Can not change variables.

[Pojahn_M]

I have a problem.

public abstract class AbstractsSimpleEncryption extends Object
{
	public static char[] encryptCharS = {'-', '_', '*', '¯'};

	//More code
}

public class StringCrypting extends AbstractsSimpleEncryption
{
	static
	{
		AbstractsSimpleEncryption.encryptChar = {'*', '@', '#', '§'};
	}
	
	//More code
}

Compile error when I try compile StringCrypting:

C:\Program\Java\jdk1.7.0\jre\classes\pjjava\crypt\StringCrypting.java:7: error: illegal start of expression
		AbstractsSimpleEncryption.encryptChar = {'*', '@', '#', '§'};
		                                        ^
C:\Program\Java\jdk1.7.0\jre\classes\pjjava\crypt\StringCrypting.java:7: error: not a statement
		AbstractsSimpleEncryption.encryptChar = {'*', '@', '#', '§'};
		                                         ^
C:\Program\Java\jdk1.7.0\jre\classes\pjjava\crypt\StringCrypting.java:7: error: ';' expected
		AbstractsSimpleEncryption.encryptChar = {'*', '@', '#', '§'};

Question, how can I change array encryptChar in class StringCrypting without getting compile error?

[pbrockway2]

how can I change array encryptChar in class StringCrypting

You can change its contents by assigning chars to the various array positions. You can change the array referenced by the value of AbstractSimpleEncryption.encryptChar by assigning a new array to that variable.

What you can't do is just put some chars within {} and hope that one or other of the above will happen. Thinking that you can is a very common error because of the "shortcut" syntax you can use to create and initialise an array such as you use in the AbstractSimpleEncryption class: this is only available when a variable is being declared.

[Norm]

Would this work:

HoldCharArray.someChars = [COLOR="#FF8C00"]new  char[] [/COLOR]{'a', 'b'};  


 static class HoldCharArray {
	public static char[] someChars = {'-', '_', '*', '¯'};
 }

[Pojahn_M]

You can change the array referenced by the value of AbstractSimpleEncryption.encryptChar by assigning a new array to that variable.

I tried that, like this:

public abstract class AbstractsSimpleEncryption extends Object
{
	public static char[] encryptCharS = {'-', '_', '*', '¯'};

	//More code
}

public class StringCrypting extends AbstractsSimpleEncryption
{
	public static char[] newShit = {'@', '*', '#', '&'};
	AbstractsSimpleEncryption.encryptCharS = newShit;

	//More code
}

Even that give compile error o_0

D:\˜”°º•„  A N N A T „•º°”˜¨\Java\Pojahns.java:38: error: <identifier> expected
	AbstractsSimpleEncryption.encryptCharS = newShit;
				 	      ^
1 error

Tool completed with exit code 1

[Junky]

It won't compile because that line of code is not inside a method or constructor (or initialiser block).

[Pojahn_M]

that fixed it, thanks

[pbrockway2]

You say that you tried to assign a new array to the variable - but I don't see the "new" keyword. If you aren't declaring a variable with the shortcut syntax then assigning a new anything has got to include that keyword.

(Sorry for being a b@stard and not posting teh code, but is an important brick wall to bang your head against for a while.)

[Tolls]

Can I just say that, the immediate problem aside, this code looks rather concerning?
The idea of changing a static variable like this simply because of some class that's been accessed seems like it's a really awkward bug waiting to happen.