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Thread: Java Class : How do I set up a toString method for arrays?

  1. #1
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    Default Java Class : How do I set up a toString method for arrays?

    I'm having a problem with the toString method, or my code could be wrong. Heres an example:
     public class TestClass
    {
      private TestClass[] a;
      private int[] b;
     
      public TestClass(int...b) // Constructor
      {
       this.b
      {
       public TestClass[] concat(TestClass...b1)
      {
         TestClass[] temp = new TestClass[b1.length+b.length]
         for(int i = 0;i<=temp.length;i++)
          return TestClass(temp[i]);  //Trying to return the elements of two arrays put together, I think this could be wrong
    }

    How would I do my toString?
    I want to be able to do something like this :
    (main)
    TestClass a1 = new TestClass[1,2,3,4];
    TestClass a2 = new TestClass[5,6,7,8,9];
    TestClass a3;  // Need help on this also, how do I overload my constructor to get an empty set of array?
    a3 = a1.concat(a2);
    System.out.print(a3); //Want the results " 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 "


  2. #2
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    Default Re: Java Class : How do I set up a toString method for arrays?

    I'll walk you through a simple example of how to override the toString() method:

    Let's say we have class named A, which had an int variable var which was set in the constructor:
    public class A {
         int var = 0;
     
         public A(int n) {
              var = n;
         }
    }

    Now let's say we want to override A's toString() method to print the value of var 5 times. Our new class would look like:
    public class A {
         int var = 0;
     
         public A(int n) {
              var = n;
         }
         public String toString() {
              String ret = var+"";
              ret = ret+var;
              ret = ret+var;
              ret = ret+var;
              ret = ret+var;
              return ret;
         }
    }

    Now, if we create a main that creates an A Object, and prints out an A Object to the console, our main would look like this:
    public class someClass {
         public static void main(String[] args) {
              A aObj = new A(5);
              System.out.println(aObj);
         }
    }
    and our output would look this like:
    55555
    Now, that is how to override a toString() method. But what about printing out an array? Well, we can call a println on an array. Let's say we had a main which had an int array with the numbers 1 through 5. Then let's print out the array, both by just calling it, and with each int on its own line:
    public class someClass {
         public static void main(String[] args) {
              int[] array = new int[]{1,2,3,4,5};
              System.out.println(array);
              for(int i=0;i<array.length;i++)
                   System.out.println(array[i]);
         }
    }
    And our output would be:
    [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    With all of that information (and your knowledge of looping through an array which I see you have), see if you can figure some of it out. If you have some trouble, feel free to ask.
    Last edited by aussiemcgr; May 11th, 2012 at 02:29 PM.
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    Default Re: Java Class : How do I set up a toString method for arrays?

    a3 = a1.concat(a2)
    For that to work, concat() needs to return a TestClass object.
    If you don't understand my answer, don't ignore it, ask a question.

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    Default Re: Java Class : How do I set up a toString method for arrays?

    @ aussiemcgr, much thanks, understand the toString now.

    @Norm
    I just notice examples in my book about that.

    So now I have a little problem understanding the constructor. How would I set it up?

    private int[] aList = new int[200]; //instance v
     
    public TestClass(int[] a) // constructor
    {
    	aList = a;
    }
    Would this allow to to create an object that takes in a list of array .
    ex. :
    TestClass t = new TestClass(1,2,3,4,5);
    First time making a class while dealing with arrays, so I'm kind of loss.

  6. #5
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    Default Re: Java Class : How do I set up a toString method for arrays?

    Have you coded the class and compiled it? What happened?
    Have you tried the code in post#1?
    If you don't understand my answer, don't ignore it, ask a question.

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    Default Re: Java Class : How do I set up a toString method for arrays?

    Wont let me compile :
      public TestClass[] concat(TestClass...b1)
      {
         TestClass[] temp = new TestClass[b1.length+b.length]
         for(int i = 0;i<=temp.length;i++)
          return TestClass(temp);

    Wont let me grab the length of b1, so i figured something is wrong with my constructor.

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    Default Re: Java Class : How do I set up a toString method for arrays?

    Please post the full text of the compiler's error message.
    If you don't understand my answer, don't ignore it, ask a question.

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    Default Re: Java Class : How do I set up a toString method for arrays?

    "Exception in thread "main" java.lang.Error: Unresolved compilation problem:
    length cannot be resolved or is not a field

    at TestClass.concat(TestClass.java:41)
    at TestClassDriver.main(TestClassDriver.java:8)"



    at TestClass.concat(TestClass.java:41) is :
    TestClass[] temp = new TestClass[b1.length+b.length]
    at TestClassDriver.main(TestClassDriver.java:8) is :
    a3 = a1.concat(a2)

  10. #9
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    Default Re: Java Class : How do I set up a toString method for arrays?

    What you posted is an execution time error, not a compiler error. There is no stack trace for compiler errors.

    Can you post the full text of the compiler error message? The error messages I get include the source line and a ^ under where the error is located:
    TestSorts.java:138: cannot find symbol
    symbol  : variable var
    location: class TestSorts
             var = 2;
             ^
    If you don't understand my answer, don't ignore it, ask a question.

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    Default Re: Java Class : How do I set up a toString method for arrays?

    Hmm. Using eclipse, and on the line with the x it just says : "length cannot be resolved or is not a field"

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    Default Re: Java Class : How do I set up a toString method for arrays?

    Sorry, you need to use the javac compiler to get good compiler error messages. The error messages I get compiling your code have nothing to do with the length attribute.
    If you don't understand my answer, don't ignore it, ask a question.

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