Accessing arrays with methods

Question

Hi guys i\'m just starting to learn Java, and I wondering how can I access an array that was declared in a method from another method? The design look like this:

Answer 1

This is done thusly

public class myClass{
  int arraysize = 2;
  float[] myArray; // Declare array

  public myClass(){
    myArray = new float[arraySize]; // initialize array 
  }

  public float[] accessArray(){
    return myArray;
  }
}

The array declaration must not be done inside the class methods. Variable declaration done inside a method limits it's scope of a variable to the method. (i.e you can't use it anywhere else).

The array is then instantiated in a constructor. A constructor is a special function that is run when a class is instantiated. Constructor are used to instantiated a class's variables Constructors have the same name as their class and must not specify a return type (so no public int or public void just public)

Next you need to change the return type of the accessArray method. A return type of void states that the method isn't going to return anything. Change it to float[] Then your accessArray method need only return the array variable.

EDIT: The "return myArray;" line of code gives a reference to the array to what ever called the function (Not a copy of the array, the actual array, a quick of Java is that it always does this except when returning primitive data types where it returns a copy)

If you want accessArray() to set floats in the array instead of returning the array it should be implmented like this.

public void accessArray(int index, float value){
  myArray[index] = value;
}