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Groups > comp.lang.java.programmer > #7135

Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes

From KevinSimonson <kvnsmnsn@hotmail.com>
Newsgroups comp.lang.java.programmer
Subject Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes
Date 2011-08-16 07:53 -0700
Organization http://groups.google.com
Message-ID <b9ad6662-3240-4754-86a0-b715e8cdbc48@z7g2000vbp.googlegroups.com> (permalink)

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Ada, the programming language mandated for the military for a time,
was a wonderful language that didn't deserve to die.  But it did, and
now Java is alive and well and nobody seems to be doing anything at
all with Ada.

Java is a pretty handy language in its own right.  But in Ada one
could define arrays to be indexed by enumerated types.  Can Java do
that?  If not, why not?

I wrote a piece of code that implements an array of <String>s, indexed
by objects of class <Coord>, an enumerated type, that I'm including
below.  Obviously the functionality of this class could be copied to
make it possible to create _virtual_ arrays of _any_ element class,
indexed by _any_ enumerated type.  Isn't this precisely the thing
generics were designed for?  But how does one write a generic class to
implement an array indexed by enumerated types?

I've also included below three attempts to create a generic type that
implements an array indexed by enumerated types, but none of them
compile.  Can anyone give me some pointers on this?

Kevin Simonson



Script started on Tue Aug 16 06:47:31 2011
sh-4.1$ ls
ArrayEnum.class  Coord.class	  EnumArray2.java  Offsetable.java
ArrayEnum.java	 EnumArray1.java  EnumArray3.java
sh-4.1$ : First the Java file that _does_ work.
sh-4.1$ cat ArrayEnum.java
enum Coord { X_LFT, Y_LFT, X_RHT, Y_RHT }

public class ArrayEnum
{
  String[] arrEnm;

  public ArrayEnum ()
  {
    arrEnm = new String[ Coord.values().length];
  }

  public void set (  Coord index
                  , String element)
  {
    arrEnm[ index.ordinal()] = element;
  }

  public String get ( Coord index)
  {
    return arrEnm[ index.ordinal()];
  }

  public static void main ( String[] arguments)
  {
    if (0 < arguments.length && arguments.length % 2 == 0)
    { ArrayEnum demo    = new ArrayEnum();
      Coord[] allCoords = Coord.values();
      Coord chosen;
      int index;
      for (Coord enm : Coord.values())
      { demo.set( enm, enm + "_orig_value");
      }
      System.out.println( "Before setting values:");
      for (Coord enm : Coord.values())
      { System.out.println
          ( "demo.get( " + enm + ") == \"" + demo.get( enm) + "\".");
      }
      for (int arg = 0; arg < arguments.length; arg += 2)
      { index = -1;
        for (;;)
        { if (++index == allCoords.length)
          { chosen = null;
            break;
          }
          if (arguments[ arg].toUpperCase().equals( "" +
allCoords[ index]))
          { chosen = allCoords[ index];
            break;
          }
        }
        if (chosen != null)
        { System.out.println
            ( "demo.set( " + chosen + ", \"" + arguments[ arg + 1] +
");");
          demo.set( chosen, arguments[ arg + 1]);
        }
        else
        { System.out.println
            ( "Couldn't match argument \"" + arguments[ arg]
                                           + "\" with a <Coord>
value!");
        }
      }
      System.out.println( "After setting values:");
      for (Coord enm : Coord.values())
      { System.out.println
          ( "demo.get( " + enm + ") == \"" + demo.get( enm) + "\".");
      }
    }
    else
    { System.out.println( "Usage is");
      System.out.println( "  java ArrayEnum (<coord> <accompanying-
string>)+");
    }
  }
}
sh-4.1$ : I compile it.
sh-4.1$ javac ArrayEnum.java
sh-4.1$ : It compiles without error messages, so I run it with some
values.
sh-4.1$ java ArrayEnum x_rht Kevin x_lft Sandy y_rht Joshua
Before setting values:
demo.get( X_LFT) == "X_LFT_orig_value".
demo.get( Y_LFT) == "Y_LFT_orig_value".
demo.get( X_RHT) == "X_RHT_orig_value".
demo.get( Y_RHT) == "Y_RHT_orig_value".
demo.set( X_RHT, "Kevin);
demo.set( X_LFT, "Sandy);
demo.set( Y_RHT, "Joshua);
After setting values:
demo.get( X_LFT) == "Sandy".
demo.get( Y_LFT) == "Y_LFT_orig_value".
demo.get( X_RHT) == "Kevin".
demo.get( Y_RHT) == "Joshua".
sh-4.1$ : Then the three attempts at generic implementations, with the
sh-4.1$ : compilation error messages that accompanied them.
sh-4.1$ cat EnumArray1.java
import java.util.Iterator;

