COLOR reference by string

[ecarmody]

Ok, so my java skill is lacking in a technique to do this.

I want to be able to use a string to represent a color, and to use that string to find the color integer value in the COLOR class.

IE. Where I would do...
graphics.setBackgroundColor(Color.SKYBLUE);

I want to find the INT color value from COLOR using a string value "SKYBLUE"

Since the colors are constants that represent integers, is there a way to find which constant equals a string value and then take its integer value?

Thanks,
Eric

[SCODonnell]

It's probably not the easiest way (it may be in a reference book somewhere), but you could use the Java Development Environment (JDE) and set breakpoints before and after you perform a color asignment. When you hit the break, check in your "Locals" watchlist to see what the int values are before and after the assignment:

Sample Code:

    ListField myList = new ListField() {
        protected void paint(Graphics g) {
            g.setBackgroundColor(Color.SKYBLUE);
            g.clear();            
            ...

Locals:

Name                 Value                 Type
------------------------------------------------
g
|--- _bgColour       8900331                int

[eradis]

A couple of ways to do this:

1. Use a Hashtable with key as the static int Color map and the value as the String representation of that colour.

2. Use 2 arrays; a 'int' array as the Color values and a 'String' array as the string description. The int and String arrays are mapped directly (i.e. 1 to 1).

ASIDE: Interesting that RIM being a canadian company decided to call the class Color rather than Colour (Canadian Spelling).

[ecarmody]

Ok, well barring an existing built in method to reference via the static variables, I went and created a class that I thought you all might find useful, so here it is. And no, I didn't type all color names; a little copy/paste and some editor macros did all the work for me.

The main reason I wanted/needed a way of doing this is because I wanted the ability to allow user customization on one of our apps. This way, they can specify the color, make that, colour name, rather than entering some integer value.

Because its static, you can reference without having to instanciate, like the existing Color.
IE.
int color = Colors.getColor("DARKGOLDENROD");

Cheers,
Eric

package //your package;

import net.rim.device.api.ui.Color;

