Java string[] partial copying

Question

How do I take a String[], and make a copy of that String[], but without the first String? Example: If i have this...

String[] colors = {"Red", "Orange", "Yellow"};

How would I make a new string that's like the string collection colors, but without red in it?

Answer 1

You could use Arrays.copyOfRange:

String[] newArray = Arrays.copyOfRange(colors, 1, colors.length);

Answer 2

Forget about arrays. They aren't a concept for beginners. Your time is better invested learning the Collections API instead.

/* Populate your collection. */
Set<String> colors = new LinkedHashSet<>();
colors.add("Red");
colors.add("Orange");
colors.add("Yellow");
...
/* Later, create a copy and modify it. */
Set<String> noRed = new TreeSet<>(colors);
noRed.remove("Red");
/* Alternatively, remove the first element that was inserted. */
List<String> shorter = new ArrayList<>(colors);
shorter.remove(0);

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For inter-operating with array-based legacy APIs, there is a handy method in Collections:

List<String> colors = new ArrayList<>();
String[] tmp = colorList.split(", ");
Collections.addAll(colors, tmp);