Thread: Filling an Array?

Hey guys,

I've come from another thread in hopes that someone can explain whether this is correct or not more simply (to get it through my java newbie brain without being too complicated for a newcomer).

In the code below everything that is commented //add is by me. If you look right below that code at the TODO you'll see my instructions were to fill the menuDescriptions array with the item descriptions. I'm new at this but this program consists of 9 classes, if you need to see the rest of this class or other related classes to know what is going on please let me know.

//method to return an array of descriptions
	public String[] getMenuDescriptions(){
		String menuDescription[] = new String[menuItems.length];
 
		menuDescription[0] += menuItems[0].toString(); // add
        menuDescription[1] += menuItems[1].toString(); //add 
        menuDescription[2] += menuItems[2].toString(); //add
        menuDescription[3] += menuItems[3].toString(); //add
        menuDescription[4] += menuItems[4].toString();//add
        menuDescription[5] += menuItems[5].toString();//add
        menuDescription[6] += menuItems[6].toString();//add
        menuDescription[7] += menuItems[7].toString();//add
        menuDescription[8] += menuItems[8].toString();//add
 
		//TODO
		//FILL THE ARRAY menuDescription with the descriptions of the menu items
		//return the menuDescription back to the calling method
 
 
		return menuDescription;

Here is a snippet of the same class with some code mentioned above to give you an idea of where menuItems came from:

public Menu(){
		menuItems = new Product[9];
 
		Product book;
		book = new Product("BK100", "Book", "Java", 12.99);
		menuItems[0] = book;
		book = new Product("BK200", "Book", "VB", 16.99);
		menuItems[1] = book;
		book = new Product("BK300", "Book", "PHP", 15.99);
		menuItems[2] = book;

Thanks, hope to make this my java program help forum!

I'm not entirely sure what you need here, you seem to already populate the array with something from the toString method of your Product.

Just use whatever appropriate method on the Product object you have to populate the array instead.

menuDescription[0] += menuItems[0].getDescription(); // The method on your Product class which will give you the description.

Or am I misunderstanding this?

// Json

Hmm well I wasn't sure if the code I added (with the //add comments) is correct are not. Someone was saying I should use a loop?

I've solved this with some help using a for loop thanks guys.

Well done, I shall mark this one as solved. Please share your solution if you don't mind. I'm sure other people will want to know as well

// Json

I ended up using this guys with some help from a tutor:

public String[] getMenuDescriptions(){
		String menuDescription[] = new String[menuItems.length];
 
 
		for (int i = 0 ; i < menuDescription.length ; i++){
 
			menuDescription[i] = menuItems[i].getDescription();
			JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, menuItems[i].toString());
 
		}
 
 
 
 
		//TODO
		//FILL THE ARRAY menuDescription with the descriptions of the menu items
		//return the menuDescription back to the calling method
 
 
		return menuDescription;
 
	}