Can someone explain these two syntax features

[William H Taylor]

private class WeatherTask extends AsyncTask<String, Void, Weather> {
@Override
protected Weather doInBackground(String... params) {


I got these two questions about the asynctask three types in one and the string ... parameters, I never saw these before. Can someone explain it to me. I was reading through java code and I don't know how to look these up. I think they are Generics but I never saw generics with three types. I also never saw java with a variable set of method parameters. I appreciate the help.

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

Willima,
Yes, the types inside the <> are generics. They allow you to say that a class works with certain types. You can have more than one generic type in a class. The class itself specifies how many there are. And the AsyncTask docs list three types.

The ... are varargs. From the point of the method, you use it like it is an array. You can call it with an array as well. The key difference is that you don't have to call it with an array. You can call it with 0 or 1 or 2 or 3 or ... Strings and Java will turn it into an array for you when it calls the method.

[Giovanni Montano]

William H Taylor wrote:private class WeatherTask extends AsyncTask<String, Void, Weather> {
@Override
protected Weather doInBackground(String... params) {


I got these two questions about the asynctask three types in one and the string ... parameters, I never saw these before. Can someone explain it to me. I was reading through java code and I don't know how to look these up. I think they are Generics but I never saw generics with three types. I also never saw java with a variable set of method parameters. I appreciate the help.

It is really easy. Under Android the Google Developers preferred to manage background services with more performing tools, so they built AsyncTask as an "helper" for short operations.
You have to look up 2 things the parameters inside the diamond brackets and the methods. I can recognize your code is the one released by google for their udacity course.
It is quite complex, because it is connected to JSON backend, I would suggest you to type yourself a simpler example, focusing on the first parameter called Params that will be passed to the method doInBackground(Params...) and you can leave the other two parameters Void ex <String, Void, Void>. Just remember that you need to call the AsyncTask instance to activate AsyncTask.

[William H Taylor]

I understand, thank you very much.

[Stephen M Davies]

It's also important to note, that if you use varargs, they must be the last parameter in a method. So for example, the following method uses var args, and other parameters. The compiler will complain i you try to use the varargs parameter before the end.

public void someMethodWithVarArgs(int param1, boolean param2, String... params3){
   /* Do something with your parameters */
   /* You can access the params3 varargs like an array */ 
       String params3_1 = params3[0];
  /* You may also use regular iteration */
       for (String n : params3) { // etc}

}