public class EnumArray1< Ty, En extends Enum< En>> implements Iterator
{
  Ty[] enumArray;
    En nextToRead;

  public EnumArray1 ()
  {
    En[] vlues = En.values();
    enumArray  = new Ty[ vlues.length];
    nextToRead = 0 < vlues.length ? vlues[ 0] : null;
  }

  public Ty get ( En index)
  {
    return enumArray[ index.ordinal()];
  }

  public void set ( En index
                  , Ty vlue)
  {
    enumArray[ index.ordinal()] = vlue;
  }

  public int size ()
  {
    return enumArray.length;
  }

  public boolean last ( En enm)
  {
    return enm.ordinal() + 1 == enumArray.length;
  }

  public boolean first ( En enm)
  {
    return enm.ordinal() == 0;
  }

  public En succ ( En enm)
  {
    int index = enm.ordinal() + 1;
    return index < enumArray.length ? En.values()[ index] : null;
  }

  public En pred ( En enm)
  {
    int index = enm.ordinal() - 1;
    return 0 <= index ? En.values()[ index] : null;
  }

  public boolean hasNext()
  {
    return nextToRead != null;
  }

  public Object next ()
  {
    Object nxtEnm = (Object) nextToRead;
    nextToRead    = next( nextToRead);
    return nxtEnm;
  }

  public void remove ()
  {
  }
}
sh-4.1$ javac EnumArray1.java
EnumArray1.java:10: cannot find symbol
symbol  : method values()
location: class java.lang.Enum<En>
    En[] vlues = En.values();
                   ^
EnumArray1.java:11: generic array creation
    enumArray  = new Ty[ vlues.length];
                 ^
EnumArray1.java:44: cannot find symbol
symbol  : method values()
location: class java.lang.Enum<En>
    return index < enumArray.length ? En.values()[ index] : null;
                                        ^
EnumArray1.java:50: cannot find symbol
symbol  : method values()
location: class java.lang.Enum<En>
    return 0 <= index ? En.values()[ index] : null;
                          ^
EnumArray1.java:61: next() in EnumArray1<Ty,En> cannot be applied to
(En)
    nextToRead    = next( nextToRead);
                    ^
5 errors
sh-4.1$ cat EnumArray2.java
import java.util.Iterator;

public class EnumArray2< Ty, En extends Enum< En>> implements Iterator
{
  Object[] enumArray;
        En nextToRead;

  public EnumArray2 ()
  {
    En[] vlues = En.values();
    enumArray  = new Object[ vlues.length];
    nextToRead = 0 < vlues.length ? vlues[ 0] : null;
  }

  public Ty get ( En index)
  {
    return (Ty) enumArray[ index.ordinal()];
  }

  public void set ( En index
                  , Ty vlue)
  {
    enumArray[ index.ordinal()] = (Object) vlue;
  }

  public int size ()
  {
    return enumArray.length;
  }

  public boolean last ( En enm)
  {
    return enm.ordinal() + 1 == enumArray.length;
  }

