Introduction
Merging two string arrays is a common task in programming, especially when dealing with collections of data. This exercise helps you understand how to work with arrays and concatenate their elements into a single array in Java. This guide will walk you through writing a Java program that merges two string arrays into one.
Problem Statement
Create a Java program that:
- Defines two string arrays.
- Merges these two arrays into a single array.
- Displays the merged array.
Example:
- Input Arrays:
String[] array1 = {"Apple", "Banana", "Cherry"}; String[] array2 = {"Date", "Fig", "Grape"};
- Output:
Merged array: ["Apple", "Banana", "Cherry", "Date", "Fig", "Grape"]
Solution Steps
- Define Two String Arrays: Create two string arrays with predefined values.
- Create a Merged Array: Initialize a new array that will hold the elements of both arrays.
- Copy Elements to Merged Array: Use the
System.arraycopy()
method to copy elements from both arrays into the merged array. - Display the Merged Array: Print the merged array.
Java Program
// Java Program to Merge Two String Arrays // Author: https://www.rameshfadatare.com/ import java.util.Arrays; public class StringArrayMerger { public static void main(String[] args) { // Step 1: Define two string arrays String[] array1 = {"Apple", "Banana", "Cherry"}; String[] array2 = {"Date", "Fig", "Grape"}; // Step 2: Create a merged array String[] mergedArray = new String[array1.length + array2.length]; // Step 3: Copy elements from both arrays to the merged array System.arraycopy(array1, 0, mergedArray, 0, array1.length); System.arraycopy(array2, 0, mergedArray, array1.length, array2.length); // Step 4: Display the merged array System.out.println("Merged array: " + Arrays.toString(mergedArray)); } }
Explanation
Step 1: Define Two String Arrays
- Two string arrays,
array1
andarray2
, are initialized with predefined values.
Step 2: Create a Merged Array
- A new string array,
mergedArray
, is created with a size equal to the sum of the lengths ofarray1
andarray2
.
Step 3: Copy Elements to the Merged Array
- The
System.arraycopy()
method is used to copy the elements fromarray1
to the beginning ofmergedArray
. - The same method is then used to copy the elements from
array2
to the end ofmergedArray
, starting from the index after the last element ofarray1
.
Step 4: Display the Merged Array
- The
Arrays.toString()
method is used to convert the merged array to a string for easy printing.
Output Example
Example:
Merged array: [Apple, Banana, Cherry, Date, Fig, Grape]
Conclusion
This Java program demonstrates how to merge two string arrays into a single array. It covers essential concepts such as array manipulation, using the System.arraycopy()
method, and printing arrays, making it a useful exercise for beginners learning Java programming.