How to search for particular string in array?

Question

I am struggling to figure out how to search array contents for a string and then delete the entry from the array if it is found.
The code for a program that allows the user to enter up to 20 inventory items (tools) is posted below; I apologize in advance for it as I am also not having much success grasping the concept of OOP and I am certain it is does not conform although it all compiles.
Anyway, if you can provide some assistance as to how to go about searching the array I would be most grateful. Many thanks in advance..
// ==========================================================
// Tool class
// Reads user input from keyboard and writes to text file a list of entered
// inventory items (tools)
// ==========================================================
import java.io.*;
import java.text.DecimalFormat;
public class Tool
private String name;
private double totalCost;
int units;
  // int record;
   double price;
// Constructor for Tool
public Tool(String toolName, int unitQty, double costPrice)
      name  = toolName;
      units = unitQty;
      price = costPrice;
   public static void main( String args[] ) throws Exception
      String file = "test.txt";
      String input;
      String item;
      String addItem;
      int choice = 0;
      int recordNum = 1;
      int qty;
      double price;
      boolean valid;
      String toolName = "";
      String itemQty = "";
      String itemCost = "";
      DecimalFormat fmt = new DecimalFormat("##0.00");
      // Display menu options
      System.out.println();
      System.out.println(" 1. ENTER item(s) into inventory");
      System.out.println(" 2. DELETE item(s) from inventory");
      System.out.println(" 3. DISPLAY item(s) in inventory");
      System.out.println();
      System.out.println(" 9. QUIT program");
      System.out.println();
      System.out.println("==================================================");
      System.out.println();
      // Declare and initialize keyboard input stream
      BufferedReader stdin = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
      do
         valid = false;
         try
            System.out.print(" Enter an option > ");
            input = stdin.readLine();
            choice = Integer.parseInt(input);
            System.out.println();
            valid = true;
         catch(NumberFormatException exception)
            System.out.println();
            System.out.println(" Only numbers accepted. Try again.");
      while (!valid);
      while (choice != 1 && choice != 2 && choice != 9)
            System.out.println(" Not a valid option. Try again.");
            System.out.print(" Enter an option > ");
            input = stdin.readLine();
            choice = Integer.parseInt(input);
            System.out.println();
      if (choice == 1)
         // Declare and initialize input file
         FileWriter fileName = new FileWriter(file);
         BufferedWriter bufferedWriter = new BufferedWriter(fileName);
         PrintWriter dataFile = new PrintWriter(bufferedWriter);
         do
            addItem="Y";
               System.out.print(" Enter item #" + recordNum + " name > ");
               toolName = stdin.readLine();
               if (toolName.length() > 15)
                  toolName = toolName.substring(0,15); // Convert to uppercase
               toolName = toolName.toUpperCase();
               dataFile.print (toolName + "\t");
               do
                  valid = false;
                  try
                     // Prompt for item quantity
                     System.out.print(" Enter item #" + recordNum + " quantity > ");
                     itemQty = stdin.readLine();
                     // Parse integer as string
                     qty = Integer.parseInt (itemQty);
                     // Write item quantity to data file
                     dataFile.print(itemQty + "\t");
                     valid=true;
                  catch(NumberFormatException exception)
                     // Throw error for all non-integer input
                     System.out.println();
                     System.out.println(" Only whole numbers please. Try again.");
               while (!valid);
               do
                  valid = false;
                  try
                     // Prompt for item cost
                     System.out.print(" Enter item #" + recordNum + " cost (A$) > ");
                     itemCost = stdin.readLine();
                     // Parse float as string
                     price = Double.parseDouble(itemCost);
                     // Write item cost to data file
                     dataFile.println(fmt.format(price));
                     valid = true;
                  catch(NumberFormatException exception)
                     // Throw error for all non-number input (integers
                  // allowed)
                     System.out.println();
                     System.out.println(" Only numbers please. Try again.");
               while (!valid);
