String[] a vs String word[]

[M Wilson]

Verify simple question.
What is the difference between declaring a variable String[] aString vs. String aString[]?
Thank you very much.

[Nicola Garofalo]

No difference.

You just prefer to write String[] astring version, because in this way is more readable, it's more easy to see the type of the reference astring

[fred rosenberger]

exactly.

When i see "String [] allNames" I mentally parse each part in order, as "a string array called allNames".

When I see " String allNames[]", I mentally parse it as "a string called allNames - OH WAIT!!! It's an ARRAY!!!".

[Campbell Ritchie]

The reason you mentally parse it like that, Fred, is that the first version correctly gives the type of the variable as an array of Strings, which is why it is preferred.

I think Sun ought to have prohibited foo array[] or similar, but wimped out of scaring off old C/C++ developers.