multidimensional String[][] array java

Question

I have an array that is from .split command and want to put it into an array called String[][] datatabvars, I do not know how to turn datatabvars into a two dimensional array and put the data into it.

public String[] getList() {
    String file_name = "path";
    String[] links = null;
    String[][] datatabvars = null; // this var
    int numberOfDatatabs = 0;
    try {
        ReadFile file = new ReadFile(file_name); 
        String[] aryLines = file.OpenFile();

            int i;
        for(i=0; i < aryLines.length; i++) { //aryLines.length
            if (aryLines[i].substring(0, 7).equals("datatab")) {
                aryLines[i] = aryLines[i].replace("datatab["+Integer.toString(numberOfDatatabs)+"] = new Array(", "");
                aryLines[i] = aryLines[i].replace(");", "");
                datatabvars = aryLines[i].split(","); // this split array
                numberOfDatatabs++;
            }
        }
        System.out.println(datatabvars[0]);
    }catch (IOException e) {
        System.out.println( e.getMessage() );
    }
    return links;
}

Answer 1

Update the two lines(I added comment) as below: (I am assuming that rest of your code is working)

String[][] datatabvars = null; // this var
int numberOfDatatabs = 0;
try {
    ReadFile file = new ReadFile(file_name); 
    String[] aryLines = file.OpenFile();
    datatabvars = new String[aryLines.length][]; // INITIALIZED

    int i;
    for(i=0; i < aryLines.length; i++) { //aryLines.length
        if (aryLines[i].substring(0, 7).equals("datatab")) {
            aryLines[i] = aryLines[i].
                        replace("datatab["+Integer.toString(numberOfDatatabs)+"] = 
                                               new Array(", "");
            aryLines[i] = aryLines[i].replace(");", "");
            datatabvars[i] = aryLines[i].split(","); // this split array: ASSIGNED
            numberOfDatatabs++;
        }
    }
    System.out.println(datatabvars[0]);

Answer 2

In general, arrays are to avoided like the plague - use collections if possible:. In this case, split() returns a String[], so use that, but use List<String[]> to store multiple String[]:

List<String[]> datatabvars = new ArrayList<String[]>();
...
String[] array = input.split(",");
datatabvars.add(array);

You find life is much easier using collections than arrays.