Control loop do not work

[Pojahn_M]

I have a method that creates an 2D string array with unique elements(i e no duplicates at all in the array).

	public void generateKey (File outputFile) throws IOException
	{
		short failSafety = 0;
		String[][] key = new String[THECHARS.length][CODESPERCHAR];
		
		for (int dim1 = 0; dim1 < key.length; dim1++)
		{
			Loop2:
			for (int dim2 = 0; dim2 < key[dim1].length; dim2++)
			{
				if (failSafety > 10000)
					throw new RuntimeException ("Fail safety");
				
				key[dim1][dim2] = "";
				for (int codeLength = 0; codeLength < CODELENGTH; codeLength++)
					key[dim1][dim2] += Character.toString (ENCRYPTIONCHARACTERS[(int) (Math.random () * ENCRYPTIONCHARACTERS.length)]);

				for (int con1 = 0; con1 < dim1; con1++)
				{
					for (int con2 = 0; con2 < dim2; con2++)
					{
						if (key[dim1][dim2].equals (key[con1][con2]))
						{
							dim2--;
							failSafety++;
							continue Loop2;
						}
					}
				}
				failSafety = 0;
			}
		}
		this.key = key;
		controlKey ();
		saveKey (outputFile);
		initHashMap ();
	}

The code from line 18 to 29 make sure the newly created string is unique. But it does not do what it is intended to. The end "product" have duplicates.
I cant see why, some help?

[jiffi]

you should use a while(true) loop that checks for the values and using a switch breaks out only if there are no duplicates.

[Norm]

What do you do in the code to make sure that there are no duplicates?
A random number generator can produce duplicates.
You need to keep track of what you have used so far and NOT reuse them.

Can you provide testing code that shows the problem?

[Norm]

Use another approach.
Generate all the possible keys from aaaaa to zzzzz and use the random number generator to select them one at a time.
null out the selected values to make sure they are not used more than once.

[Pojahn_M]

thanks guys, but this code is a <REMOVED>. I will rewrite it using a HashSet.

[Norm]

Yes a Set would make sure there are no duplicates.