Searching and displaying results in a multi-dimensional array.

[Scotty Steven]

I'm working on a two column array search utility, but I'm stuck on a couple of matters.

1. I want to insure that the utility only searches the first column of the array and ignores the second.
2. When it does find the word in the first column, I want it to display the second column on line 109.

I've got the majority of it written, but like I said, I'm stuck. Help is always appreciated.

import java.awt.*;
import javax.swing.*;

class SearchJavaGlossary
{
  private static String[][] javaGlossarySearch =  {
	{"absolute path","a complete file path that does not require any other information to locate a file on a system."},
	{"abstract class","a class from which you cannot create any concrete objects, but from which you can inherit." +
	" Abstract classes usually have one or more empty abstract methods. Contrast with concrete classes."},
	{"abstract data type","a type whose implementation is hidden and accessed through its public methods."},
	{"abstract method","a method declared with the keyword abstract; it is a method with no body that must be" +
	" implemented in a subclass."},
	{"Abstraction","the programming feature that allows you to use a method name to encapsulate a series of statements."},
	{"Accelerator","a key combination that causes a menu item to be chosen, whether or not the menu item is visible."},
	{"access modifier","an access specifier."},
	{"access specifier","defines the circumstances under which a class can be accessed and the other classes that" +
	" have the right to use a class."},
	{"accessor methods","methods that return information about an object."},
	{"Accumulating","the process of repeatedly increasing a value by some amount to produce a total."},
	{"action key","a keyboard key that does not generate a character."},
	{"actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) method","a method that defines the actions that occur in response to an event."},
	{"actual parameters","the arguments in a method call. Contrast with formal parameters."},
	{"acyclic gradient","a fill pattern in which a color shift occurs once between two points."},
	{"adapter class","a class that implements all the methods in an interface, providing an empty body for each method."},
	{"add and assign operator","an operator that alters the value of the operand on the left by adding the operand on" +
	" the right to it; it is composed of a plus sign and an equal sign ( += )."},
	{"add() method", "a method that adds components to a container."},
	{"addActionListener() method","a method that tells a class to expect ActionEvents."},
	{"addPoint() method","a method that adds points to a Polygon object."},
	{"ad-hoc polymorphism","polymorphism that occurs when a single method name can be used with a variety of data" +
	" types because various implementations exist; it is another name for method overloading."},
	{"aggregation","a type of composition in which a class contains one or more members of another class that would" +
	" continue to exist without the object that contains them."},
	{"Allman style","the indent style in which curly braces are aligned and each occupies its own line; it is named" +
	" for Eric Allman, a programmer who popularized the style. Contrast with K & R style."},
	{"ambiguous","describes a situation in which the compiler cannot determine which method to use."},
	{"anonymous classes","nested, local classes that have no identifier."},
	{"anonymous object","an unnamed object."},
	{"append() method","a StringBuilder class method that lets you add characters to the end of a StringBuilder object."},
	{"applet","a Java program that is called from within another application, frequently a Web page."},
	{"Applet Viewer","a program that comes with the JDK that allows you to view applets without using a Web browser."},
	{"appletviewer command","a command that allows you to view an applet in a viewing program that comes with the JDK."},
	{"application","a stand-alone, executable program."},
	{"application files","files that store software instructions. See also program files."},
	{"application-triggered painting",
	"painting operations that occur when the internal state of a component has changed. Contrast with system-triggered painting."},
	{"arc", "a portion of a circle."},
	{"architecturally neutral","describes the feature of Java that allows a program to run on any platform."},
	{"argument index",
	"in a printf() statement, an integer that indicates the position of an argument in the argument list."},
	{"arguments","data items sent to methods in a method call."},
	{"arithmetic operators","operators used to perform calculations with values."},
	{"array","a named list of data items that all have the same type."},
	{"ArrayList class","a Java class that provides a dynamically resizable container that stores lists of objects."},
	{"Arrays class","a built-in Java class that contains many useful methods for manipulating arrays, such as methods" +
	" to search, fill, compare, and sort arrays."},
	{"ascending","describes the order from lowest value to highest."},
	{"ascent","one of three measures of a Font’s height; it is the height of an uppercase character from a baseline to the" +
	" top of the character. See also leading and descent."},
	{"ASCII","an acronym for American Standard Code for Information Interchange, a character set widely used to" +
	" represent computer data."},
	{"assert statement","a statement that creates an assertion."},
	{"assertion","a Java language feature that can help you detect logic errors and debug a program."},
	{"assignment","the act of providing a value for a variable."},
	{"assignment operator","the equal sign ( = ); any value to the right of the equal sign is assigned to the variable" +
	" on the left of the equal sign."},
	{"associativity","describes the order in which operands are used with operators."},
	{"at run time","describes the period of time during which a program executes."},
	{"attributes","the characteristics that define an object as part of a class."} };

  public static void main(String[] args)
  {
    searchGloss();
  } //end main()


  public static void searchGloss()
  {
	//declarations
	boolean wordWasFound = false;
	boolean validEntry = false;
	String message = "";

	while(validEntry == false)
	{
	  String searchWord = JOptionPane.showInputDialog(
		  						null,
	  							"Enter the word you"
                                + " would like to search in the Java reserved "
                                + "keyword list","Java Keyword search",
                                JOptionPane.PLAIN_MESSAGE);

	  if(searchWord == null) return; //sends user back to option screen
	  else if(searchWord.equals(""))
	  {
		JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(
                        null,
                        "Please type a word before pressing the enter key or "
                        + "clicking OK.",
			"Search results",
                        JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE);
	  }
	  else
	  {
		validEntry = true;
		for(int x = 0, y = javaGlossarySearch.length; x < y; x++)
		{
		  for(int xx = 0, yy = javaGlossarySearch[x].length; xx < yy; xx++)
		  {
			if(searchWord.equals(javaGlossarySearch[x][xx]))
			{
			  wordWasFound = true;
			  break;
			}
		  }

            if(wordWasFound) break;
		}
		if(wordWasFound)
		{

			message = ": " // change this for the definition
		}
		else
		{
		  message = " was not found!";
		}

		JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(
                        null,
                        "'" + searchWord + "'" + message,
                        "Search results",
                        JOptionPane.INFORMATION_MESSAGE);
	  }
	}//end while
	searchGloss();
  }// end searchJavaGlossary()
}//end class

[Darryl Burke]

Not a GUI problem. Moving to Beginning Java.

edit Also breaking some extra long code lines that are disturbing the page formatting

[Stephan van Hulst]

Hey there, Scotty. You didn't exactly specify what you're stuck on. Please TellTheDetails.

Anyway, have you considered using a Map<String, String> for this problem? It's perfect, it will solve most of your problems.

[Jeff Verdegan]

I answered this yesterday:

Scotty Steven wrote:I'm working on a two column array search utility, but I'm stuck on a couple of matters.

1. I want to insure that the utility only searches the first column of the array and ignores the second.

What problem are you having with that? Just look in arr[x][0], and not in arr[x][1].

2. When it does find the word in the first column, I want it to display the second column on line 109.

So display arr[x][1].


And the OP even replied and thanked me.

Was this a double post? Or do we lose replies when moving a thread?

[Scotty Steven]

Double post. I accidentaly posted in the Swing group. I realized it later, and reposted in beginners, which is were @Jeff Verdegan gave me the help needed. I marked this post (and the other) as soled last night, but doing so seems to have no effect.

[Mohamed Sanaulla]

Jeff Verdegan wrote:
And the OP even replied and thanked me.

Was this a double post? Or do we lose replies when moving a thread?

Double post. I chose to lock the other.

[Scotty Steven]

Lock this one too. It's answered and done!

[Campbell Ritchie]

We don’t close threadsd as a routine. I don’t think you have finished. There is a far better solution using a Map<String, String>
Also, to become pedantic, you don’t have a multi-dimensional array. You have an array of arrays. Which is, by the way, better than a 2D array.

[Scotty Steven]

I don't know anything about Map<String, String>, but after getting the answer I was looking for last night, I formatted over 700 lines into an array, which seems to be working. I don't want to reformat the information again, as that took over 6 hours to do. I'm in if it uses the same format as an array, I'd consider it.

[Jeff Verdegan]

Scotty Steven wrote:I don't know anything about Map<String, String>, but after getting the answer I was looking for last night, I formatted over 700 lines into an array, which seems to be working. I don't want to reformat the information again, as that took over 6 hours to do. I'm in if it uses the same format as an array, I'd consider it.

There's no good reason for putting all that in your Java code in the first place. It should go into a file that your code reads. Regardless of where it is though, if you're using a decent editor with regex replace capabilities, it will be trivial to change it from one to the other. Of course, if it's in a separate file as it should be, then the data format wouldn't change anyway; you'd just change a few lines of code at the point where you're reading and storing it.

(And to be honest, I don't think a String[][] OR a Map<String, String> is appropriate here. It looks like you have a glossary, so I'd defined a class named GlossaryEntry or Term or something appropriate to your intended design and use. That class would have as member variables the term and its definition. Then for lookups, I'd use use a Map<String, GlossaryEntry>.

[Scotty Steven]

I just set it up with a main method for testing purposes only. It is part of a larger program, and the array is its own class.

Pretty much everything else you said went completely above my head. I am really new at this.

[Jeff Verdegan]

Scotty Steven wrote:I just set it up with a main method for testing purposes only. It is part of a larger program, and the array is its own class.

Pretty much everything else you said went completely above my head. I am really new at this.

700 data entries do not belong in the source code. They belong in a file or database.

As for the rest, well, you've heard of defining classes to represent the concepts you're dealing with, right? Like if I said that a school registration program would have a Course class and a Student class, or a banking program would have a Customer class and an Account class, you'd understand that, right? Well, here you're defining a glossary, and each entry has a term ("Java") and a definition, ("A programming language that..."), so doesn't it make sense to have a class like GlossaryEntry, with "term" and "definition" member variables.?

[Scotty Steven]

It does make sense, but I have no clue how to even approach something like that. I trying to teach myself programming for fun, and I really haven't that far into my learning. I decided to create a project where every new skill I learn, I practice it on a digital cheat-sheet project.

Oh boy. Now I get to try and learn database design. That sounds like a huge undertaking.

[Jeff Verdegan]

Scotty Steven wrote:It does make sense, but I have no clue how to even approach something like that. I trying to teach myself programming for fun, and I really haven't that far into my learning.

Okay, fair enough. So when you get to that point in your education, come back to this program and see if you can improve it.

Oh boy. Now I get to try and learn database design. That sounds like a huge undertaking.

It is huge, and I wouldn't go there yet if I were you. Get the basics of Java down first. Start with just a text file of your entries. Tackle the database later.

Good luck!

[Scotty Steven]

Sounds good. I'm doing the practice of the "core" concepts in command line, but then I'm trying to apply them to Swing display. So, in theory, I'm trying to learn two for one!