               // Prompt to add another item
               System.out.println();
               System.out.print(" Add another item? Y/N > ");
               addItem = stdin.readLine();
               while ((!addItem.equalsIgnoreCase("Y")) && (!addItem.equalsIgnoreCase("N")))
                  // Prompt for valid input if not Y or N
                  System.out.println();
                  System.out.println(" Not a valid option. Try again.");
                  System.out.print(" Add another item? Y/N > ");
                  addItem = stdin.readLine();
                  System.out.println();
               // Increment record number by 1
               recordNum++;
               if (addItem.equalsIgnoreCase("N"))
                  System.out.println();
                  System.out.println(" The output file \"" + file + "\" has been saved.");
                  System.out.println();
                  System.out.println(" Quitting program.");
        while (addItem.equalsIgnoreCase("Y"));
// Close input file
dataFile.close();
   if (choice == 2)
   try {
      Read user input (array search string)
      Search array
      If match found, remove entry from array
      Confirm "deletion" and display new array contents
   catch block {
} // class
// ==========================================================
// ListToolDetails class
// Reads a text file into an array and displays contents as an inventory list
// ==========================================================
import java.io.*;
import java.util.StringTokenizer;
import java.text.DecimalFormat;
public class ListToolDetails {
   // Declare variable
   private Tool[] toolArray; // Reference to an array of objects of type Tool
   private int toolCount;
   public static void main(String args[]) throws Exception {
      String line, name, file = "test.txt";
      int units, count = 0, record = 1;
      double price, total = 0;
      DecimalFormat fmt = new DecimalFormat("##0.00");
      final int MAX = 20;
      Tool[] items = new Tool[MAX];
      System.out.println("Inventory List");
      System.out.println();
      System.out.println("REC.#" + "\t" + "ITEM" + "\t" + "QTY" + "\t"
            + "PRICE" + "\t" + "TOTAL");
      System.out.println("\t" + "\t" + "\t" + "\t" + "PRICE");
      System.out.println();
      try {
         // Read a tab-delimited text file of inventory items
         FileReader fr = new FileReader(file);
         BufferedReader inFile = new BufferedReader(fr);
         StringTokenizer tokenizer;
         while ((line = inFile.readLine()) != null) {
            tokenizer = new StringTokenizer(line, "\t");
            name = tokenizer.nextToken();
            try {
               units = Integer.parseInt(tokenizer.nextToken());
               price = Double.parseDouble(tokenizer.nextToken());
               items[count++] = new Tool(name, units, price);
               total = units * price;
            } catch (NumberFormatException exception) {
               System.out.println("Error in input. Line ignored:");
               System.out.println(line);
            System.out.print(" " + count + "\t");
            System.out.print(line + "\t");
            System.out.print(fmt.format(total));
            System.out.println();
         inFile.close();
      } catch (FileNotFoundException exception) {
         System.out.println("The file " + file + " was not found.");
      } catch (IOException exception) {
         System.out.println(exception);
      System.out.println();
   //  Unfinished functionality for displaying "error" message if user tries to
   //  add more than 20 tools to inventory
   public void addTool(Tool maxtools) {
      if (toolCount < toolArray.length) {
         toolArray[toolCount] = maxtools;
         toolCount += 1;
      } else {
         System.out.print("Inventory is full. Cannot add new tools.");
   // This should search inventory by string and remove/overwrite matching
   // entry with null
   public Tool getTool(int index) {
      if (index < toolCount) {
         return toolArray[index];
      } else {
         System.out
               .println("That tool does not exist at this index location.");
         return null;
}  // classData file contents:
TOOL 1     1     1.21
TOOL 2     8     3.85
TOOL 3     35     6.92

Answer 1

Ok, so you have an array of Strings. And if the string you are searching for is in the array, you need to remove it from the array.
Is that right?
Can you use an ArrayList<String> instead of a String[ ]?
To find it, you would just do:
for (String item : myArray){
   if (item.equals(searchString){
      // remove the element. Not trivial for arrays, very easy for ArrayList
}Heck, with an arraylist you might be able to do the following:
arrayList.remove(arrayList.indexOf(searchString));[edit]
the above assumes you are using 1.5
uses generics and for each loop
[edit2]
and kinda won't work it you have to use an array since you will need the array index to be able to remove it. See the previous post for that, then set the value in that array index to null.
Message was edited by:
BaltimoreJohn