Conditionally add "optional items" with array initialization syntax?

Question

I'm wondering if I can easily have an if statement somehow here:

public Object[] tableItemFromVisit(Visit visit, boolean editable) {
    return new Object[] {
            visit.getIdVisit(),
            visit.getProfession().getProfessionName(),
            visit.getSpiProfessional().getFullName(),
            RegularFunctions.getTimeFormat().format(visit.getVisitDate()),
            RegularFunctions.toNormalCapitalizedText(visit.getVisitState()
                    .toString()), visit.getReason(), 
            if (editable) { "Edit" }, 
            };
}

How is this structure even called? An array specification or what? Anyway if the variable "editable" is true, it has to have an "Edit" string, if it's false, it doesn't need anything... Obviously I don't want to write two return statements that are way too similar to each other...

Answer 1

Construct the above array as an ArrayList and return its toArray?

Essence of the idea is to do something like this.

ArrayList<Object> ret = new ArrayList<Object>(new Object[] {
            visit.getIdVisit(),
            visit.getProfession().getProfessionName(),
            visit.getSpiProfessional().getFullName(),
            RegularFunctions.getTimeFormat().format(visit.getVisitDate()),
            RegularFunctions.toNormalCapitalizedText(visit.getVisitState()
                    .toString()), visit.getReason()
            // don't add Edit item at all yet
            })

if(editable)
     ret.add("Edit");

return ret.toArray();

I am not sure if this kind of initialization works though, if not Arrays.toList can also be used, or just add one by one.

Answer 2

Passing extra parameter using the construct provided is not possible. You modify your code in one of following ways:

Try ternary operator:

editable ? "Edit" : ""

OR

editable ? "Edit" : null

---

if(editable)
{
    return new Object[] {
        visit.getIdVisit(),
        visit.getProfession().getProfessionName(),
        visit.getSpiProfessional().getFullName(),
        RegularFunctions.getTimeFormat().format(visit.getVisitDate()),
        RegularFunctions.toNormalCapitalizedText(visit.getVisitState()
                .toString()), visit.getReason(), 
        "Edit" }
}
else
{
return new Object[] {
        visit.getIdVisit(),
        visit.getProfession().getProfessionName(),
        visit.getSpiProfessional().getFullName(),
        RegularFunctions.getTimeFormat().format(visit.getVisitDate()),
        RegularFunctions.toNormalCapitalizedText(visit.getVisitState()
                .toString()), visit.getReason(), 
        }
}

Answer 3

If I understand you right, you want the returned Object[] to have and extra element if editable is true.

That is not possible in java.

If null can be used there, you can use editable ? "Edit" : null in place of if (editable) { "Edit" } , but you probably already know that.

Answer 4

It looks like you want to use conditional operator like this:

editable ? "Edit" : "" (or null if you want it that way).

Obviously, it has the extra element.

Answer 5

Let's assume that you are trying to make an object to contain data about visits. Why don't you want to create a function for if (editable) { "Edit" } and utilize encapsulation?

private String getEditFeedback(boolean editable){
  if(editable){
   return "Edit";
  } else {
   return //something
  }
}

Then inside your code,

 public Object[] tableItemFromVisit(Visit visit, boolean editable) {
        return new Object[] {
                visit.getIdVisit(),
                visit.getProfession().getProfessionName(),
                visit.getSpiProfessional().getFullName(),
                RegularFunctions.getTimeFormat().format(visit.getVisitDate()),
                RegularFunctions.toNormalCapitalizedText(visit.getVisitState()
                        .toString()), visit.getReason(), 
               getEditFeedback(editable), 
                };
    }