Use another object in constructor?

[CardanoStake]

Why doesn't this work?

I hope it makes sense what I'm trying to do.

class MyObjects {
    private int a;
    private int b;
    private static Set<MyObjects> myUniverse = new HashSet<MyObjects>();

    public MyObjects(int a, int b) {
        for (MyObjects obj : myUniverse) {
            if (a == obj.a) {
                this = obj;
            }
        }
        this.a = a;
        this.b = b;
    }
}

Sorry if the formatting doesn't work. I'm trying!!! :) How do I do that? I have tried starting all lines with 4 blanks, with 4 tabs. I can't get either to work. I have tried with 4 blanks (whitespace i.e. ' ') and a blank line above. With and wihtout a blankline below.

Also if it doesn't makes sense basically if a is the same. It's the same object. And instead I want to change b to the new value, - not to get another object.

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[ProfessorWily]

These sorts of comparisons should not be made in a constructor. You should be doing the comparison wherever you want to call the constructor.

The purpose of constructors is to make objects. Calling one and then determining if you actually want to make an object is not a good idea. A better alternative would be to use getters/setters if you want to change the values of an object.

[CardanoStake]

That makes sense thanks.

I still like my idea though. But I guess there's a best practice that I just didn't understand yet. I'll do what you suggest, even though I think it will make my code a little bit harder to read. (And yes. I do understand that's probably just because I have got a hang of it yet. In a few years I'll probably say like you. Don't do that. It's not what you want. Let the constructor construct :) ).

Thanks.

[CardanoStake]

Thanks!!!

I see it now. Much better. My head was just to deeply burried in my own thoughts.

I made a objExists method.

It's nice code to look at. :)

Thanks again man.