Question

I have three methods.

1. The first method takes data from a List (which contains data objects specific to our my application), it then calls the second method, passing in the data it has acquired as parameters.

2. The second method then uses this information as a reference to take specific information from another list, calling the third method and passing this information to it as parameters.

3. The third method does the same as the second, using the data that is passed in as a reference to find specific data in a list.

Now the problem is, I want to use this information in a totally different method.

How should I go about calling my methods in order to get out the data?

private void getRecords() {
    List<LabelSet> allSets = labelSetStructureService.getLabelSets();
    for (LabelSet labelSet : allSets) {
        List<LabelSet> groups = labelSetStructureService.getLabelGroupsForSet(labelSet.getId());
        for (LabelGroup group : groups) {
             getValuesForLabel(group.getCustomerMeasure(), labelSetStructureService.getLabelsForLabelGroup(group.getCustomer().getId(), group.getId()), labelSet);
        }
    }
}

private void getValuesForLabel(CustomerMeasure measure, List<Label> labels, LabelSet labelSet) {
    for (Label label : labels) {
        List<LabelSet> usageRecs = labelDataService.getLabelData(label, LabelSetStorage.DAY_BY_MONTH_STORAGE, new DateTime(), new DateTime().minusWeeks(1));
        preProcessUsageRecs( usageRecs, labelSet);
    }
}

private List<LabelUsage> preProcessUsageRecs(List<LabelUsage> usageRecs, LabelSet labelSet) {
    //Format records, use list instead strings where possible

    List<LabelSet> usageRecords = usageRecs; {
      for( LabelUsage labelUsage : usageRecs)
          usageRecords.addAll(usageRecs);
    }
     return usageRecords;
    }

Answer 1

Java is an object based language, so use a member variable to store the result of that one call, like such that:

public List<LabelUsage> labels;
...
private List<LabelUsage> preProcessUsageRecs(List<LabelUsage> usageRecs, LabelSet labelSet) {
    //Format records, use list instead strings where possible

    List<LabelSet> usageRecords = usageRecs; {
      for( LabelUsage labelUsage : usageRecs)
          usageRecords.addAll(usageRecs);
    }
    this.labels = usageRecords;
     return usageRecords;
}

and then access this.labels wherever you would need to use the result of this method;