In order to use vectors you need the following import:
import java.util.*;
Vectors are created using the standard object syntax:
Vector v = new Vector();
To add an element to a vector:
String s = new String("Hi there!");
v.add(s)
(the string is added at the end of the vector)
You may add an element at any index: v.add(1,s)
. This
works like "insertAt" for StringBuffer, i.e. the elements
after that index are shifted to the right.
One thing is very important for understanding vectors: vectors store objects, not data of primitive types (you can still use them for integers, etc., see below). When you access an element of a vector, it is stored as an Object, so you need to typecast it before you can do anything useful with it. For instance, if the vector stores strings:
String s = v.elementAt(0); // doesn't work!!!
String s = (String) v.elementAt(0); // works
Note that this doesn't remove the element from the vector. To remove
the element, do this:
v.remove(0);
You can access an element and remove it at the same time:
String s = (String) v.remove(0);
See the Vector
API for more methods.
Note that generally vectors are slower than arrays, so you should use them only when you don't have a good estimate of the size of data.