Simpler way to sort 2-d string array?

Question

I have a long 2d string array, and I would like to sort by the 2nd value. It originates as:
    public static final String names[][] = {
     {"000000", "Black"},
     {"000080", "Navy Blue"},
     {"0000C8", "Dark Blue"},
     {"0000FF", "Blue"},
        {"000741", "Stratos"},
     {"FFFFF0", "Ivory"},
     {"FFFFFF", "White"}
    };As you can see, they are pre-sorted by the hex values. That is useful for part of the app.
There are 1,567 entries. I would like to alphabetize the color names and place them in a list widget. I need to keep the associated hex color values with the name values. All I can think of to do something like:
1) make a temporary long 1-d string array
2) fill it by loop that appends the hex values to the name values: temp[i] = new String (names[1] + names[i][0])
3) sort temp[] with built in Java sort
4) make a permanent new string array, hexValues[] for the hex values
5) copy the last 6 characters of each item to hexValues[]
6) truncate the last 6 characters of each item in temp[]
7) build list widget with temp[]
Is there a more elegant way? What I'd really like to do is build a 1-d array of int's, with the values representing the alphabetized locations of the names. However, I don't see any built-in which would do that kind of indirect sort.
Second question -- Can the backgrounds of each item in a list widget be a different color? Ideally the list would show the color name in black or white, and the its color value as background. Specifically, I'm trying to build the list accomplished by the Javascript code here:
* http://chir.ag/projects/name-that-color/
and add it to my Java interactive color wheel:
* http://r0k.us/graphics/SIHwheel.html
BTW, I have converted his name that color Javascript (ntc.js) to a native Java class. It is freely distributable, and I host it here:
* http://r0k.us/source/ntc.java
-- Rich
Edited by: RichF on Oct 7, 2010 7:04 PM
Silly forum software; I can't see what made it go italic at the word new.

Answer 1

I am implementing a sort infrastructure along the lines of camickr's working example, above. Part of my problem is that I am new to both lists and collections. I've tried searching, and I cannot figure out why the compiler doesn't like my "new":
public class colorName implements Comparable<colorName>
    String     name, hex;
    int          hsi;
    static List<colorName> colorNames;
    public colorName(String name, String hex)
     float     hsb[] = {0f, 0f, 0f};
     int     rgb[] = {0, 0, 0};
     int     h, s, b;     // b for brightness, same as i
     this.name = name;
     this.hex  = hex;
     // Now we need to calculate hsi,
     this.hsi = (h << 10) + (s << 6) + b;  //  hhhhhhssssiiiiii
    ***   findColorName() performs 3 functions.  First, it
    *** will auto-initialize itself if necessary.  Second,
    *** it will perform 3 sorts:
    ***   -3) byHSI:  sort by HSI and return first element of sorted list
    ***   -2) byNAME: sort by name and return first element of list
    ***   -1) byHEX:  (re)reads ntc.names, which is already sorted by HEX;
    ***               returns first element of list
    *** Third, on 0 or greater, will return the nth element of list
    *** Note: ntc.init() need not have been called.
    public colorName findColorName(int which)
     if (which < -3)  which = -3;
     if (which >= ntc.names.length)  which = ntc.names.length - 1;
     if (which == -1)  colorNames = null;     // free up for garbage collection
     if (colorNames == null)
     {   // (re)create list
         colorNames = new ArrayList<colorName>(ntc.names.length);
         for (int i = 0; i < ntc.names.length; i++)
             colorNames.add(new colorName(ntc.names[1], ntc.names[0]));
        if (which == -1)  return(colorNames.get(0));
}On compilation, I receive:
D:\progming\java\ntc>javac colorName.java
colorName.java:117: cannot find symbol
symbol  : constructor colorName(java.lang.String[],java.lang.String[])
location: class colorName
                colorNames.add(new colorName(ntc.names[1], ntc.names[0]));
                               ^
1 errorLine 117 is the second-to-last executable line in code block. I know it is finding the ntc.names[][] array the ntc.class file. I had forgotten to compile ntc.java, and there were other errors, such as in line 115 where it couldn't find ntc.names.length. Compare camickr's two lines:
          List<Person> people = new ArrayList<Person>();
          people.add( new Person("Homer", 38) );As far as I can tell, I'm doing exactly the same thing. If you have any other feedback, feel free to make it. The full source may be found at:
* http://r0k.us/rock/Junk/colorName.java
PS1: I know I don't need the parenthesis in my return's. It's an old habit, and they look funny to me without them.
PS2: My original design had the "static List<colorName> colorNames;" line defined within the findColorName() method. The compiler did not like that; it appears to be that one cannot have static variables within methods. Anyway, that's why I don't have separate sorting and getting methods. I'm learning; "static" does not mean, "keep this baby around". Its meaning is, "there is only one of these babies per class".
-- Rich