Compare String with String[] with boolean?

Question

I want to compare from a void main method where there is a array and a string. so what I want to do is to compare with if name is in the array. return true else return false. But I cant get it to work. It gives me false on both. And I don't know why?

public boolean isActor(String name) {

        if(name.equals(actors)) {
            return true;

        }else {
            return false;
        }
    }

public static void main(String[] args) {
    String[] actors = {"Ulla Skoog", "Suzanne Reuter", "Peter Dalle"} ;
    Dvd d1 = new Dvd(10327, "Yrrol", "Peter Dalle", actors, 88);
    System.out.println("Medverkar Kalle Kula i Lorry: " + d1.isActor("Kalle kula"));
    System.out.println("Medverkar Ulla Skoog i Lorry: " + d1.isActor("Ulla Skoog"));

}

Any help would be appreciated !

EDIT: So I tried to do if(Arrays.asList(actors).contains(name)) and yes it worked. Problem is I might now be allowed to do it under a test which can make me losing points and I tried to make a for loop and by that make a equals statement but still getting the same result which is both false.

EDIT2: Also tried to do this

public boolean isActor(String name) {
          for(String s: actors){
                if(s.equals(actors))
                    return true;
            }
            return false;
        }

but still got the same result of both false

EDIT3:

What I want to do is to make e method which is ( public boolean isActor(String name) { ) and with that I want to make a if-statement which should make a algorithm by saying "If this name is on this array. make it say true. If its not in the array. Say its false." Thats what im trying to do.

Your code wouldn't even compile. My suggestion to atleast make it compile - and we are always there to help. There are lot of java tutorials on the net - https://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/ is the official one from Oracle. — Dakshinamurthy Karra, Aug 21 '15 at 11:33
The question linked above is how you do what you want to do. As to why your code is not working, `equals` does exactly what it says it does, it checks whether 2 things are equal, and a `String` is not equal to an array, regardless of what's actually in this array (just like I'm not equal to the room I'm currently in). — Bernhard Barker, Aug 21 '15 at 11:36
Oh. So I tried to make a if(Arrays.asList(actors).contains(name)) and yes it worked. but there should be easier way to do it since I dont really know if its allowed to do this under test in school so I tried to make a for loop and then make a if(name.equals(actor) but it gives me the same result which Should work if im right? — Thrillofit123, Aug 21 '15 at 11:44
There's presumably something wrong with your for-loop then. [One of the answers in the linked post](http://stackoverflow.com/a/12635769/1711796) has a for-loop which you can use as a starting point ([here](http://stackoverflow.com/a/23526351/1711796)'s a simpler version). — Bernhard Barker, Aug 21 '15 at 11:46
@Dukeling so I did the number 3 and it still gave me the same result. which will be for me public boolean isActor(String name) { for(String s: actors){ if(s.equals(actors)) return true; } return false; } — Thrillofit123, Aug 21 '15 at 11:51
@Thrillofit123 What you are doing buddy ? First be clear about what you want to do and den only try for that. — SacJn, Aug 21 '15 at 11:53
What I want to do is to make e method which is ( public boolean isActor(String name) { ) and with that I want to make a if-statement which should make a algorithm by saying "If this name is on this array. make it say true. If its not in the array. Say its false." Thats what im trying to do. — Thrillofit123, Aug 21 '15 at 11:56
@Hacketo I have done it and it still gave me false on everything. Which I dont understand why. Logical it should work. I might see what could be wrong. I will try with debugg now. — Thrillofit123, Aug 21 '15 at 12:01
@Thrillofit123 Well your example of edit2 is not using `name` to do the test so it can't work, you should look the answer more carefuly — Hacketo, Aug 21 '15 at 12:03

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Aug 21 '15 at 11:36

2

You have to test each item in array:

public boolean isActor(String name) {

    for (String actor : actors) {
        if (name.equals(actor) {
            return true;
        }
    }
    return false;
}

answered Aug 21 '15 at 11:36

convexHull

1,761
2
15
18

This is what I tried aswell but it didnt work. got False both of them. :/ – Thrillofit123 Aug 21 '15 at 11:42

SacJn · Answer 2 · 2015-08-21T11:50:44.403

1

public boolean isActor(String name, List<String> actorList) {

    if(actorList.contains(name)) {
        return true;

    }else {
        return false;
    }
}

public static void main(String[] args) {
    String[] actors = {"Ulla Skoog", "Suzanne Reuter", "Peter Dalle"} ;   
    List<String> actorList = Arrays.asList ( actors);
    Dvd d1 = new Dvd(10327, "Yrrol", "Peter Dalle", actors, 88);
    System.out.println("Medverkar Kalle Kula i Lorry: " + d1.isActor("Kalle kula",actors));
    System.out.println("Medverkar Ulla Skoog i Lorry: " + d1.isActor("Ulla Skoog",actors));
}

edited Aug 21 '15 at 11:50

answered Aug 21 '15 at 11:38

SacJn

777
1
6
16

Problem is I cant take the String[] actors up to the method because it is not allowed for me do to it. So is there any other way? – Thrillofit123 Aug 21 '15 at 11:44
pass that also to the method – SacJn Aug 21 '15 at 11:46
Sorry to say but I dont think I have to make a add on parameters. I also think im not allowed to add something. So yeah. I should start with public boolean isActor(String name) { and make a statement take will it true or false by static void main method. – Thrillofit123 Aug 21 '15 at 11:54

Compare String with String[] with boolean?

2 Answers2