Help with HashMap?

[sim18]

I'm new to HashMaps, and I have read up on them and looked at videos online but i'm still stuck so any comments would be greatly appreciated :)

private HashMap<LibraryItem, LibraryUser> myMap;

(First of all, i'm not sure if this is correct. I want to store LibraryItems & LibraryUsers in this hashMap)

HashMap myMap = new HashMap<LibraryItem, LibraryUser>();

(Constructor to create the new hashMap)

public void storeLibraryItem(LibraryItem LibraryUser)
{
myMap.put(LibraryItem LibraryUser);
}

(I want to store LibraryItems & LibraryUsers in by using this code, but I know it is not right. Would I have 2 separate methods each adding, LibraryItems and the other LibraryUsers?

Or does this work by adding whichever one it is to the hashMap?)

Thanks for any comments, if you need more info just ask ! :D

[JosAH]

private HashMap<LibraryItem, LibraryUser> myMap;
...
public void storeLibraryItem(LibraryItem LibraryUser)
{
myMap.put(LibraryItem LibraryUser);
}

This piece of code doesn't make much sense; you have one single parameter named 'LibraryUser' of type LibraryItem. Although allowed, it is confusing to name a variable after a type. In the body of that method you are making another mistake: you are mentioning the type of that variable when you want to put it in your map. It should be something like this:

public void storeLibraryItem(LibraryItem a, LibraryUser b)
{
myMap.put(a, b);
}

Note that I named the two parameters 'a' and 'b' arbitrarily; you have to find better names.

kind regards,

Jos

[sim18]

Thanks for the reply :)

 private HashMap<LibraryItem, LibraryUser> myMap;

You say this is of type LibraryItem, as I want the hashMap to store both LibraryUsers & LibraryItems say:

LibraryUser of type User
LibraryItem of type Item,

Would it then be best to create two hashMaps?

Previously I had two arrayLists, but now I need to convert them into hashMaps.

e.g :

 
private ArrayList<LibraryItem> itemsList;
private ArrayList<LibraryUser> usersList;

Then in the constructor :

itemsList = new ArrayList<LibraryItem>();
usersList = new ArrayList<LibraryUser>();

and finally to add items :

    public void storeLibraryItem(LibraryItem items)
    {
        itemsList.add(items);
    }

Basically that but HashMaps, Thank you again!

[JosAH]

You're making things too complicated; your method in your original post was faulty; did you try my version? (it has two parameters while your version had only one; you need two object to put in a Map, a key and its associated value).

kind regards,

Jos

[sim18]

I get the part that you said thanks :)

But this first line

HashMap myMap = new HashMap<LibraryItem, LibraryUser>();

I think I have done this wrong, I don't want a LibraryUser of type LibraryItem, I basically want a LibraryItem to be of type item (that stores libraryItems, for e.g the title, the author etc..)

And then seperatly a LibrayrUser to be of type user to store LibraryUser objects.

I did do :

 
private HashMap<user, LibraryUser> myMap;

But it is saying that it cannot find the user class. I don't think i'm getting this.

Thanks again for the reply

[JosAH]

The definition of your Map is fine; it is just the definition of your method that is wrong.

kind regards

Jos

[sim18]

Thankyou :)

It compiles now and I do get it!

One last thing, say I wanted to add a LibraryItem to my map that is called from somewhere else

  public void storeLibraryItem(LibraryItem li, LibraryUser lu)
{
      myMap.put(li, lu);
}

:

storeLibraryItem(li);

It is telling me I need both libraryItem & LibraryUser to do this, but I just want to store one for now :/

thanks again!

[JosAH]

If your model can handle the absense of a LibraryUser object, you can try this:

storeLibraryItem(li, null);

Jos