Method to add element to arraylist avoid adding the same id number twice

[ralf]

Hello,

I have a method which add element to an arraylist
My task is to Modify the addProduct method so that a new product
cannot be added to the product list with the same ID
as an existing one.

I have tryed to use an if test to see if there are some id number allready in the list, but it wont work.
Any suggestion on how I should do this?

The way I add to the arraylist is like this below:

(new Product(132, "Clock Radio"))

public void addProduct(Product item)
{
stock.add(item);
}

[sunde887]

What do you mean by "it won't work"?

You can loop through the array list and see if any items have matching ids

[ralf]

Hello,

I have tried this
Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

 Iterator it = stock.iterator();
        while(it.hasNext())
        {
            StockManager stockmanager = (StockManager) it.next();
            if(Product.getID() != item)
            {
             System.out.print("This id exist already " + item);
            }
            else{
                stock.add(item);
            }
        }

[sunde887]

What if item 1 does contain the matching id? Does it stop checking and realize that it shouldn't be added? Or does it add the item? What if the first item does not match, but the second does? Should it add the item? Does it?

There is a minor bug that I hope these questions help you understand.

[Junky]

Where in the code you posted do you use the StockManager object?

If you only want unique objects in your collection then you should use a Set which does not allow duplicates.

[sunde887]

Agreed with junky, amswt will automatically remove duplicates for you. However; you will have to override equals and hashcode, make sure you override equals and not overload it. It is fairly trivial to implement if with ArrayList of that's what you are required to do, and your mistake is quite trivial(it's just a matter of noticing it).

[ralf]

Hello,

I have tried to change the code to this, but stil it don't work.
Any suggestion?

Iterator it = stock.iterator();
        while(it.hasNext())
        {
            Product product = (Product) it.next();
           //StockManager stockmanager = (StockManager) it.next();
            if(product == item)
            {
             System.out.print("This id exist already " + item);
            }
            else{
                stock.add(item);
            }
        }

[Junky]

but stil it don't work.

Are you serious? Do you really think that anyone has a friggin clue as to what your problem is without miore information. If you get error messages then post them, full and exact not paraphrased.

[ralf]

With that code I have now I'm not able to add anything to the list at all. I'am trying to check if an id number exist already in the list.

     public void addProduct(Product item)
    {
        Iterator it = stock.iterator();
        while(it.hasNext())
        {
            Product product = (Product) it.next();
           //StockManager stockmanager = (StockManager) it.next();
            if( product.getID() == item)                                                         
            {                                        
             System.out.print("This id exist already " + item);
            }
            else{
                stock.add(item);
               }
        }

I don't know if it is better to use a for loop or an iterator.

if I try to compile then I will get an error messages that product and int is incomparable types. I don't know what I should use instead of product.getID() since the getID is returning the id from the list

[Junky]

if I try to compile then I will get an error messages that product and int is incomparable types.

I said to include the full and exact error message and not to paraphrase. Do you want help or do you just want to continue this pointless exercise of providing little to no information and expect us to guess?

What is stock?
What does it contain?
Look at your if statement. If getId returns an int you are then trying to compare it to a Product object. Does if(7 == Chair) make sense to you?

[ralf]

stock is name of the arraylist, and it contain id number and name of the product.
Yes, I know you can't do 7 == chair.
as you can see I add the product id and the name into the parameter, such as the word item contain both an int and a string value.
I don't know how I can get the id number from the word item so I can use that number to compare it to other number already in the list.
The add method and the arraylist stock are in a class named StockManager and the method getID() is in the class product

new Product(132, "Clock Radio"))

public void addProduct(Product item) 
{
stock.add(item);
}

[JosAH]

I'd implement a Comparator<T> that checks on those IDs and use a Set of some sort to store the unique (according to that Comparator<T> implementation) elements.

kind regards,

Jos

[ralf]

I don't know how I could use Comparator<T>.
In the word item there are a number and string. How can get just the number out from that word? The word item is in the parameter.
public void addProduct(Product item)
I need to get the number so I can use it to compare to other number stored in the list, to see if they are ==

[Junky]

I know you can't do 7 == chair.

So why do you think that (10 == Product) is ok then?

[Junky]

I need to get the number so I can use it to compare to other number stored in the list, to see if they are ==

All you need to do is take a few moments to think.

if( product.getID() == item)

What is product?
What is item?
What is the very simple change you have to make to get that if statement to work?

[Fubarable]

Junky, check out his previous thread: Method Call. Norm has the patience of a saint.

[Norm]

No, the way to say it is "the stubbornness of a mule".
I'm currently living in Missouri.

[Junky]

check out his previous thread

It makes you wonder when it takes 3 pages to resolve an issue.