Help with array of elements

[zoe]

I'm fairly new to Java. I'm currently making a text RPG which I'm trying to port from C++. In the Java code, I have a class called Item that contains all my item variables and methods. Then, I have another class that is the Game class which is the game itself. Here is where all the items, players, etc.. get initialized. Right now I have something like:

Item club = new Item("club", 1, "A club");

Now, in C++ I used a estructure to get an array of item. This made it easy, for example, to tell where items are, since I could just do a for loop and cycle through the entire item list by using item[i].location.

Is there any way to make an array of type Item (or any class in general) in Java?
Thanks.

[shanePreater]

Is the array you are creating a fixed size? If so and if you know the size you can simply create an array of Item objects ala:

Item itemList = new Item[size];
itemList[0] = new Item("club", 1, "A Club");
...

However if you don't know the array size or if it is likely to change then your probably better off with an array:

List<Item> itemList = new ArrayList<Item>();
itemList.add(new Item("club", 1, "A Club"));
...

Then when you wish to retrieve an item at a given index use:

Item chosenItem = arrayList.get(index);

The generics and collections stuff in java is very similar to the STL stuff in C++ so if you have used that then your laughing, if not, its not too hard to pick up.

If you are using a JDK prior to 1.5 then drop the <> sections and cast the item returned from the get method to an Item.

Hope that helps.