[SOLVED] Append an incremental number to variable name

[porchrat]

Is it possible to append the value of a variable to the name of another variable?

I want to create several arrays from one input file, but I want to do it all in one nested loop structure that increments a value and appends it to the word "array" and uses that to create a new array. How would I do the following:

int arrayNumber;
int[][] array (want to append arrayNumber here)  = new int[x][x]

Is this possible?

[Gudradain]

Not sure, but I think that you can't dinamically change the name of a variable. So you got to rethink your architecture.

But why do you want to do that?

[xcallmejudasx]

no sadly this is not possible(I've looked into ways for doing it). It just seems terribly inefficient to write

JButton button1 = new JButton();
JButton button2 = new JButton();
....
JButton button99 = new JButton();

I wish Sun would look into implementing this. Something like a
String String.setVariableName("button"+i) = new String();
would be nice.

[DarrylBurke]

So use a multidimensional array. Arrays aren't limited to 2 dimensions, you know.

db

[Fubarable]

Variable names are next to meaningless when your code is run. If the JVM doesn't care about them, why should you? If you want to associated a variable with a String, I'd suggest that you use a Map. If you want to associate a number, then use arrays as Darryl suggests above.

[porchrat]

So use a multidimensional array. Arrays aren't limited to 2 dimensions, you know.

db

Unfortunately I'm not allowed to, this has to do with an assignment for university and I have to use 2D arrays only.

I've since realised that I don't really need to store the array at all, therefore there is no need to create a new array each time.

I've just created a class that overwrites the array, runs the methods that need to run against the array, overwrites it again etc. etc. until it is finished processing all the arrays it needs to handle.

That way I don't need to create a new array each time and hence I don't need to change the variable name.

If I were allowed to I would've created a three-dimensional array int[][][] and incremented the final value by one each time I wanted to create a 'new' array, unfortunately I wasn't allowed to.

[Fubarable]

I'm glad you've got it figured out. This or any forum will probably be able to better help you in the future if you specify all of your requirements in the first post. Best of luck.

[porchrat]

I'm glad you've got it figured out. This or any forum will probably be able to better help you in the future if you specify all of your requirements in the first post. Best of luck.

Actually I find this forum exceptionally helpful. I'm always grateful for any help I get, whether it is applicable to my particular problem or not, knowledge is knowledge and, being a beginner, I am eager to absorb as many different approaches to programming problems as I can.

More often than not I find people here can answer my questions. Unfortunately I think the reason my post wasn't fully explained is that my knowledge is not sufficient yet to explain my problem fully.

I hadn't considered 3D arrays when I first posted because I didn't know 3D arrays existed, but I had reached that point (and asked my lecturer) by the time the reply arrived. Hopefully as my knowledge and experience grows so will the accuracy of my posts.:D

Thank you all for your suggestions, every response helps me to better understand java.