Originally Posted by
Salem
I'd just like to reiterate my comment that attempting input AND conversion at the same time is just a mess waiting to happen, as already noted by several others.
By having a consistent approach which always works, you cut down on all the surprises later on in the code.
As for your concerns over efficiency, then consider this:
"It is easier to make a working program efficient than it is to make an efficient program work".
In other words, make it right first, then worry about trying to make it smaller / faster.