CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javaenumsreference
Eric Wilson
Eric Wilson

Reputation: 59385

Why are these Java enums changing values?

I'm having some trouble with making list of objects based on a condition on an enum. It seems that after I have completed the list, every item in the list is equivalent to the last item.

It's the classic case of different references pointing to the same object, but I don't know how to avoid it:

I've pared things down as much as I can while maintaining readability:

public class Foo {
  Digit[] array = new Digit[2];
  ArrayList<Foo> foozlets;

  Foo() {
    array[0] = Digit.ZERO;
    foozlets = new ArrayList<Foo>();
  }

  Foo(Foo old, Digit num) {
    this.array = old.array;  \\This line is a problem, what should it say?
    array[1] = num;
  }

  public static void main(String[] args) {
    Foo f = new Foo();
    System.out.println("Initial Foo:");
    System.out.println(f);
    f.listFoozlets();
  }

  void listFoozlets() {
    for (Digit k : Digit.values()) {
      if (k == Digit.TWO || k == Digit.FIVE) {
        foozlets.add(new Foo(this, k));
        System.out.println("** Foozlet being added **");
        Foo foo = new Foo(this, k);
        System.out.println(foo);
      }
    }
    System.out.println("** List of Foozlets **");
    for (Foo foo : foozlets) {
        System.out.println(foo);
    }
  }

  public String toString() {
    return array[0].toString() + " " + array[1].toString();
  }
}

enum Digit { ZERO, ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE }

Here is the output:

Initial Foo:
ZERO NULL
** Foozlet being added **
ZERO TWO
** Foozlet being added **
ZERO FIVE
** List of Foozlets **
ZERO FIVE
ZERO FIVE

If someone can explain why the first instance of Foo on the list changes, and how I can make a list that doesn't change, I'd be grateful.

EDIT: Ok, I see where the problem is now. In the real, much larger program, I have a much larger array, and I want to keep the old information when I create a new Foo for the list. I've changed the code to reflect that there is additional information that I want to maintain. How do I accomplish this?

EDIT 2021: Wandered upon this, one of my first SO questions, twelve years later. If this helped you, I'm glad for that. If you are wondering what in the world I was trying to do, the answer is "I have no idea."

Upvotes: 2

Views: 525

Answers (5)

user85421
user85421

Reputation: 29700

Instead of 

Foo(Foo old, Digit num) {
  this.array = old.array;
  array[0] = num;
}

simply do

Foo(Foo old, Digit num) {
  array[0] = num;
}

if you really need the array at all... (best would be to use a simple Digit as suggested in another reply)

Upvotes: 0

Yishai
Yishai

Reputation: 91911

The problem appears to be in this line:

    this.array = old.array;

You are sharing array references, so every Foo shares the same array, so they all have the same value at array[0].

To fix this, try:

  this.array = old.array.clone();

Upvotes: 2

Ryan Brunner
Ryan Brunner

Reputation: 14851

The object reference in this case is the array. The constructor of foo is where you're having the issue, specifically:

Foo(Foo old, Digit num) {
   this.array = old.array; // reference the old array 
   array[0] = num; // set the first element of the array (for this AND the old array) to num
}

You need to copy the array to a new array in the constructor of foo.

Upvotes: 1

John Kugelman
John Kugelman

Reputation: 361849

In your second constructor:

Foo(Foo old, Digit num) {
  this.array = old.array;
  array[0] = num;
}

You are re-using the list from old. You want to create a copy of that list rather than using the same list. You can do that by changing the assignment to:

Foo(Foo old, Digit num) {
  this.array = new ArrayList<Foo>(old.array);
  array[0] = num;
}

Upvotes: 3

Jon Skeet
Jon Skeet

Reputation: 1502176

This bit is the culprit:

Foo(Foo old, Digit num) {
  this.array = old.array;
  array[0] = num;
}

You're copying a reference to the old Foo's array, and then changing the value in that array.

Why do you even have an array of size 1 instead of just a Digit? If you really want the array, you possibly want to clone it instead of just copying the reference, but we can't really tell what the intention is.

Here's a shorter example:

enum Digit { ZERO, ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE }

public class Foo {
  Digit[] array = new Digit[1];

  Foo() {
    array[0] = Digit.ZERO;
  }

  Foo(Foo old, Digit num) {
    this.array = old.array;
    array[0] = num;
  }

  public String toString() {
    return array[0].toString();
  }

  public static void main(String[] args) {
    Foo f = new Foo();
    System.out.println(f);
    Foo other = new Foo(f, Digit.ONE);
    System.out.println(f);
  }
}

Upvotes: 7

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