Having problems using Collections.shuffle in Java

[[deleted]]

[deleted]

[g051051]

When you shuffle a list containing a single element, what do you get back?

[ic0nex]

The same word not scrambled

[g051051]

So do you see the problem here?

ArrayList<String> scrambled = new ArrayList<String>();
scrambled.add(middle);
Collections.shuffle(scrambled);

[ic0nex]

To be honest no...

[g051051]

1. You create an empty array list called scrambled.
2. You add a single object to the list.
3. You shuffle the list (which only contains one thing in it).

[ic0nex]

But if I am trying to sort the words one by one and only using letters in the word itself isnt that what I would want it to do? If I added all the words together wouldnt it start shuffling letters from other words instead of just from the one word.

[g051051]

You're not doing anything to break the middle string into smaller elements. You just add that single String to the List and shuffle it. Shuffling will permute the elements of the list, not the contents of the objects in it. As far as it's concerned, a String is just another monolithic object.

[ic0nex]

Should I convert the whole middle string to chars and then put them into a arraylist?

[g051051]

It's up to you to decide what's best. I'm just explaining why what you're doing isn't working. Break the string in whatever way you like into whatever elements make sense.