CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javaclassobject
Joshua Rastetter
Joshua Rastetter

Reputation: 33

Can you create a unique variable name by concatenating two other variables?

I am trying to make a method that will create a new unique object based on another class that I have have in the same project. I know that the last line wont compile, but is there a way to accomplish the same goal?

Ideally if the fName=John and lName=Smith, then the new "Employee" object created on the last line would be called "JohnSmith" but the goal is just to create a unique instance of the object every time that the method is called 

public static void createEmployee(int number){

   Scanner input= new Scanner(System.in);
   System.out.printf("Enter first name for employee %s: ",number);
   String fName=input.next();
   System.out.printf("Enter last name for employee %s: ",number);
   String lName=input.next();
   Employee fName+lName= new Employee(fName,lName);
   }

I am fairly new to Java, and object oriented programming in general so if I am going about this wrong I am open to going about it a different way.

Upvotes: 1

Views: 246

Answers (4)

Docteur
Docteur

Reputation: 1275

You can't do it that way. But remember, many "JohnSmith" exist - you would run into homonyms easily.

If these aren't a problem, you could use a Map to bind a key (The String made with Surname + Name) to a value (your employee).

Good luck and welcome to StackOverflow!

UPDATE

If homonyms are a problem, you will need to use unique IDs; they assure you that you have no overlaps. You could build an ID in the Employee itself, and put them in a List, or you can put them in an Array - the ID will then be their position in the array.

Upvotes: 1

vbranden
vbranden

Reputation: 5986

I second the hashmap. Having a human readable variable name dynamically created is overly complicated. Using a hashmap you can reference the object with a string

HashMap<String, Employee> employees = new HashMap<String, Employee>();

employees.put(fName + lName, new Employee(fName, lName));

To get the employ obj

employees.get(fName + lName);

Upvotes: 0

Makoto
Makoto

Reputation: 106430

No, what you're describing isn't possible.

As a conceptual exercise, your variables should describe the kind of data they're holding. It may sound pretty plain, but employee would be a better name for that variable than JohnSmith or SteveJobs or any other first + last name combination.

If you're intending to create a new instance of an Employee every time, you should return the Employee instance from the method instead of declaring it void. Then you can use it however you like wherever you call it.

public static Employee createEmployee(int number){

   Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);
   System.out.printf("Enter full name of employee %d, separated by spaces: ", number);
   String fName = input.next();
   String lName = input.next();
   return new Employee(fName, lName);
}

Upvotes: 2

Elliott Frisch
Elliott Frisch

Reputation: 201447

No. You can't combine a variable like that, but you could say something like

// Employee fName+lName= new Employee(fName,lName);
Employee employee = new Employee(fName, lName);

And if Employee overrides toString() then

System.out.println(employee);

should give you the output you would expect.

Upvotes: 0

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