Assigning values in constructors with varargs

[K. Tsang]

Hello all, suppose I have the following:

class Video{ 
  private String videoName, videoType, videoXXX, videoYYY;
  public Video(String name, String ... data){
    videoName=name;
    videoType=data[0];
    videoXXX=data[1];
    videoYYY=data[2];
  }
}
 
class VideoTester{
  Video vid1 = new Video("name","type","xxx","yyy"); //works fine
  //prompt ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException
  Video vid2 = new Video("name","xxx"); 
}

My question is how do I assign the values in the Video class such that there will not be ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException? Also how can I assign the correct values to the correct variables (eg "xxx" corresponds to videoXXX variable and not videoType variable for vid2)?

Thanks.

[Jesper de Jong]

The varargs variable 'data' behaves like an array inside the constructor. So you can use '.length' just like on any other array to see how many elements it contains.

public Video(String name, String... data) {
    videoName = name;
 
    if (data.length > 0) {
        videoType = data[0];
    }
 
    if (data.length > 1) {
        videoXXX = data[1];
    }
 
    if (data.length > 2) {
        videoYYY = data[2];
    }
}

[Campbell Ritchie]

Originally posted by K. Tsang:
. . . Also how can I assign the correct values to the correct variables (eg "xxx" corresponds to videoXXX variable and not videoType variable for vid2)?

Thanks.

Using varargs, I think not at all. I think you have demonstrated how unsuitable varargs are for constructors.

[Campbell Ritchie]

Maybe better to say that varargs are only suitable for setting up arrays, not for individiual members of that array.