How to get object reference using String

[Jerry Crothers]

I would like to know if its possible to get a reference to an object without using an array. For example, lets say this code declares a 3 Integaer3:

Integer a = new Integer(1);
Integer b = new Integer(2);
Integer c = new Integer(3);

Instead of using:

System.out.println(a);
System.out.println(b);
System.out.println(c);

I want to output the same using the Strings "a", "b", "c". Can I get the object references using "a", "b" and "c". ?

Is that possible?

[Stuart Gray]

System.out.println calls an object's toString() method for display. So you can discover what would be printed by using:

String one = a.toString();
String two = b.toString();

....etc. But many classes override the toString() method, so this is not guaranteed to give you the 'object reference', just what would be printed out by System.out.println.

[Stan James]

I think you may be asking about a map. The Map interface lets you store an object with a key and retrieve it by key later. A string makes a fine key, but any other object can be a key as well.

myMap.put("a", new Integer(1));
myMap.put("b", new Integer(2));
...
System.out.println("a=" + myMap.get("a"));
System.out.println("b=" + myMap.get("b"));

[Ryan McGuire]

Or you could make the variables instance fields (i.e. NOT defined inside a method) and then use java.lang.Class and the classes in java.lang.reflect to get at them. Look at Class.getField(String).

Ryan
[ May 04, 2005: Message edited by: Ryan McGuire ]