Get a variable by a name string? how

Question

Hi,
I am currently developing an interpreter which is of cause a class.
This interpreter will be initiated with several pieces of strings mixed
with unknown number of variables with some order which is unknown previously.
So the better way is just passing one string which contains the variable
name strings and return a collection of variables specified by the variable
ames contained in this string.
Problem is:
How can I get a variable from a name string, instead of a name
     variable?
     Java Reflection can only return fields, but not variables
     Any idea?
     And how JNI could do perphaps?
Any help appreciated
Thanks in adv
dunson

Answer 1

As far as i know, the names of local variables, that are only used inside methods, are not preserved in the bytecode. That means you can't grab from them by name, whatever you do. You are able to grab members though, through reflection, but it's not very efficient. I wouldn't recommend it.
As suggested, I think you need to make special provision for this with a structure like a Hashtable. It's better programming practice, it's more efficient, and you'll find it much easier to program.
Something like this:
import java.util.*;
class Doodad {
  Map stuff = new HashMap();
  Object getValue(String code) {
    return stuff.get(code);
  void setValue(String code, Object value) {
    stuff.put(code, value);