AppletTalk.com Java discussions newsgroups   Archives   FAQ   Search   Memberlist   Usergroups   Register   Profile   Log in to check your private messages   Log in  Array of Objects          AppletTalk.com Forum Index -> Java Help View previous topic :: View next topic   Author Message Colin Hemmings Guest Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 4:40 pm    Post subject: Array of Objects Hi there, I was wondering if anyone could help me with I java programming problem that I am having? The problem is with two classes called 'Side' and 'Square' I am looking for 'Square' to consist of an array of 4 'Side' objects. Here is the code I have tried to get working: public class Square { private Side Sides[] = new Side[4]; Sides[0] = new Side(); //Left Sides[1] = new Side(); //Right Sides[2] = new Side(); //Top Sides[3] = new Side(); //Bottom } There are some more lines of code, but the problem is with the declaration and filling of the array. The compiler keeps saying that its expecting an ']' after I have declared the array. The class 'Side' is working fine and I can manage to get the code to work if I fill the array in a seperate method, but I want the array to be filled and created whenever I create an object of type 'Square' I have tried everything I can think of could somone please help me? I am probably making a stupid mistake but I am just a novice to java so any help will be greatly appreciated. Kind Regards Colin H Back to top news Guest Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 5:25 pm    Post subject: Re: Array of Objects Hello Colin, Friday, January 13, 2006, 4:40:43 PM, you wrote: Quote: Hi there, I was wondering if anyone could help me with I java programming problem that I am having? The problem is with two classes called 'Side' and 'Square' I am looking for 'Square' to consist of an array of 4 'Side' objects. Here is the code I have tried to get working: public class Square { private Side Sides[] = new Side[4]; ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ You should have in above line private Side[] Sides =new Side[4]; -- Best regards, news mailto:Daniel.Drozdzewski (AT) xx (DOT) yy Back to top Colin Hemmings Guest Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 5:42 pm    Post subject: Re: Array of Objects It doesnt make any different, its the same thing. news wrote: Quote: Hello Colin, Friday, January 13, 2006, 4:40:43 PM, you wrote: Hi there, I was wondering if anyone could help me with I java programming problem that I am having? The problem is with two classes called 'Side' and 'Square' I am looking for 'Square' to consist of an array of 4 'Side' objects. Here is the code I have tried to get working: public class Square { private Side Sides[] = new Side[4]; ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ You should have in above line private Side[] Sides =new Side[4]; Back to top Steve W. Jackson Guest Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 6:05 pm    Post subject: Re: Array of Objects In article <8ERxf.43829$zt1.43049 (AT) newsfe5-gui (DOT) ntli.net>, Colin Hemmings <colin.hemmings1 (AT) ntlworld (DOT) com> wrote: Quote: It doesnt make any different, its the same thing. news wrote: Hello Colin, Friday, January 13, 2006, 4:40:43 PM, you wrote: Hi there, I was wondering if anyone could help me with I java programming problem that I am having? The problem is with two classes called 'Side' and 'Square' I am looking for 'Square' to consist of an array of 4 'Side' objects. Here is the code I have tried to get working: public class Square { private Side Sides[] = new Side[4]; ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ You should have in above line private Side[] Sides =new Side[4]; It goes further than that... What he's describing is stylistic in nature, but the convention is that it's better to specify it as the respondent described because it clearly shows that the variable "Sides" is "an array of Side objects". In addition, by convention, variables should always begin with lower case letters and class names with upper case, so that "sides" should be the proper name. But the actual problem the compiler is reporting (since it doesn't enforce coding conventions, only language requirements) is that you have initialization code (as in "Sides[0] = new Side();") outside of any method, which is not legal. Two solutions come to mind, since you say you want the array created and filled when a new Square is created. One is to do the initialization in the constructor. The second would be to create the array with the initializations, like this: private Side[] sides = new Side[] {new Side(), new Side(), new Side(), new Side()}; This is often not an option for arrays, but a small one like this can use it. It might still be better, depending on what else goes on in your code, to do it in a constructor. = Steve = -- Steve W. Jackson Montgomery, Alabama Back to top Gordon Beaton Guest Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 6:11 pm    Post subject: Re: Array of Objects On Fri, 13 Jan 2006 16:40:43 GMT, Colin Hemmings wrote: Quote: public class Square { private Side Sides[] = new Side[4]; Sides[0] = new Side(); //Left Sides[1] = new Side(); //Right Sides[2] = new Side(); //Top Sides[3] = new Side(); //Bottom } There are some more lines of code, but the problem is with the declaration and filling of the array. The compiler keeps saying that its expecting an ']' after I have declared the array. Put the 4 assignment statements in a method, a constructor or an initialization block. As written, the compiler is only expecting declarations, not program statements, at that point. /gordon -- [ do not email me copies of your followups ] g o r d o n + n e w s @ b a l d e r 1 3 . s e Back to top Colin Hemmings Guest Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 6:39 pm    Post subject: Re: Array of Objects Ok, thank you Steve thats great, I went with a constructor in the end. As for my declaration of the array are you saying its better the way I have declared it or is the stylistic way better? Thanks again Steve W. Jackson wrote: Quote: In article <8ERxf.43829$zt1.43049 (AT) newsfe5-gui (DOT) ntli.net>, Colin Hemmings <colin.hemmings1 (AT) ntlworld (DOT) com> wrote: It doesnt make any different, its the same thing. news wrote: Hello Colin, Friday, January 13, 2006, 4:40:43 PM, you wrote: Hi there, I was wondering if anyone could help me with I java programming problem that I am having? The problem is with two classes called 'Side' and 'Square' I am looking for 'Square' to consist of an array of 4 'Side' objects. Here is the code I have tried to get working: public class Square { private Side Sides[] = new Side[4]; ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ You should have in above line private Side[] Sides =new Side[4]; It goes further than that... What he's describing is stylistic in nature, but the convention is that it's better to specify it as the respondent described because it clearly shows that the variable "Sides" is "an array of Side objects". In addition, by convention, variables should always begin with lower case letters and class names with upper case, so that "sides" should be the proper name. But the actual problem the compiler is reporting (since it doesn't enforce coding conventions, only language requirements) is that you have initialization code (as in "Sides[0] = new Side();") outside of any method, which is not legal. Two solutions come to mind, since you say you want the array created and filled when a new Square is created. One is to do the initialization in the constructor. The second would be to create the array with the initializations, like this: private Side[] sides = new Side[] {new Side(), new Side(), new Side(), new Side()}; This is often not an option for arrays, but a small one like this can use it. It might still be better, depending on what else goes on in your code, to do it in a constructor. = Steve = Back to top Steve W. Jackson Guest Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 8:31 pm    Post subject: Re: Array of Objects In article <0uSxf.43365$5v1.18593 (AT) newsfe2-win (DOT) ntli.net>, Colin Hemmings <colin.hemmings1 (AT) ntlworld (DOT) com> wrote: Quote: Ok, thank you Steve thats great, I went with a constructor in the end. As for my declaration of the array are you saying its better the way I have declared it or is the stylistic way better? Thanks again [ snip ] Here we go with that top-posting thing again... Quote: You should have in above line private Side[] Sides =new Side[4]; This snippet from the other poster's reply indicates what I'm describing, which is that it's considered best if you declare your variable "Sides" to be of type "Side[]" -- or "array of Side". The code included in your original post said "Side Sides[]" which is syntactically valid (barring the other issues already addressed), just not recommended style. Sun's Java coding conventions are at <http://java.sun.com/docs/codeconv/html/CodeConvTOC.doc.html>. This is a great resource for coding style. = Steve = -- Steve W. 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