Construct an ArrayList of strings in Java as simple as one can in Javascript

Question

In JavaScript I can build an Array of string values like:

var stuff = new Array('foo','bar','baz','boz','gaz','goz');

or even easier

var stuff = 'foo,bar,baz,boz,gaz,goz'.split(',');

In Java it seems overly verbose and complex... is there an easier way than this?

ArrayList<String> stuff = new ArrayList<String>();
stuff.add("foo");
stuff.add("bar");
stuff.add("baz");
stuff.add("boz");
stuff.add("gaz");
stuff.add("goz");

In my actual scenario I have 30-40 items going into the ArrayList... I figure there just has to be an easier way! What is the obvious bit I'm overlooking?

Answer 1

List<String> strings = Arrays.asList(new String[] {"foo", "bar", "baz"}); or List<String> strings = Arrays.asList("foo,bar,baz".split(","));

Answer 2

Arrays.asList() is a good way to get a List implementation, though it is technically not an ArrayList implementation, but an internal type.

If you truly need it to be an ArrayList you could write a quick utility method:

public static List<String> create(String... items) {
    List<String> list = new ArrayList<String>(items.length);
    for (String item : items) {
        list.add(item);
    }

    return list;
}