Method: Return String Array position

[Maureen Charlton]

I am new to Java so please forgive me if the answer to this question is really obvious.

I am writing a method:

 
//Method section
      public int get(int position)
      //Get the value from the specified position in the array
      //Since all array position are initially zero, when the specified
      //position lies outside the
      //actual physical size of the data array, a value of 0 is returned.
      {
      if (position >= StudentName.length)
            return 0;
      else
            return StudentName[position];
            }
 

I receive the following error message:
GetDynamicArray.java:34: incompatible types
found : java.lang.String
required: int

What I wish to do is return the array position of a string.

Could someone either explain to me why the array position of the string i.e. StudentName[position] is not being returned? Alternatively could someone point me in the right direction where I can read up some more on this?

Many thanks!!

[Eric Pascarello]

Your new to Java and the ranch, I will notify a sherif to move to this to the correct place. This location is for posting advertisements not questions.

Eric

[Jeff Bosch]

Hi, Maureen -

In your else statement, you're trying to return an array element. I think you want to return the index of the element, not the element itself.

Try:

      //Method section
      public int get(int position)
      {
        if (position >= StudentName.length)
            return 0;
        else
            return position;
      }

Otherwise, you need to change the signature to

public String get(int position)

then return a string either way. You could return a "Invalid Index" string for the if case.

[Maureen Charlton]

Anyone told you your great!
I've spent hours trying to work out why this wouldn't work.
The latter one did it for me. It was obvious once you pointed it out - I feel really silly. Again, many thanks!

[Jeff Bosch]

You're very welcome. Glad I could help.

I know this one because I've had to fix it in my own code once or twice!