            Console.WriteLine("Program complete");
            Console.ReadLine();

        }

        public static int requestInputAndConvertToNumber()
        {

            string input = null;
            while (true)
            {
                //Prompt user
                Console.Write("Enter letter: ");

                //Get input from the user
                input = Console.ReadLine();  //Also ReadKey might be useful

                //Check to see if this input is in the dictionary; if so store the numerical value
                // in result
                int result = 0;
                bool inDictionary = numberMap.TryGetValue(input, out result);
                if (!inDictionary)
                {
                    //Complain
                    Console.WriteLine("Hey! That letter wasn't valid!");
                    continue;  //Restart the loop to try again
                }

                //Otherwise return the result (the corresponding integer)
                return result;
            }
        }
    }
}

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Thanks to everyone for the help!