return list - rather than println()

[gcclinux]

Hello Again,

I am still playing with this Java stuff and trying to learn from examplo and experience.

I created a simple little java class that is returning just what I want, but it is returning it on a console using println() and what I want is to be able to call it so i can do a for loop in a second class with the output of this class.

CLASS:

public class ReadHash {

    public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
        
          Properties config = new Properties();
           try {
            // the configuration file name
            String fileName = "B:/config.txt";
            InputStream is = new FileInputStream(fileName);

            // load the properties file
            config.load(is);
            
            BufferedReader list = new BufferedReader(new FileReader(config.getProperty("file.db")));

            for(String line = list.readLine();line != null;line = list.readLine()) {
            String[] fields = line.split(",");

            System.out.println(fields[2]);
}
        }
           catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
            System.out.println(e);
           } catch (IOException e) {
            System.out.println(e); }
    }
}

OUTPUT:

-201434993
-924925757
-429540048
919857431
1873228496

So what I want is, instead of:

System.out.println(fields[2]);

I want to:

return (fields[2]);

So that from another class I can do a for each one of those numbers read a text file and see if it already exist somewhere in that txt file.

But that is another story, for now I just want to replace println for return;

Can anyone advise? Many Thanks

[JosAH]

The main( ... ) method is a void method so it can't return anything. Besides a method has to return something to a caller that knows how to handle the returned value. To what should the main( ... ) method return anything? You should implement other methods that can be called by the main( ... ) method and return something to that main( ... ) method.

kind regards,

Jos

[gcclinux]

I am going to try it, but I got to admit you have confused me a bit, if you could provide me a little example that would be cool, I already have removed the try {} and going to work work on your recommendation... :-)

[sehudson]

In your program, you have all the logic contained inside the main method, which is of type void(meaning it does not return anything). You could create a method like:

public String[] getFields2(){
String output = "";

 Properties config = new Properties();
           try {
            // the configuration file name
            String fileName = "B:/config.txt";
            InputStream is = new FileInputStream(fileName);

            // load the properties file
            config.load(is);
            
            BufferedReader list = new BufferedReader(new FileReader(config.getProperty("file.db")));

            for(String line = list.readLine();line != null;line = list.readLine()) {
            String[] fields = line.split(",");

            output = output+" "+fields[2];
}
        }
           catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
            System.out.println(e);
           } catch (IOException e) {
            System.out.println(e); }

            String[] outputArr = output.split(" ");
            return outputArr;


}

This may not be the most efficient way to do it, but it will work. All of your logic is the same, with the exception of creating a string, and appending to it all of your field[2] values, and then creating your output array by doing a split on it. In thinking about it, I was not sure how you could create just a String array, because when you declare it, you have to know the size of it, and that is a function of the number of lines in the properties file. So without looping through twice, I was not srue how you could accomplish it with just a single String[] and not use the String at the beginning of the method. Someone else knows how, im sure.

You can make the method even more generic by passing in (as parameters) possibly the filename and the delimiter, if needed. So inside of main you could set your String array to be = to getFields2(), and then do whatever manipulation you wanted.

[gcclinux]

I have been playing with your examplo and I don't see to get it to work, also think that to clarify the B:/config.txt file only points to the real file with all the data:

The real file is a csv containing from a few to hundreds of rows and what I am doing is generating a list from field 2, that equals that list of numbers.

My ultimate gol is:

I have 2 csv files,

File 1 = original list
File 2 = original list + it has additional lines.

Then by looping through File 2 creating a list of all those individual numbers (field[2]), I want a second class looping for each number read each line in File 1 if exist ignore it, if that number does not exist, then create File 3 with a full line in File 2

Basically compare 2 csv files and take out only the lines that exist 1 but not in both.

I hope this make sense as I think I have confused even myself now.

[gcclinux]

Simplefied version of my initial class:

public class ReturnHashNoConf {
    public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
            
        File recordsA = new File("C:/Temp/db_file.log");

        BufferedReader list = new BufferedReader(new FileReader(recordsA));

            for(String line = list.readLine();line != null;line = list.readLine()) {
            String[] fields = line.split(",");

            System.out.println(fields[2]);
        }
    }

}

[sehudson]

public class ReturnHashNoConf {
String[] out;
    public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {

    out = getArray();
    for(int i=0; i<out.length; i++){
        System.out.println(out[i]+"\n");   
   }
    

}

public static String[] getArray(){
String results = "";
            
        File recordsA = new File("C:/Temp/db_file.log");

        BufferedReader list = new BufferedReader(new FileReader(recordsA));

            for(String line = list.readLine();line != null;line = list.readLine()) {
            String[] fields = line.split(",");

            results = results+fields[2]+" ";
        }
            int len = results.length();
            results = results.substring(0,len-1)
            String[] resArr = results.split(" ");
            return resArr;

}


}

Tell me what you get when you run this.

[gcclinux]

Hi sehudson, I can't compile as I am getting an error on this section:

  out = getArray();
    for(int i=0; i<out.length; i++){
    System.out.println(out[i]+"\n");
}

non-static variable out cannot be referenced from a static context

Does that make sense?

[sehudson]

so just make out static:

public static String[] out;

[gcclinux]

Thanks for all your help, I changed it a little and managed to get out exacly what I wanted.

public class ReturnHashNoConf {

    public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
        String[] out = getArray();

        for(int i=0; i<out.length; i++){
        System.out.println(out[i]);
        }
}