Text Field String to Object problem

Question

Hi,
i am trying to search a vector called mainStaffDataBase for a staff members name, found by getName();
Now thats all good an well, but here is the tricky part (for me)
i have another vector called mainUnitDataBase, in which unit names are stored. To create a new unit, the constructor needs to be used liked this Unit(String unitName, Staff staffName);
What i am trying to do is by searching the mainStaffDataBase for a staff member, to reference that staff member's object in creating the new unit.
In the code: staff_field is the name of a text field which the user inputs the name which they wish to associate the unit with.
This is the code i currently have.
1. for (int i = 0; i < Uni.mainStaffDataBase.size(); i++){
2. Staff staffMem = (Staff)Uni.mainStaffDataBase.elementAt(i);
3. if (staff_field.equals(staffMem.getName())){
4. staffMem = staff_field;
5. }
6. }
7. Unit newUnit = new Unit(unit_field.getText(), staffMem);
8. Uni.mainUnitDataBase.add(newUnit);
The error i am getting is "incompatible types" on line 4.
Im not too sure how to go about changing the name of the staff member because the constructor requires a Staff object be passed, and not a string.
Any help would be much appreciated.
cheers
AnniHilatE
Edited by: AnniHilatE on Oct 18, 2007 7:04 PM

Answer 1

1) staffMem is a Staff object. staff_field is a String. You can't try to set one equal to the other.
2) If staff_field.equals(staffMem.getName( )) you don't have to set staffMem = to anything. It already references the correct Staff object. You may want to set something else = to staffMem though, another Staff variable that is declared outside of the for loop. This is what you should use in your Unit initialization code.
something like so:
        Staff staffFound = null;
        for (int i = 0; i < Uni.mainStaffDataBase.size(); i++)
            Staff staffMem = (Staff)Uni.mainStaffDataBase.elementAt(i);
            if (staff_field.equals(staffMem.getName()))
                // staffMem already == the correct object. 
                // now just have to be able to use it.
                staffFound = staffMem; 
        if (staffFound != null)
            Uni.mainUnitDataBase.add(new Unit(unit_field.getText(), staffFound));
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