Array of Char's

[tariqm]

Hi All,
I am having difficulty to understand the difference between:

char [] myOriginalArray = {'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'h', 'i'};

and

 char [] myOriginalArray;
		
		myOriginalArray = {'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'h', 'i'};

Why eclipse wont compile the second but will compile the first one.........
both are exactly the same to me.
any thought????

Tariq

[JosAH]

The first form is an array initialization, while the second form is an assignment and the compiler doesn't know what its type is; you think you can see that its an array of chars, but to the compiler it can also be an array of doubles, or longs, or ints. Because it is ambiguous to the compiler it doesn't allow it. You can do this though:

       myOriginalArray = new char[] {'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'h', 'i'};

kind regards,

Jos

[tariqm]

The first form is an array initialization, while the second form is an assignment and the compiler doesn't know what its type is; you think you can see that its an array of chars, but to the compiler it can also be an array of doubles, or longs, or ints. Because it is ambiguous to the compiler it doesn't allow it. You can do this though:

       myOriginalArray = new char[] {'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'h', 'i'};

kind regards,

Jos

Thanks for the quick reply Jos much appreciated.....

Tariq