Re: help

From:
"Peter Duniho" <NpOeStPeAdM@nnowslpianmk.com>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.java.programmer
Date:
Sat, 01 Mar 2008 23:23:45 -0800
Message-ID:
<op.t7dn5vdn8jd0ej@petes-computer.local>
On Sat, 01 Mar 2008 20:33:47 -0800, wee <rbulseco@gmail.com> wrote:

i'm confused with the way java initializes object arrays:
if i declare array objects as such;

JTextField[] arr_field;
arr_field[0] = new JTextField(10);
arr_field[1] = new JTextField(10);

the compiler reports it as an error, but if i declare it as such;

JTextField[] arr_field = {new JTextField(10), new JTextField(10);

then the complier compiles it. shouldn't they be the same?


No, they're not the same. In the latter example, you're providing an =

initial value for the array and its elements. In the former, the variab=
le =

is never initialized, and so referencing any elements in the array is =

illegal.

and also,
why can't i initialize array objects as;

JTextField arr_field[3];
for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
   arr_field[i] = new JTextField(10);
}


Well, you can't use that syntax. But you could write this:

     JTextField[] arr_field = new JTextField[3];

     for (int i = 0; i < arr_field.length(); i++)
     {
         arr_field[i] = new JTextField(10);
     }

In other words, you can allocate a new array, assign that instance to th=
e =

variable, and then access the array through that variable. (You'll note=
 I =

also changed the loop termination...I prefer not hard-coding numbers whe=
n =

not necessary, as it makes the code more reliable and flexible).

See http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/java/nutsandbolts/arrays.htm=
l =

for more details.

Pete

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