Re: Updating an object in a HashMap

From:
Lew <lew@lewscanon.com>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.java.programmer
Date:
Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:13:09 -0500
Message-ID:
<B92dnYuvcZcIGi7anZ2dnUVZWhednZ2d@comcast.com>
Arne VajhQj wrote:

alacrite@gmail.com wrote:

import java.util.HashMap;
import java.lang.System;;

public class HashMapTest
{
    public static void main(String args[])
    {
        HashMap<String,Integer> hm = new HashMap<String,Integer>();

        hm.put("test1",0);

        hm.get("test1").intValue() += 5;
        //Error:The left-hand side of an assignment must be a variable

        System.out.println(hm.get("test1"));
    }

}

I want to update a Value in a HashMap. I know the Key. I would have
assumed the above code would work. Instead, I am given an error, "The
left-hand side of an assignment must be a variable".

Does this mean that the value returned is the literal value? In this
case 0. I would have assume a reference to the object would have been
returned and calling += would have unboxed the Integer and aggregated
the value.

Could someone explain to me what is going on? Also, what is the best
way to accomplish updating this value?


The left hand side is not a literal.

It is an expression and you can not assign to an expression.


For example, the statements

   int i;
   (i) = 5;

would also fail to compile.

--
Lew

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