Reading Statics from an Array Named in an Array?

Question

I have a load of hierarchal static configuration data that I want to read, for example;

<string-array name="Root">
<item>Array1</item>
<item>Array2</item>
<item>Array3</item>
</string-array>

<string-array name="Array1">
<item>Array1 Data1</item>
<item>Array1 Data2</item>
<item>Array1 SubArray1</item>
<item>Array1 SubArray2</item>
<item>Array1 SubArray3</item>
</string-array>

<string-array name="Array1 SubArray1">
<item>Array1 SubArray1 Data1</item>
<item>Array1 SubArray1 Data2</item>
</string-array>

<string-array name="Array2">
<item>Array2 Data1</item>
<item>Array2 Data2</item>
<item>Array2 SubArray1</item>
<item>Array2 SubArray2</item>
<item>Array2 SubArray3</item>
</string-array>

<string-array name="Array1 SubArray3">
<item>Array2 SubArray3 Data1</item>
<item>Array2 SubArray3 Data2</item>
</string-array>

Putting in 1,1 would give me;
Array1 Data1, Array1 Data2, Array1 SubArray1 Data1, Array1 SubArray1 Data2

While putting in 2,3 would give me;
Array2 Data1, Array2 Data2, Array2 SubArray3 Data1, Array2 SubArray3 Data2

What I want to do is something like;

Resources res = getResources();
String[] RootArray = res.getStringArray(R.array.Root);
String[] Array = res.getStringArray(R.array.RootArray[1]);
String[] SubArray = res.getStringArray(R.array.Array[1]);

Is there a way to get this sort of thing to work?

Note: The Array sizes are not necessarily fixed.

Thanks in advance.
Mark

jwriteclub · Accepted Answer · 2011-04-27 00:28:00Z

1

There is no way of implementing this exact behavior using named arrays. However, it's perfectly possible to do so using a custom XML parser, which can be easily written from the XML libraries included with Android.

The problem is that when you reference R, you are making a reference to an auto-generated, static integer which the android compiler creates to refer to a resource. When you actually compile your application, the java compiler replaces the reference to the number with the actual number. Thus,

res.getStringArray(R.array.MyArray);

really becomes something like

res.getStringArray(0x12345);

which is obviously not an actual "array".

In order to implement your desired functionality, create an XML file in /res/xml/config.xml:

<my-config>
   <array name="Array1">
      <data>Item 1</data>
      <data>Item 2</data>
      <array name="SubArray 1">
         <data>Item 4</item>
      </array>
   </array>
</my-config>

In your application, you can load the XML file by calling

XmlResourceParser XMLparser = getResources().getXml(R.xml.config);

and then use the methods of the XMLResourceParser to pull the appropriate values.

answered Apr 27, 2011 at 0:28

jwriteclub

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1 Comment

mfirth Over a year ago

Thanks for the reply. Your comment sent me off in the right direction. I have managed to get it working by following the tutorial at anddev.org/…

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