Java String from Map of X-Y Coordinates

Question

I have a Map where Coords is defined as so:

class Coords {
        int x;
        int y;
        public boolean equals(Object o) {
            Coords c = (Coords)o;
            return c.x==x && c.y==y;
        }
        public Coords(int x, int y) {
            super();
            this.x = x;
            this.y = y;
        }
        public int hashCode() {
            return new Integer(x+"0"+y);
        }
    }

(not very good, I know, please don't tease me.) How can I now create a String where the characters are mapped from this map, for example:

Map<Coords, Character> map = new HashMap<Coords, Character>();
map.put(new Coords(0,0),'H');
map.put(new Coords(1,0),'e');
map.put(new Coords(2,0),'l');
map.put(new Coords(3,0),'l');
map.put(new Coords(4,0),'o');
map.put(new Coords(6,0),'!');
map put(new Coords(6,1),'!');
somehowTransformToString(map); //Hello !
                               //      !

Thanks,
Isaac Waller
(note - it's not homework)

Answer 1

1. Create a comparator which can sort Coords by y and then x:

   int d = c1.y - c2.y;
   if (d == 0) d = c1.x - c2.y;
   return d;
   

2. Create a sorted map:

   TreeMap<Coords, Character> sortedMap = new TreeMap(comparator);
   sortedMap.putAll(map); // copy values from other map
   

3. Print the values of the map in order:

   for (Character c: map.values()) System.out.print(c);
   

4. If you need newlines:

   int y = -1;
   for (Map.Entry<Coords, Character> e: map.entrySet()) {
       if (e.y != y) {
           if (y != -1) System.out.println();
           y = e.y;
       }
       System.out.print(c);
   }
   

Answer 2

I suggest you add a toString method to Coord or use the Point class.

Map<Point, Character> map = new HashMap<Point , Character>();
map.put(new Point(0,0),'H');
map.put(new Point(1,0),'e');
map.put(new Point(2,0),'l');
map.put(new Point(3,0),'l');
map.put(new Point(4,0),'o');
map.put(new Point(6,0),'!');
map put(new Point(6,1),'!');
String text = map.toString();

If you want to layout the characters you could use multi dimensional array.

char[][] grid = new char[7][2];
grid[0][0] ='H';
grid[0][1] ='e';
grid[0][2] ='l';
grid[0][3] ='l';
grid[0][4] ='o';
grid[0][6] ='!';
grid[1][6] ='!';
for(char[] line: grid) System.out.println(new String(line));