class Colors {
        private Colors() {}

        public static int getColor(String colorName) {

                if (colorName.equals("RED")) return Color.RED;
                if (colorName.equals("ALICEBLUE")) return Color.ALICEBLUE;
                if (colorName.equals("ANTIQUEWHITE")) return Color.ANTIQUEWHITE;
                if (colorName.equals("AQUA")) return Color.AQUA;
                if (colorName.equals("AQUAMARINE")) return Color.AQUAMARINE;
                if (colorName.equals("AZURE")) return Color.AZURE;
                if (colorName.equals("BEIGE")) return Color.BEIGE;
                if (colorName.equals("BISQUE")) return Color.BISQUE;
                if (colorName.equals("BLACK")) return Color.BLACK;
                if (colorName.equals("BLANCHEDALMOND")) return Color.BLANCHEDALMOND;
                if (colorName.equals("BLUE")) return Color.BLUE;
                if (colorName.equals("BLUEVIOLET")) return Color.BLUEVIOLET;
                if (colorName.equals("BROWN")) return Color.BROWN;
                if (colorName.equals("BURLYWOOD")) return Color.BURLYWOOD;
                if (colorName.equals("CADETBLUE")) return Color.CADETBLUE;
                if (colorName.equals("CHARTREUSE")) return Color.CHARTREUSE;
                if (colorName.equals("CHOCOLATE")) return Color.CHOCOLATE;
                if (colorName.equals("CORAL")) return Color.CORAL;
                if (colorName.equals("CORNFLOWERBLUE")) return Color.CORNFLOWERBLUE;
                if (colorName.equals("CORNSILK")) return Color.CORNSILK;
                if (colorName.equals("CRIMSON")) return Color.CRIMSON;
                if (colorName.equals("CYAN")) return Color.CYAN;
                if (colorName.equals("DARKBLUE")) return Color.DARKBLUE;
                if (colorName.equals("DARKCYAN")) return Color.DARKCYAN;
                if (colorName.equals("DARKGOLDENROD")) return Color.DARKGOLDENROD;
                if (colorName.equals("DARKGRAY")) return Color.DARKGRAY;
                if (colorName.equals("DARKGREEN")) return Color.DARKGREEN;
                if (colorName.equals("DARKKHAKI")) return Color.DARKKHAKI;
                if (colorName.equals("DARKMAGENTA")) return Color.DARKMAGENTA;
                if (colorName.equals("DARKOLIVEGREEN")) return Color.DARKOLIVEGREEN;
                if (colorName.equals("DARKORANGE")) return Color.DARKORANGE;
                if (colorName.equals("DARKORCHID")) return Color.DARKORCHID;
                if (colorName.equals("DARKRED")) return Color.DARKRED;
                if (colorName.equals("DARKSALMON")) return Color.DARKSALMON;
                if (colorName.equals("DARKSEAGREEN")) return Color.DARKSEAGREEN;
                if (colorName.equals("DARKSLATEBLUE")) return Color.DARKSLATEBLUE;
                if (colorName.equals("DARKSLATEGRAY")) return Color.DARKSLATEGRAY;
                if (colorName.equals("DARKTURQUOISE")) return Color.DARKTURQUOISE;
                if (colorName.equals("DARKVIOLET")) return Color.DARKVIOLET;
                if (colorName.equals("DEEPPINK")) return Color.DEEPPINK;
                if (colorName.equals("DEEPSKYBLUE")) return Color.DEEPSKYBLUE;
                if (colorName.equals("DIMGRAY")) return Color.DIMGRAY;
                if (colorName.equals("DODGERBLUE")) return Color.DODGERBLUE;
                if (colorName.equals("FIREBRICK")) return Color.FIREBRICK;
                if (colorName.equals("FLORALWHITE")) return Color.FLORALWHITE;
                if (colorName.equals("FORESTGREEN")) return Color.FORESTGREEN;
                if (colorName.equals("FUCHSIA")) return Color.FUCHSIA;
                if (colorName.equals("GAINSBORO")) return Color.GAINSBORO;
                if (colorName.equals("GHOSTWHITE")) return Color.GHOSTWHITE;
                if (colorName.equals("GOLD")) return Color.GOLD;
                if (colorName.equals("GOLDENROD")) return Color.GOLDENROD;
                if (colorName.equals("GRAY")) return Color.GRAY;
                if (colorName.equals("GREEN")) return Color.GREEN;
                if (colorName.equals("GREENYELLOW")) return Color.GREENYELLOW;
                if (colorName.equals("HONEYDEW")) return Color.HONEYDEW;
                if (colorName.equals("HOTPINK")) return Color.HOTPINK;
                if (colorName.equals("INDIANRED")) return Color.INDIANRED;
                if (colorName.equals("INDIGO")) return Color.INDIGO;
                if (colorName.equals("IVORY")) return Color.IVORY;
                if (colorName.equals("KHAKI")) return Color.KHAKI;
                if (colorName.equals("LAVENDER")) return Color.LAVENDER;
                if (colorName.equals("LAVENDERBLUSH")) return Color.LAVENDERBLUSH;
                if (colorName.equals("LAWNGREEN")) return Color.LAWNGREEN;
                if (colorName.equals("LEMONCHIFFON")) return Color.LEMONCHIFFON;
                if (colorName.equals("LIGHTBLUE")) return Color.LIGHTBLUE;
                if (colorName.equals("LIGHTCORAL")) return Color.LIGHTCORAL;
                if (colorName.equals("LIGHTCYAN")) return Color.LIGHTCYAN;
                if (colorName.equals("LIGHTGOLDENRODYELLOW")) return Color.LIGHTGOLDENRODYELLOW;
                if (colorName.equals("LIGHTGREEN")) return Color.LIGHTGREEN;
                if (colorName.equals("LIGHTGREY")) return Color.LIGHTGREY;
