Filtering an ArrayList

[James Dudley]

I have an Arraylist of Objects (name, value). There can the same name in the ArrayList with different values.

What I am trying to do with create a new ArrayList / HashTable that only contains 1 of each object with distinct name where the value is the most

eg arraylist could hold

Name value
A 10
B 12
A 15
B 9

New ArrayList would have
Name value
A 15
B 12


thanks

[Rob Spoor]

A Map<String,Integer> (use HashMap, not Hashtable) seems like the most obvious choice. For an object, get the current value from the map. If there is no current value or the current value is lower than the new value, overwrite the value. Otherwise do nothing.

[James Dudley]

Thanks

Could I ask what the code would look like to do the "If there is no current value or the current value is lower than the new value, overwrite the value. Otherwise do nothing."

[Vijitha Kumara]

Iterate the Map instance with the values in the ArrayList then you can check your condition to add them to the map. A sample code you may use:

// define the Map here
Map<Stirng, Integer> map = new HashMap<String, Integer>();

(<iterate the list>){
String name = // get the name of the current item...
Integer value = // get the value of the current item...  
Integer oldValue = map.get(name);
// You may use if-else instead of ternary operator here.
map.put(name, (value==null)? value : ((oldValue < value) ? value: oldValue));
}

[James Dudley]

Thanks

was keeping it simple for question but what if the Integer is an Object with one of the values within the object is the value
I can pull the name and value but having problem with getting the oldvalue

[Vijitha Kumara]

Assuming you create a map like Map<String, YourClass>. The only difference is you retrieve the entire object then compare against a property of that object... Is this what you are talking about?

[James Dudley]

yes

I worked out how to get the oldvalue out but I never used a ternary operator and it is confusing me (I will ask a java dev on monday at work about them)

how would the if-else statement look like using objects

Thanks

[Vijitha Kumara]

how would the if-else statement look like using objects

Just think of the expression before the "?" mark as what you put inside the "if" statement and the colon (:) act as a the "else" keyword in that notation.

[James Dudley]

Thanks very much,
Have been able to figure it out