Java array of enum values

Question

Machine is defined as public enum Machine{...}

_machines is defined as private Machine[] _machines;

Don't know why this doesn't work:

_machines = {Machine.a, Machine.b};

error message:

illegal start of expression

Thank you guys!

Solution 1

You are missing one tiny part of the Array declaration.

_machines = new Machine[]{Machine.a, Machine.b};

Solution 2

This can also be declared empty at first if you give it a size.

_machines = new Machine[size];

Comments

[Dustin Sun]

Working. Thank you so much for your quick reply.

[ceving]

Machine.a, Machine.b can be simplified to a, b. The prefix is redundant, because an array of Machine enums can only contain Machine enums.

[Pulkit Agarwal]

@ceving this does not work. Is there something I need to do to make this happen? I do not want to write "Machine" every time.

[jjnguy]

@PulkitAgarwal have a look at static imports. docs.oracle.com/javase/1.5.0/docs/guide/language/…

[Leo Nikkilä]

Note that this is different from OP’s case. This initialises an array with null values, whereas OP is asking about initialising it with predefined non-null values.

[Kostanos]

Ho do I find not the position of some enum on this array? _machines.indexOf(Machine.a) doesn't work :(