How can I use user input in a String array to call a different object's method?

Question

So, I am writing a simple game in Java and there are multiple skills that a user can use. Below is an example of a skill instantiated and named "a". In my main method, I instantiated many skills all with names of lowercase letters to make it easy. Then I asked the user which skills they would like to use and they would choose them by typing in lower case letters that corresponded with the skill.

String[] playerSkill = new String[3];
Skill a = new Skill("One", "Two", 3);
System.out.println("Type in a lowercase letter corresponding to each skill.");
System.out.println("a. " + a.getName() + " - " + a.toString());

The user types in "a".

playerSkill[0] = scan.next();
System.out.println(playerSkill[0].getName());

The problem is that the playerSkill[0] is a String and cannot be used to call an object method. I get the compiler error "Cannot find symbol- method getName()".

Below is the code for my Skill class:

public class Skill {
private String name;
private String description;
private int power;

public Skill(String n, String d, int p) {
    name = n;
    description = d;
    power = p;
}

public String getName() {
    return name;
}

public String toString() {
    return description;
}

Since each String has the exact same name as the Skill objects, I thought calling the getName() method would work but the types seem to be incompatible. What would be the best way to work around this problem?

Create a Player class that has Skills as an attribute.

Michael
– Michael

2015-02-20 15:25:38 +00:00
Commented Feb 20, 2015 at 15:25 — Michael
– Michael, Commented Feb 20, 2015 at 15:25

Ryan Groten · Accepted Answer · 2015-02-20 16:00:17Z

1

You could use a key/value to associate a Skill object with a String "id", something like this:

    HashMap<String, Skill> hash = new HashMap<String, Skill>();
    Skill a = new Skill("One", "Two", 3); 
    hash.put(playerSkill[0], a);  // Add all your skill objects to this map
    System.out.println(hash.get(playerSkill[0]).getName());

answered Feb 20, 2015 at 16:00

Ryan Groten

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Comments

Joseph Larson · Accepted Answer · 2015-02-20 15:36:21Z

0

Okay, so you have a random string the user typed in ("a"). And you have a variable you call "a". There is no relationship between these.

The easiest solution is a series of if-statements.

if (playerSkill[0].equals("a")) {
    System.out.println(a.getName());
}
else if playerSkill[0].equals("b")) {
    System.out.println(a.getName());
}

This is gross, but it works. A better way would be to stuff all your Skill objects into an array and iterate over the array to find the one that corresponds to the one you want.

answered Feb 20, 2015 at 15:36

Joseph Larson

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1 Comment

Tom Over a year ago

What is the purpose of this if/else statement, if you always call a.getName()?

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