problem 1.5

gistfile1.java

import java.util.Scanner;

public class StringCompression {
  
	private static Scanner in;

	/**
	 * @param args
	 */
	public static void main(String[] args) {
		// TODO Auto-generated method stub
		in = new Scanner( System.in );
		System.out.println( "Please input a string: " );
		String str = in.nextLine();
		String str1 = compressString( str );
		System.out.println( str1);
	}
	
	public static String compressString( String str ) {
		String strCompressed = new String();
		strCompressed += str.charAt( 0 );
		int count = 1;
		for ( int i = 1; i < str.length(); i++ ) {
			if ( str.charAt( i ) != str.charAt( i - 1 ) ) {
				strCompressed += count;
				strCompressed += str.charAt( i );
				count = 1;
			}
			else {
				count++;
			}
		}
		strCompressed += count;
		if ( strCompressed.length() >= str.length() )
			return str;
		else
			return strCompressed;
	}

}