How to populate a List within a Map

[elliotHenry]

Hello folks, hope you can help me with a little task. I want to make a Map that populates with <String> List<Fish>, but am having issues. Here's the code:

import java.util.*;
public class FishFarm
{
   private HashMap findFish;
   public FishFarm()
   {
     Map<String, List<Fish>> findFish = new HashMap<String, List<Fish>>();
   }
   public void fish()
   {    
      HashMap findFish = new HashMap<String, List<Fish>>();      
   }  
   public void addFish()
   {
      List<Fish> temp;
      temp = new ArrayList<Fish>();
      temp.add(new Fish("Shark","Carnavour", "Salt Water",20));
      this.findFish.put("Shark", temp);
      this.findFish.get("Shark").add(new Fish("Shark","Carnavour", "Salt Water",20));
   }

}

Problem I get is on line

      this.findFish.get("Shark").add(new Fish("Shark","Carnavour", "Salt Water",20));

...where the compiler says cannot find symbol - method add(Fish). So I can't get the List in the map to populate with the new object of type Fish. Any ideas?

many thanks in advance

[ozzyman]

and do you have a method called 'add' which takes the parameter of type Fish? if you do i would suggest to call it another way other than starting with 'this.'

[elliotHenry]

Hi ozzyman, thanks for the reply. Not sure what you mean tough. add() is a method inhereted by the List interface. Can you please elaborate?

Thanks

[ozzyman]

the compiler says cannot find symbol - method add(Fish)

cannot find symbol means the method doesnt exist

i don't doubt 'add' exists, but the compiler is telling you that you can't add(Fish fishobj)

[elliotHenry]

cannot find symbol means the method doesnt exist

i don't doubt 'add' exists, but the compiler is telling you that you can't add(Fish fishobj)

Thanks again ozzyman. Unfortunately I still don't get what you mean. You can tell I'm a newbee at this:confused:

[ozzyman]

hummmmm i think you have the right idea but your syntax is wrong.

when you get an object in an arraylist e.g.

ArraylistExample.get(index) ---> this code returns a single item in the list, which means that if you try to use a List.add method, the object at the specified 'index' must also be a list, so that you can add an item to that list (becoming a 2 dimensional list). but i dont think thats what you mean to write

[doWhile]

First, make sure you instantiate the instance variable - otherwise you will receive a NullPointerException.

Second, your instance variable findFish HashMap does not use generics - in other words get returns an Object of type Object, which has no method add. Use generics or cast the value returned from get

[elliotHenry]

cannot find symbol means the method doesnt exist

i don't doubt 'add' exists, but the compiler is telling you that you can't add(Fish fishobj)

First, make sure you instantiate the instance variable - otherwise you will receive a NullPointerException.

Second, your instance variable findFish HashMap does not use generics - in other words get returns an Object of type Object, which has no method add. Use generics or cast the value returned from get

Thanks for taking out the time to reply. Unfortunately I don't understand any of this. I'm now going to put my head in an airtight box.:eek:

[ozzyman]

doWhile told you to change this:

HashMap findFish = new HashMap<String, List<Fish>>();


to this:

HashMap<String, List<Fish>> findFish = new HashMap<String, List<Fish>>();



and that because you didn't do that, the Java Compiler assumed this:

HashMap<Object> findFish = new HashMap...



which means that, when you try this:
.get("Shark").add

what happens is this:

Object.add // error

[elliotHenry]

doWhile told you to change this:

HashMap findFish = new HashMap<String, List<Fish>>();


to this:

HashMap<String, List<Fish>> findFish = new HashMap<String, List<Fish>>();



and that because you didn't do that, the Java Compiler assumed this:

HashMap<Object> findFish = new HashMap...



which means that, when you try this:
.get("Shark").add

what happens is this:

Object.add // error

Thanks, but the error is the same, that box is looking more and more attractive as time goes on. Mabey I'm just no good at this stuff.:(

[ozzyman]

can you copy the compiler error exactly?

