#writing a static method called copyTheObjects()

1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

ancient hareBOT
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<@&987246399047479336> please have a look, thanks.

ancient hareBOT
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quartz dock
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That's one weird request. Inheritance plays no role here, since constructors aren't inherited.

So a generalised solution, in which you can't refer to the possible set of types to expect, would be forced to use reflection. Which is never where we should start - it's the escape hatch to use when the type-system can't help.

As to where to start...

  • Do you know how to declare a local variable of an array type and initialise it with values?
  • Do you know how to declare a method (main is a static method, taking an array of String as an argument but not returning a result)?
  • Do you know how to get the length of an array and iterate the array elements?

You could start with

  • Declare the method, have it copy the array, but just return the original elements
  • Create the array of inputs and use it to call your method.

Then you can move on to - given an element in the original array, how do I make a copy.

sour python
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yeah i did what you said

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but how do i write the method so that it calls every copy constructor of each object

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there are 5 different objects

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in the array and it does not want me to specify the objects

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so it doesnt want me to call the copy constructors manually

plush latch
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can you post 2 or 3 of the different classes that are supposed to go in the array? @sour python

sour python
plush latch
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ok but are the "copy constructor"s like

public GraduateProgram(GraduateProgram gp) {
   // deep copy
}```
sour python
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more like this

plush latch
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yeah I'm with talden on this, idk how you're going to do this without reflectively calling that constructor based on the elements .getClass()

sour python
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yeah thats where im stuck on as well

plush latch
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but using reflection (which generally should be avoided) is using "the build in java classes" to do so

sour python
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yeah we are not allowed to use that either i think

plush latch
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and so the array can contain Coures and Programs?

sour python
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yeah exactly

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the array has courses, graduate programs, undergradprograms, certificateprograms, and specialprograms

plush latch
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yeah without writing explicit type checking I only see this being possible from reflection.

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Just as an educational sidenote this assignment is horrible and worthless

sour python
plush latch
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incase you couldnt tell LUL

sour python
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LOL bro i couldnt agree more

plush latch
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It'd at least be an improvement if it used .clone()...

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on classes explicitly implementing Cloneable

sour python
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yeah the funny part is they taught us .clone() so idk why we cant use it

plush latch
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So looking at the instructions you posted, and nothing says you cant use the java API

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only your text before it

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maybe that only applies to part 1

sour python
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im pretty sure it applies to both parts 🥲

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they also gave us this instruction

image.png
plush latch
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thats easy to do

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you just modify the references in the original after copying

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or print the hashcodes lol

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I would email them asking if the "no java classes" applies to this part as well, since u dont see a way to do it under the restrictions without reflection

sour python
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yeah i asked my ta and she said no 😭

plush latch
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well TAs are usually stupid

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I used to have TAs that are in nursing and mechanical engineering

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like huh!?

sour python
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LOL rly

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yeah this seems like it is literally impossible

plush latch
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yeah my teacher was like 'how is my TA supposed to grade a network configuration when they dont know what IP stands for'

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So I'd ask the professor directly if you're able to use reflection to complete it

sour python
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okay yeah i will do that

sour python
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thank you for helping man! wish you the best

plush latch
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good luck with this bad instructor o7

brazen glade
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@sour python make an interface

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That's the solution

sour python
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hmmm how so?

plush latch
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we're able to modify the existing classes?

brazen glade
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interface Copyable {
    Copyable copy();
}
sour python
plush latch
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Hmm. Cause if so then ethan's idea is a cheap non-reflection one

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The only thing I can see that might be a problem is their "will automatically depend on the copy constructors". Which is indirectly true

sour python
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yeahh thats true

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i dont know what to do at this point😵‍💫

plush latch
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I would lean towards emccue's. But i'd still ask to verify that you can add extra code to the classes in part 1: Particularly implementing a common interface