how to access a bean in an arraylist

[J. Kevin Robbins]

This is part of a servlet/JSP app, but I've simplified the problem down to a simple test case and posted it here as a core Java problem.

I have an ArrayList of beans. How do I access the properties of those beans?

        List<SimpleBean> myList = new ArrayList<SimpleBean>();
        SimpleBean myBean = new SimpleBean();
        myBean.setFirstName("Bubba");
        myList.add(myBean);
        
        //this doesn't work
        String name =  myList[0].getFirstName();
        //neither does this
        SimpleBean newBean = myList[0];

The error is "array required, but java.util.List<SimpleBean> found". That's not very helpful. Array required where? I'm reading from an array element. I want the bean and it's properties, not another array.

I know the answer is going to be a forehead-slapper, but I've struggled with this long enough. Can someone please point out the obvious answer for me?

Thanks

[Billy Nicholson]

You're accessing an ArrayList as if it were an array.
Try: myList.get(0) to retrieve the bean.

[J. Kevin Robbins]

Doh! Told you it was going to be a forehead-slapper. Both of these work:

        String name = myList.get(0).getFirstName();
        SimpleBean newBean = myList.get(0);

Thanks for the help.

[Billy Nicholson]

No worries!