SCJP Preparation

[Ashish Soni]

All ,

I am going through one of the SCJP Mock test and encountered a question on array and having tough time to understand the result , Please help and explain ..

class SCJPTest
{
public static void main(String[ ] args)
{
int[] x = { 1, 2, 3, 4 };
int[] y = { 2, 3, 1, 0 };
System.out.println( x [ (x = y)[3] ] );
}
}

The ans is 1

[Deepak Bala]

Take it step by step

x = y assigns y to x. So now x and y are the same

2 3 1 0

The third index in this array is 0.

x[0] is 1.

Dont worry about getting questions like this. This is pretty twisted. Good luck

[Roopa Maheshkumar]

Hi... i have a little confusion here.

it seems to me that x[0] is 2 since x=y = {2,3,1,0}. Please clarify.

[Meena Ajay]

Originally posted by Roopa Maheshkumar:
Hi... i have a little confusion here.

it seems to me that x[0] is 2 since x=y = {2,3,1,0}. Please clarify.

--------------------------------------------------
Please check if this explanation helps
if someone finds this incorrect, please correct me


Consider the left to right evaluation order in x[ (x=y)[3] ];
First the value of outermost x is evaluated which is reference to the first array {1,2,3,4}
Now the assigment is considered x=y which is reference to the second array { 2,3,1,0}
so value of (x=y)[3] is 0 which is the element at index 3 in the second array
Now the value is substituted ...so x[(x=y)[3]] becomes x[0]
Now the value of the x[0] as per the first array is 1
After the execution of this statement, the x and y references both point to the second array only.

To understand better, introduce a print statement
System.out.println( x[ 0] );
after the System.out.println( x[ (x=y)[3] ] );
That will give a different result 2..because now reference x also points to second array after the assignment..
[ May 31, 2008: Message edited by: Meena MeenakshiSubramanian ]

[niveditha ramana]

Originally posted by Roopa Maheshkumar:
class SCJPTest
{
public static void main(String[ ] args)
{
int[] x = { 1, 2, 3, 4 };
int[] y = { 2, 3, 1, 0 };
System.out.println( x [ (x = y)[3] ] );
}}

(x=y) is within the scope of x[(x=y)[3] ]

so x[ (x=y)[3] ] will give x[0] first and there scope of x=y is over
and x[0] is now 1

please correct if am wrong

thank you

[Deepak Bala]

"Ashish Soni " what is the source of this question ? You need to quote it when you post here

[Ashish Soni]

This is from enthuware mock exam.