[elliotHenry]

can you copy the compiler error exactly?

cannot find symbol - method add(Fish)

error on the following line:

this.findFish.get("Shark").add(new Fish("Shark", "Salt Water",20));

[doWhile]

Suggested reading: Lesson: Generics (The Java™ Tutorials > Learning the Java Language)

What to do should be pretty clear from the above, but here's a more detailed demonstration in semi-pseudo-code

/* no generics */
Map map= new HashMap();
map.put("test1", "test1");
String s1 = map.get("test1");//compile time error - the map returns an Object
String s2 = (String)map.get("test");//no error - you've cast Object to String
Object s3 = map.get("test");//no error - no need to cast
int length = map.get("test").length();//compile time error - Object has no length() method
int length = ((String)map.get("test")).length();//OK - cast to String then call length
.....
/* Using Generics */
Map<String,String> map= new HashMap<String,String>();
map.put("test1", "test1");
String s1 = map.get("test1");//error is now gone...no need to cast since the generics defined this map to hold String 
int length = map.get("test1").length();//OK

[elliotHenry]

Suggested reading: Lesson: Generics (The Java™ Tutorials > Learning the Java Language)

What to do should be pretty clear from the above, but here's a more detailed demonstration in semi-pseudo-code

/* no generics */
Map map= new HashMap();
map.put("test1", "test1");
String s1 = map.get("test1");//compile time error - the map returns an Object
String s2 = (String)map.get("test");//no error - you've cast Object to String
Object s3 = map.get("test");//no error - no need to cast
int length = map.get("test").length();//compile time error - Object has no length() method
int length = ((String)map.get("test")).length();//OK - cast to String then call length
.....
/* Using Generics */
Map<String,String> map= new HashMap<String,String>();
map.put("test1", "test1");
String s1 = map.get("test1");//error is now gone...no need to cast since the generics defined this map to hold String 
int length = map.get("test1").length();//OK

:confused:

Ok, now I'm really confused. I can't see how this helps me populate my map with my object? I know it's me and thanks for posting but I don't get it.

[elliotHenry]

Hello again folks
Thanks for the help last night. I think I've finally worked it out. Here's how it looks now:

import java.util.*;
public class FishFarm
{
   private Map<String, List<Fish>> findFish;
   public FishFarm()

   {
     //Map<String, List<Fish>> findFish = new HashMap<String, List<Fish>>();
    findFish = new HashMap<String, List<Fish>>();
   }
   public void fish()   
   {
           
      Set<String> key = findFish.keySet();
      for (String eachFish : key)
      {
         this.findFish.get(eachFish).printString(); 
       }

    }  
   public void addFish()
   {
      List<Fish> temp;
      temp = new ArrayList<Fish>();
      temp.add(new Fish("Shark", "Salt Water",20));
      this.findFish.put("Shark", temp);      
      this.findFish.get("Shark").add(new Fish("Shark", "Salt Water",20));
      temp = new ArrayList<Fish>();
      temp.add(new Fish("Perch", "Fresh Water",2));
      this.findFish.put("Perch", temp);      
      this.findFish.get("Perch").add(new Fish("Perch", "Fresh Water",2));
      temp = new ArrayList<Fish>();
      temp.add(new Fish("Shark", "Fresh Water",22));
      this.findFish.put("Shark", temp);      
      this.findFish.get("Shark").add(new Fish("Shark", "Fresh Water",22));
      
   }

}

Now I have another question, I'm having trouble with this line:

this.findFish.get(eachFish).printString();

I know this isn't right. The method printString() belongs to a class called Fish. The fish objects are now in my ArrayList nested in the Map, so when I try to execute the code above I'm missing the part that allows me to drill one layer deeper to get to the content of the arrayList (i.e the Fish object). Any pointers on how I can achieve this?

Thanks