Serious Vector Casting Help!!

Question

I have a Vector of Strings. I want to convert this to an array of strings. How do I go about this. Here is some code excerp
public static String[] getHeader(Vector values, int format)
Vector headerFields = new Vector();
for( int i = 0; i < values.size(); i++ )
headerFields.add(getString(i));
return (String[]) headerFields.toArray();
I get a class cast exception.
Is there anyway to declare a String array and add strings to it whenever you like. Thanks

Answer 1

OKAY, LAST TIME! in case it's not working
please consider the code that was posted
public static String[] getHeader(Vector values, int format)
Vector headerFields = new Vector();
for( int i = 0; i < values.size(); i++ )
headerFields.add(getString(i));
return (String[]) headerFields.toArray();
1. In order to call the method "getString(i)" as shown, the method must exist in the same class or inherited from a super class, otherwise you would have to use a class name if it were static or a pointer if it were instance method
2. In order for it to compile, it has to return an Object reference because that's the required parameter for the add method in the Vector class
3. You are adding the value returned from this method into a newly created Vector refered to by "headerFields"
4. The limit you are using for the loop is the size of the Vector refered to by "values"
5. The only correlation between the Vector refered to by the pointer "headerFields" and the parameter "values" is the size. So you have two Vectors that are of the same length.
6. In this code, the only way to get an Object out of the Vector values is to do it externally by allowing the "getString(int)" method to access a pointer that has the same value as the parameter "value". If you don't need an Object from the Vector refered to as "values" then you must simply want to use it's size. If so then just pass an "int" to the method.
7.If you do want to get some information out of the Vector refered to by "values" then you should obtain the reference to one of it's elements as follows.
values.elementAt(i)
If you know what this Object is, then you may cast it appropriately and use the pointer to this particular Object to call a method in that Object. such as
Something x = ((Something)(values.elementAt(i)));
x.getString();
8. If the class that contains this method extends Vector, and the class is intended to supply a getString(i) method, then why send the parameter "values" when you could use "this"
9. If the class does not extend Vector but "has a" Vector, then you should hold a pointer or an array of pointers (for however many dimensions you need) in an instance field, then you wouldn't necessarily need to pass the "values" parameter.
10. If the class has niether a "is a" or "has a" relationship to Vector, then certainly this is the wrong approach. You might want to do something with those objects in the Vector refered to by "values". then again you need to access them by
values.elementAt(i)
11. If you don't want to use the values in the Vector refered to by the "values" parameter and you want to use some method to get a header for each Object in the "values" Vector, then just send the size to the method.
12. if you want to convert a Vector of strings then you don't need to create a new Vector in the method, just pass a Vector as a parameter to the method.