  public boolean first ( En enm)
  {
    return enm.ordinal() == 0;
  }

  public En succ ( En enm)
  {
    int index = enm.ordinal() + 1;
    return index < enumArray.length ? En.values()[ index] : null;
  }

  public En pred ( En enm)
  {
    int index = enm.ordinal() - 1;
    return 0 <= index ? En.values()[ index] : null;
  }

  public boolean hasNext()
  {
    return nextToRead != null;
  }

  public Object next ()
  {
    Object nxtEnm = (Object) nextToRead;
    nextToRead    = next( nextToRead);
    return nxtEnm;
  }

  public void remove ()
  {
  }
}
sh-4.1$ javac EnumArray2.java
EnumArray2.java:10: cannot find symbol
symbol  : method values()
location: class java.lang.Enum<En>
    En[] vlues = En.values();
                   ^
EnumArray2.java:44: cannot find symbol
symbol  : method values()
location: class java.lang.Enum<En>
    return index < enumArray.length ? En.values()[ index] : null;
                                        ^
EnumArray2.java:50: cannot find symbol
symbol  : method values()
location: class java.lang.Enum<En>
    return 0 <= index ? En.values()[ index] : null;
                          ^
EnumArray2.java:61: next() in EnumArray2<Ty,En> cannot be applied to
(En)
    nextToRead    = next( nextToRead);
                    ^
Note: EnumArray2.java uses unchecked or unsafe operations.
Note: Recompile with -Xlint:unchecked for details.
4 errors
sh-4.1$ cat EnumArray3.java
import java.util.Iterator;

public class EnumArray3< Ty, En extends Offsetable, Enum> implements
Iterator
{
  private static class Associated
  {
    Offsetable value;
        Object element;

    Associated ( Offsetable enm)
    { value = enm;
    }
  }

  final          En INIT_VALUE;
        Associated[] enumArray;
                 En nextToRead;

  private void fillValues (  Offsetable enm
                          ,         int index)
  {
    try
    { fillValues( enm.offsetBy( 1), index + 1);
    }
    catch (ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException excptn)
    { enumArray = new Associated[ index + 1];
    }
    enumArray[ index] = new Associated( enm);
  }

  public EnumArray3 ( En initialValue)
  {
    INIT_VALUE = initialValue;
    nextToRead = initialValue;
    fillValues( (Offsetable) initialValue, 0);
  }

  public Ty get ( En index)
  {
    return (Ty) enumArray[ index.ordinal()].element;
  }

  public void set ( En index
                  , Ty vlue)
  {
    enumArray[ index.ordinal()].element = (Object) vlue;
  }

  public int size ()
  {
    return enumArray.length;
  }

  public boolean last ( En enm)
  {
    return enm.ordinal() + 1 == enumArray.length;
  }

  public boolean first ( En enm)
  {
    return enm.ordinal() == 0;
  }

  public boolean hasNext()
  {
    return nextToRead != null;
  }

  public Object next ()
  {
    Object nxtEnm = (Object) nextToRead;
    nextToRead    = nextToRead.offsetBy( 1);
    return nxtEnm;
  }

  public void remove ()
  {
  }
}
sh-4.1$ javac EnumArray3.java
EnumArray3.java:40: cannot find symbol
symbol  : method ordinal()
location: interface Offsetable
    return (Ty) enumArray[ index.ordinal()].element;
                                ^
EnumArray3.java:46: cannot find symbol
symbol  : method ordinal()
location: interface Offsetable
    enumArray[ index.ordinal()].element = (Object) vlue;
                    ^
EnumArray3.java:56: cannot find symbol
symbol  : method ordinal()
location: interface Offsetable
    return enm.ordinal() + 1 == enumArray.length;
              ^
EnumArray3.java:56: operator + cannot be applied to
Offsetable.ordinal,int
    return enm.ordinal() + 1 == enumArray.length;
                      ^
EnumArray3.java:56: incomparable types: <nulltype> and int
    return enm.ordinal() + 1 == enumArray.length;
                             ^
EnumArray3.java:61: cannot find symbol
symbol  : method ordinal()
location: interface Offsetable
    return enm.ordinal() == 0;
              ^
EnumArray3.java:72: incompatible types
found   : Offsetable
required: En
    nextToRead    = nextToRead.offsetBy( 1);
                                       ^
Note: EnumArray3.java uses unchecked or unsafe operations.
Note: Recompile with -Xlint:unchecked for details.
7 errors
sh-4.1$ exit
exit

