array placeholders

[Jinny Morris]

Suppose I have an array containing elements that are related to its indexes, but I don't need (won't ever have to) access all of its elements. For example, I may never need to access the zeroth element. Are there any "rules of thumb" for when to use any one of these in preference to the others:

String[] Stuff = {"", string1, string2, ...}

String[] Stuff = {, string1, string2, ...}

String[] Stuff = {null, string1, string2, ...}

Thanks!

[Marilyn de Queiroz]

I wonder if the second choice will even compile.
The advantage of the third over the first is that you avoid creating a String object. Any time you can avoid creating extra unnecessary objects, you're better off.

[Pauline McNamara]

Hey Jinny. This question sounded a little familiar so I did a quick search on "placeholder".


And now I know why it sounded familiar (and why I like this question so much)...

...I asked it myself some time ago, he he.

[Jinny Morris]

Yes, the second choice will compile and run; I've used it. The reason I asked the question is that the instructor's solution for one of the "java in general" assignments uses 2 arrays: the first choice is used in one of the arrays and the third choice is used in another of the arrays. So I wondered ...

[Marilyn de Queiroz]

What happens if you use the 3rd choice in the array that the instructor uses the first choice in?

[Marilyn de Queiroz]

Originally posted by Jinny Morris:
Yes, the second choice will compile and run; I've used it.

Ah, yes. After thinking about it some more, I can see that it would.

[Jinny Morris]

I think it's C-ish or VB-ish or something like that - nicely convenient, in any case (although perhaps not as "readable" as null?)