Type mismatch cannot convert from String to String[]

Question

When I run:

import java.util.Scanner;

public class War {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String[] deckcards=deck();
        String[] player1cards=player1Cards(deckcards);
    }
    public static String[] deck(){
        String[] Cards = {"spades1","spades2","spades3", "spades4", "spades5", "spades6", "spades7", "spades8", "spades9", "spades10", "spadesJ", "spadesQ", "spadesK", "spadesA", "clubs1", "clubs2", "clubs3", "clubs4", "clubs5", "clubs6", "clubs7", "clubs8", "clubs9", "clubs10", "clubsJ", "clubsQ", "clubsK", "clubsA", };
        return Cards;
    }
    public static String [] player1Cards(String[] deckcards){
        String[] player1cards = deckcards[0];
        return player1cards;
    }

I get two errors.

One error tells me

Type mismatch cannot convert from String to String[]

The other error tells me there is a line breakpoint error on:

String[] player1cards = deckcards[0];

How can I fix this?

Answer 1

Your problem is here:

String[] player1cards = deckcards[0];

deckcards[0] is an element of an array of type String . So it is a String variable. But you are trying to assign it to String[] player1cards which is an array of strings which is not allowed in Java.

Answer 2

This is your error:

String[] player1cards = deckcards[0];

If you want to copy the first value of deckscards into the first value of player1cards , then one alternative is:

String[] player1cards = deckcards;
player1cards[0] = deckcards[0];

According to your code, you are saying that the whole String[] is equal to the first value of the other array. That cannot be. If you want to equal two arrays, then:

String [] automobile = {"toyota","zion"};
String[] car = {"nissan"};
automobile = car;

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

An element of a String[] is a String , not a String[] , but saying that doesn't fix your problem.

Issues of design and style aside, I think your intention is:

public class War {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String[] deckcards=deck();
        // shuffle deck
        List<String> list = new ArrayList<>(Arrays.asList(deckcards));
        Collections.shuffle(list);
        deckcards = list.toArray(new String[]{});
        // deal from deck
        String[] player1cards=player1Cards(deckcards, 0, 5);
    }
    public static String[] deck(){
        String[] Cards = {"spades1","spades2","spades3", "spades4", "spades5", "spades6", "spades7", "spades8", "spades9", "spades10", "spadesJ", "spadesQ", "spadesK", "spadesA", "clubs1", "clubs2", "clubs3", "clubs4", "clubs5", "clubs6", "clubs7", "clubs8", "clubs9", "clubs10", "clubsJ", "clubsQ", "clubsK", "clubsA", };
        return Cards;
    }
    public static String [] player1Cards(String[] deckcards, int from, int quantity){
        String[] player1cards = Arrays.copyOfRange(deckcards, from, from + quantity);
        return player1cards;
    }
}

Disclaimer: untested code (thumbed on iPhone) and nothing done to fix design problems, but you will have something that works.