assignment problem with List<T>

Hi, I'm new to java i'm having a problem assigning a string from a string list.
the code, gets a random number and chooses a sex, m/f if female tries to assign a name based on a list of girlnames otherwise a list of boynames.

error: method girlNames(int) is undefined...

I haven't used List<T> before so I'm not quite sure how to assign it to a string. Also once I have assigned it I want to delete the element from the list so that there is no Bunnies with duplicate names. So should I then use clear(); and this will remove the element?

Code:

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import java.io.FileInputStream;
import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Scanner;

public class BunnyCreation
{
        private static final String BOY_NAMES = "names/boynames.txt";
        private static final String GIRL_NAMES = "names/girlnames.txt";
        private List<String> boyNames = new ArrayList<String>(1000);
        private List<String> girlNames = new ArrayList<String>(1000);
       
        public void generateBunny()
        {
                boolean female;
                int i = (int)getRandom(20);
                if (i>10)
                        female=true;
                else
                        female=false;
               
                if (female)
                {
                        int girlIndex = (int)getRandom(1000);
                        String name = girlNames(girlIndex);  // ERROR  HERE : method girlNames(int) is undefined
                }
        }
       
        /**
        * Adds all names from both boys/girls files to appropiate Lists.
        */
        public void initializeLists()
        {
                try
                {
                        String inStr;
                        Scanner inFile = new Scanner(new FileInputStream(BOY_NAMES));
                        while (inFile.hasNextLine())
                        {
                                inStr = inFile.nextLine();
                                boyNames.add(inStr);
                        }
                        inFile.close();
                       
                        inFile = new Scanner(new FileInputStream(GIRL_NAMES));
                        while (inFile.hasNextLine())
                        {
                                inStr = inFile.nextLine();
                                girlNames.add(inStr);
                        }
                        inFile.close();
                       
                }
                catch(FileNotFoundException fnfe)
                {
                        fnfe.printStackTrace();
                        System.out.println("File not found: " + BOY_NAMES);
                        System.out.println("File not found: " + GIRL_NAMES);
                }
        }
       
        /**
        * Prints out Girl names / Boy names.
        */
        public void printList()
        {
                for (String gname : girlNames)
                        System.out.println((gname));
                for (String bname : boyNames)
                        System.out.println((bname));
                /*
                for (Iterator it = girlNames.iterator(); it.hasNext();)
                  System.out.println(((String)it.next()));
                for (Iterator it = boyNames.iterator(); it.hasNext();)
                {
                  String name = (String)it.next();
                  System.out.println(name);
                }
                //*/
        }
       
        public double getRandom(int numOutOf)
        {
                double temp = Math.random();
                return (temp *= numOutOf);
        }
}

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woops nevermind, learning so much I forgot the basics.... I guess I had to make the post to see it clearly :P

String.equals(string);


However I'm still not positive on the List.clear(); will the remove the element so there is only 999 elements, or will it just make the element I clear() a null ?

It clears the entire list. By the way, why don't you just take a look at the API, it will tell you what every method does.

if you want the list to contain strings...List<String> instead of List<T>

Quote:

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Originally Posted by collin389

It clears the entire list. By the way, why don't you just take a look at the API, it will tell you what every method does.

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woops, yea i was thinking of remove(int);

My brain does not seem to want to work today.

This is not working for me... the API says it returns the element in the list, does that mean it returns the index or object?

I'm trying to do this: String name.equals(girlNames.remove(girlIndex));

because String name.equals(girlNames(girlIndex)); was giving me the same error as before. Method girlNames(int) undefined.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by [RaIdEn]

if you want the list to contain strings...List<String> instead of List<T>

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Nothing to do with this. List<T> is how generic lists are defined. The OP's problem (which he has already discovered) is in not using the get method.

ahh, thanks fubar

or not....

Code:

---

public void generateBunny()
        {
                boolean female;
                String name="";
                int i = (int)getRandom(20);
                if (i>10)
                        female=true;
                else
                        female=false;
               
                if (female)
                {
                        int girlIndex = (int)getRandom(1000);
                        name.equals(girlNames.get(girlIndex));
                       
                        System.out.println("Female bunny: " + female + " Name: " + name);
                }
        }

---

OUTPUT:

Code:

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Female bunny: true Name:

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Quote:

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I haven't used List<T> before so I'm not quite sure how to assign it to a string.

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did i interpret it correct, if not i guess you can ignore it.

I thought <T> simply meant generic Type.

edit: what I thought is irrelevant however, the OP IS using String, you can see lines 10-11, List<String>

Sorry, I didn't know what List<T> or List<E> meant.

the assignment is still not happening, I'm getting nothing output for variable name.

But my method printList() is printing the Lists so there's definately 1000 boyNames and 1000 girlNames. I just don't seem to have the assignment down in that last block of code I posted.

name.equals(girlNames.get(girlIndex));

equals() is for comparisons eg:

Code:

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if (name.equals("Bob")) {
    // Do something.
}

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You, presumably, want to assign the name at girlIndex to "name", using "=".