Array required but java.lang.String found

Question

I am trying to hide a random word that I got from a list in a text file, but the code continues to give me the following error: Array Required, but java.lang.String found

 import java.awt.*; import java.awt.event.*; import java.util.Arrays; import javax.swing.*; import java.io.*; import java.util.ArrayList; import java.util.Random; import java.util.List; public class Hangman extends JFrame { private static final char HIDECHAR = '_'; String imageName = null; String Path = "D:\\Varsity College\\Prog212Assign1_10-013803\\images\\"; static int guesses =0; private String original = readWord(); private String hidden; int i = 0; static JPanel panel; static JPanel panel2; static JPanel panel3; static JPanel panel4; public Hangman(){ JButton[] buttons = new JButton[26]; this.original = original; this.hidden = this.createHidden(); panel = new JPanel(new GridLayout(0,9)); panel2 = new JPanel(); panel3 = new JPanel(); panel4 = new JPanel(); JButton btnRestart = new JButton("Restart"); btnRestart.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){ public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) { } }); JButton btnNewWord = new JButton("Add New Word"); btnNewWord.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){ public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) { try { FileWriter fw = new FileWriter("Words.txt", true); PrintWriter pw = new PrintWriter(fw, true); String word = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Please enter a word: "); pw.println(word); pw.close(); } catch(IOException ie) { System.out.println("Error Thrown" + ie.getMessage()); } } }); JButton btnHelp = new JButton("Help"); btnHelp.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){ public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) { String message = "The word to guess is represented by a row of dashes, giving the number of letters and category of the word." + "\nIf the guessing player suggests a letter which occurs in the word, the other player writes it in all its correct positions." + "\nIf the suggested letter does not occur in the word, the other player draws one element of the hangman diagram as a tally mark." + "\n" + "\nThe game is over when:" + "\nThe guessing player completes the word, or guesses the whole word correctly" + "\nThe other player completes the diagram"; JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null,message, "Help",JOptionPane.INFORMATION_MESSAGE); } }); JButton btnExit = new JButton("Exit"); btnExit.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){ public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) { System.exit(0); } }); JLabel lblWord = new JLabel(original); if(guesses >= 0) imageName = "Hangman1.jpg"; if(guesses >= 1) imageName = "Hangman2.jpg"; if(guesses >= 2) imageName = "Hangman3.jpg"; if(guesses >= 3) imageName = "Hangman4.jpg"; if(guesses >= 4) imageName = "Hangman5.jpg"; if(guesses >= 5) imageName = "Hangman6.jpg"; if(guesses >= 6) imageName = "Hangman7.jpg"; ImageIcon icon = null; if(imageName != null){ icon = new ImageIcon(Path + File.separator + imageName); } JLabel label = new JLabel(); label.setIcon(icon); String b[]={"A","B","C","D","E","F","G","H","I","J","K","L","M","N","O","P","Q","R","S","T","U","V","W","X","Y","Z"}; for(i = 0; i < buttons.length; i++) { buttons[i] = new JButton(b[i]); panel.add(buttons[i]); } panel2.add(label); panel3.add(btnRestart); panel3.add(btnNewWord); panel3.add(btnHelp); panel3.add(btnExit); panel4.add(lblWord); } public String readWord() { try { BufferedReader reader = new BufferedReader(new FileReader("Words.txt")); String line = reader.readLine(); List<String> words = new ArrayList<String>(); while(line != null) { String[] wordsLine = line.split(" "); boolean addAll = words.addAll(Arrays.asList(wordsLine)); line = reader.readLine(); } Random rand = new Random(System.currentTimeMillis()); String randomWord = words.get(rand.nextInt(words.size())); return randomWord; }catch (Exception e){ return null; } } private String printWord(){ StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(); for (int i = 0; i < this.original.length(); i++){ sb.append(HIDECHAR); } return sb.toString(); } public boolean check(char input){ boolean found = false; for (int i = 0; i < this.original.length(); i++){ if(this.original.charAt(i)== input)){ found = true; this.hidden[i] = this.original.charAt(i); } } return found; } public static void main(String[] args) { System.out.println(); Hangman frame = new Hangman(); frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE); Box mainPanel = Box.createVerticalBox(); frame.setContentPane(mainPanel); mainPanel.add(panel, BorderLayout.NORTH); mainPanel.add(panel2); mainPanel.add(panel4); mainPanel.add(panel3); frame.pack(); frame.setVisible(true); } } 

Ok, all the code <error is now on line 151 and 149 ... I also tried to fix it according to one of the messages

Answer 1

You cannot use array indices: [] to index in String , and both hidden and original are Strings .

Instead, you can use original.charAt(i) to read a character with an index.

As for writing a character in an index: java Strings immutable, so you cannot change individual characters. Instead, make hidden a StringBuilder or just a char[] :

 // in your class member declarations: char hidden[] = createHidden(); // possible implementation of createHidden: char[] createHidden() { if (original != null) return new char[original.length()]; else return null; } 

And then your loop can use original.charAt as follows:

 if (this.original.charAt(i) == input) { found = true; this.hidden[i] = this.original.charAt(i); 

Answer 2

1 .. Since you use original.length() , its String method, since the length () method works with String, not Array , as for an array, length is an instance variable.

2. Try it like this ....

this.hidden[i] = original.charAt(i);

3. And since char is not an object , but a primitive , use "=="

  if (this.original[i] == input)