How to Split a Comma-Separated String into an ArrayList in Java?

How can I split a comma-separated string into elements of an ArrayList in Java?

String input = "dog, cat, bear, elephant, giraffe";

To split a comma-separated string and store the resulting substrings in an ArrayList, you can utilize the `split()` method in Java. This method is efficient and allows you to handle strings of unknown lengths effectively.

String input = "dog, cat, bear, elephant, giraffe";
List<String> strings = new ArrayList<>(Arrays.asList(input.split(",\s*"))); 

// Example usage
System.out.println(strings.get(0)); // Outputs: dog
System.out.println(strings.get(1)); // Outputs: cat
System.out.println(strings.size()); // Outputs: 5

Causes

• The need to manage and manipulate textual data in arrays or lists.
• The use of string manipulation in data processing or user input.

Solutions

• Use the `String.split()` method to divide the string based on a specified delimiter (in this case, a comma).
• Initialize an `ArrayList` and populate it with the results from the split operation.

Mistake: Not accounting for extra spaces after commas.

Solution: Include a regular expression in the split method to handle optional whitespace, e.g., split(",\s*").