One more shot at removing an element from an array

[Mike Osterhout]

I posted a similar topic and I was able to get this far

System.out.println("Enter the item that you want to delete");
	     String parseIT = scanner.nextLine();
	     int invDelete = Integer.parseInt(parseIT);
//scans through the inventory array					
	     for (int i=0; i < inventory.newinv.length; i++){ 
//if the user input is the same as i make that element null
	        if (i == invDelete){
		   inventory.newinv[i] = null;
		}else{
//otherwise just copy the array
		   deletedinv[i] = inventory.newinv[i];
		}				
	     }
//print the array, however this prints with a null value					
	     for(int a = 0; a < deletedinv.length; a++){
							
                if (deletedinv[a] != null){
		   System.out.println(a +" "+ deletedinv[a].getInvName()
	           +"       "+ deletedinv[a].getInvWhole()+"       "
		   + deletedinv[a].getInvRetail());	
		}
	     }
	  }

The problem is if you remove element 1 from the array it will print like this
0 this is the element
2 this is another element

This tells me that the null array is still there or in other words I am not bringing all non null elements to the front.

If this is the worst of my problems on this program I am not too worried but I would like to know why this isent working if possible.

[Andre Brito]

I didn't understand it clearly.
You want 2 arrays: one if N elements and other with N-1 elements. Is that right?

I am not bringing all non null elements to the front.

That's happening because your index is not "controlled". In other words, if you have 2 arrays:

A -> [0][1][2]
B -> [0][0][0]

and you choose to delete the element "1", you're doing like this:

A -> [0][1][2]
B -> [0][null][2]

while (I guess) you want to do this

A -> [0][1][2]
B -> [0][2][null]

. Am I right?

You must pay attention to the index (in other words, the "i"). You have to create another index to control the second array.

else {
       eletedinv[j] = inventory.newinv[i];  
       j++;
}

Just remember: your code is your "portfolio". So you should organize it better, so other programmers can understand it

[Mike Osterhout]

That works, however I am not sure why the int i doesnt work for both indexes

  for (int i=0, j=0; i < inventory.newinv.length; i++){    
	        if (i == invDelete){
		   inventory.newinv[i] = null;
		}else{

// I am assuming that j and i aren't equal, but in my mind they are because everything is nested in the for loop
// maybe you can clear that up.
		   deletedinv[j] = inventory.newinv[i];
		   j++;
		}				
	     }
	     inventory.newinv = deletedinv;

[Campbell Ritchie]

Mike Osterhout wrote:I posted a similar topic . . .

Don't. Read this FAQ, please. Closing thread as duplicate. Please continue discussion here.