                if (colorName.equals("LIGHTPINK")) return Color.LIGHTPINK;
                if (colorName.equals("LIGHTSALMON")) return Color.LIGHTSALMON;
                if (colorName.equals("LIGHTSEAGREEN")) return Color.LIGHTSEAGREEN;
                if (colorName.equals("LIGHTSKYBLUE")) return Color.LIGHTSKYBLUE;
                if (colorName.equals("LIGHTSLATEGRAY")) return Color.LIGHTSLATEGRAY;
                if (colorName.equals("LIGHTSTEELBLUE")) return Color.LIGHTSTEELBLUE;
                if (colorName.equals("LIGHTYELLOW")) return Color.LIGHTYELLOW;
                if (colorName.equals("LIME")) return Color.LIME;
                if (colorName.equals("LIMEGREEN")) return Color.LIMEGREEN;
                if (colorName.equals("LINEN")) return Color.LINEN;
                if (colorName.equals("MAGENTA")) return Color.MAGENTA;
                if (colorName.equals("MAROON")) return Color.MAROON;
                if (colorName.equals("MEDIUMAQUAMARINE")) return Color.MEDIUMAQUAMARINE;
                if (colorName.equals("MEDIUMBLUE")) return Color.MEDIUMBLUE;
                if (colorName.equals("MEDIUMORCHID")) return Color.MEDIUMORCHID;
                if (colorName.equals("MEDIUMPURPLE")) return Color.MEDIUMPURPLE;
                if (colorName.equals("MEDIUMSEAGREEN")) return Color.MEDIUMSEAGREEN;
                if (colorName.equals("MEDIUMSLATEBLUE")) return Color.MEDIUMSLATEBLUE;
                if (colorName.equals("MEDIUMSPRINGGREEN")) return Color.MEDIUMSPRINGGREEN;
                if (colorName.equals("MEDIUMTURQUOISE")) return Color.MEDIUMTURQUOISE;
                if (colorName.equals("MEDIUMVIOLETRED")) return Color.MEDIUMVIOLETRED;
                if (colorName.equals("MIDNIGHTBLUE")) return Color.MIDNIGHTBLUE;
                if (colorName.equals("MINTCREAM")) return Color.MINTCREAM;
                if (colorName.equals("MISTYROSE")) return Color.MISTYROSE;
                if (colorName.equals("MOCCASIN")) return Color.MOCCASIN;
                if (colorName.equals("NAVAJOWHITE")) return Color.NAVAJOWHITE;
                if (colorName.equals("NAVY")) return Color.NAVY;
                if (colorName.equals("OLDLACE")) return Color.OLDLACE;
                if (colorName.equals("OLIVE")) return Color.OLIVE;
                if (colorName.equals("OLIVEDRAB")) return Color.OLIVEDRAB;
                if (colorName.equals("ORANGE")) return Color.ORANGE;
                if (colorName.equals("ORANGERED")) return Color.ORANGERED;
                if (colorName.equals("ORCHID")) return Color.ORCHID;
                if (colorName.equals("PALEGOLDENROD")) return Color.PALEGOLDENROD;
                if (colorName.equals("PALEGREEN")) return Color.PALEGREEN;
                if (colorName.equals("PALETURQUOISE")) return Color.PALETURQUOISE;
                if (colorName.equals("PALEVIOLETRED")) return Color.PALEVIOLETRED;
                if (colorName.equals("PAPAYAWHIP")) return Color.PAPAYAWHIP;
                if (colorName.equals("PEACHPUFF")) return Color.PEACHPUFF;
                if (colorName.equals("PERU")) return Color.PERU;
                if (colorName.equals("PINK")) return Color.PINK;
                if (colorName.equals("PLUM")) return Color.PLUM;
                if (colorName.equals("POWDERBLUE")) return Color.POWDERBLUE;
                if (colorName.equals("PURPLE")) return Color.PURPLE;
                if (colorName.equals("RED")) return Color.RED;
                if (colorName.equals("ROSYBROWN")) return Color.ROSYBROWN;
                if (colorName.equals("ROYALBLUE")) return Color.ROYALBLUE;
                if (colorName.equals("SADDLEBROWN")) return Color.SADDLEBROWN;
                if (colorName.equals("SALMON")) return Color.SALMON;
                if (colorName.equals("SANDYBROWN")) return Color.SANDYBROWN;
                if (colorName.equals("SEAGREEN")) return Color.SEAGREEN;
                if (colorName.equals("SEASHELL")) return Color.SEASHELL;
                if (colorName.equals("SIENNA")) return Color.SIENNA;
                if (colorName.equals("SILVER")) return Color.SILVER;
                if (colorName.equals("SKYBLUE")) return Color.SKYBLUE;
                if (colorName.equals("SLATEBLUE")) return Color.SLATEBLUE;
                if (colorName.equals("SLATEGRAY")) return Color.SLATEGRAY;
                if (colorName.equals("SNOW")) return Color.SNOW;
                if (colorName.equals("SPRINGGREEN")) return Color.SPRINGGREEN;
                if (colorName.equals("STEELBLUE")) return Color.STEELBLUE;
                if (colorName.equals("TAN")) return Color.TAN;
                if (colorName.equals("TEAL")) return Color.TEAL;
                if (colorName.equals("THISTLE")) return Color.THISTLE;
                if (colorName.equals("TOMATO")) return Color.TOMATO;
                if (colorName.equals("TURQUOISE")) return Color.TURQUOISE;
                if (colorName.equals("VIOLET")) return Color.VIOLET;
                if (colorName.equals("WHEAT")) return Color.WHEAT;
                if (colorName.equals("WHITE")) return Color.WHITE;
                if (colorName.equals("WHITESMOKE")) return Color.WHITESMOKE;
                if (colorName.equals("YELLOW")) return Color.YELLOW;
                if (colorName.equals("YELLOWGREEN")) return Color.YELLOWGREEN;
                
                return Color.BLACK;
        }
}

[eradis]

Good solution also.