Java string split method evaluation

Question

I need to parse an input string for an application and have a question related to how java evaluates the result of the string split() method.

For example, in the code bellow:

} else if (arg.equals("-multiplePaths")) {
    // Check if we have multiple paths 
    if (args[count++].contains(":")) {
    for(String tmpIDLPath : args[count-1].split(":"))
        m_includePaths.add(tmpIDLPath);
    } else {
        // Only one
        m_includePaths.add(args[count-1]);
    }

how is for loop evaluated? Is the split operation computed once for each iteration or once at the beginning?

Answer 1

The array you are looping over is computes once per loop.

BTW Your check is redundant.

} else if (arg.equals("-multiplePaths")) {
    for(String tmpIDLPath : args[count-1].split(":"))
        m_includePaths.add(tmpIDLPath);

or

} else if (arg.equals("-multiplePaths")) {
    Collections.addAll(m_includePaths, args[count-1].split(":"));