Question

I am trying use a switch case. But it says i cant pass a string 🙁

protected void onListItemClick(ListView l, View v, int position, long id) {

    // super.onListItemClick(l, v, position, id);

    String selection = l.getItemAtPosition(position).toString();

    Log.i("Harsha", selection);

    switch (selection) {
    case "Compose":

        break;
    case "Inbox":

        break;
    case "Drafts":

        break;
    case "Sent":

        break;
    default:
        break;
    }

}

The error is

Cannot switch on a value of type String. Only convertible int values or enum constants are permitted

Answer 1

The switch expression must be of type
char, byte, short, or int. All case
labels must be constant
expressions—the expressions must
contain only literals or named
constants initialized with constant
expressions—and must be assignable to
the type of the switch expression.

It is what it is! Java doesn’t allow you to pass String for a switch case statment, infact, the new Proposal was possibly rejected. ( read in a blog somewhere, i’m sorry, don’t have the source)

But it doesn’t mean you can’t do it by another method.

Alternatives

1) Use the position of the listitem, rather than the string.

2) Use Enum

3) Store it in a Map<String,Integer> (or even an array), and use the Value in the SWitch Case

EDIT: Personally, i would add 4 constants and do it this way

final int MENU_COMPOSE = 0; //should be equal to the index in your array.
final int MENU_INBOX = 1;
final int MENU_DRAFTS = 2;
final int MENU_SENT = 3;

switch (position) {
case MENU_COMPOSE: //Compose, add comments never the less.

    break;
case  MENU_INBOX: //Inbox

    break;
case  MENU_DRAFTS: //Drafts

    break;
case  MENU_SENT: //Sent

    break;
default:
    break;
}