Script done on Tue Aug 16 06:50:57 2011

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Thread

Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes KevinSimonson <kvnsmnsn@hotmail.com> - 2011-08-16 07:53 -0700
  Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2011-08-16 09:30 -0700
  Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> - 2011-08-16 21:37 +0100
  Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2011-08-16 14:54 -0700
    Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2011-08-16 20:47 -0400
  Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2011-08-16 20:38 -0400
    Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes markspace <-@.> - 2011-08-16 17:52 -0700
      Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2011-08-16 21:56 -0400
        Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes markspace <-@.> - 2011-08-16 20:20 -0700
          Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Lew <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-08-16 20:45 -0700
            Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Arved Sandstrom <asandstrom3minus1@eastlink.ca> - 2011-08-17 06:31 -0300
              Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2011-08-17 13:28 +0000
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Lew <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-08-17 07:17 -0700
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2011-08-17 19:02 +0200
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes markspace <-@.> - 2011-08-17 16:09 -0700
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2011-08-17 23:48 +0000
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes markspace <-@.> - 2011-08-17 17:34 -0700
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2011-08-17 18:07 -0700
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes markspace <-@.> - 2011-08-18 08:22 -0700
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2011-08-18 18:37 +0000
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes markspace <-@.> - 2011-08-18 11:50 -0700
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2011-08-18 20:49 +0000
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes markspace <-@.> - 2011-08-18 14:48 -0700
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2011-08-18 22:50 +0000
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2011-08-17 21:49 -0400
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-08-17 21:50 -0400
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2011-08-19 14:13 +0200
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2011-08-19 20:05 +0000
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2011-08-20 00:20 +0200
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2011-08-19 23:11 +0000
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2011-08-20 11:21 +0200
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2011-08-20 11:45 +0000
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2011-08-20 15:23 +0200
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2011-08-20 16:15 +0000
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-08-17 21:34 -0400
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2011-08-18 07:58 +0200
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Arved Sandstrom <asandstrom3minus1@eastlink.ca> - 2011-08-18 06:29 -0300
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes RedGrittyBrick <RedGrittyBrick@spamweary.invalid> - 2011-08-18 10:47 +0100
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Lew <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-08-18 11:35 -0700
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Arved Sandstrom <asandstrom3minus1@eastlink.ca> - 2011-08-18 18:30 -0300
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2011-08-19 14:57 +0200
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2011-08-19 20:10 +0000
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Arved Sandstrom <asandstrom3minus1@eastlink.ca> - 2011-08-19 19:12 -0300
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2011-08-20 00:26 +0200
                Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2011-08-19 22:59 +0000
          Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2011-08-17 21:34 -0400
            Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2011-08-17 21:46 -0400
              Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes markspace <-@.> - 2011-08-17 19:51 -0700
    Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes David Lamb <dalamb@cs.queensu.ca> - 2011-08-17 08:29 -0400
      Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2011-08-17 16:04 +0200
      Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2011-08-17 21:51 -0400
  Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> - 2011-08-17 11:24 +0300
    Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2011-08-17 21:55 -0400
      Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> - 2011-08-18 10:59 +0300
  Re: Using Enumerated Types as Array Indexes Roedy Green <see_website@mindprod.com.invalid> - 2011-08-17 22:09 -0700

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