How to deep copy an irregular 2D array

Question

How can I deep copy an irregularly shaped 2D array in Java?

Ie.

int[][] nums =  {{5},
                 {9,4},
                 {1,7,8},
                      


        

Answer 1

N-dimensional deep copy

public class ArrayTest extends TestCase {

    public void testArrays() {
        Object arr = new int[][]{
                {5},
                {9, 4},
                {1, 7, 8},
                {8, 3, 2, 10}
        };

        Object arrCopy = copyNd(arr);
        int height = Array.getLength(arr);
        for (int r = 0; r < height; r++) {
            Object rowOrigonal = Array.get(arr, r);
            Object rowCopy = Array.get(arrCopy, r);
            int width = Array.getLength(rowOrigonal);
            for (int c = 0; c < width; c++) {
                assertTrue(rowOrigonal.getClass().isArray());
                assertTrue(rowCopy.getClass().isArray());
                assertEquals(Array.get(rowOrigonal, c), Array.get(rowCopy, c));
                System.out.println(Array.get(rowOrigonal, c) + ":" + Array.get(rowCopy, c));
            }
        }
    }

    public static Object copyNd(Object arr) {
        if (arr.getClass().isArray()) {
            int innerArrayLength = Array.getLength(arr);
            Class component = arr.getClass().getComponentType();
            Object newInnerArray = Array.newInstance(component, innerArrayLength);
            //copy each elem of the array
            for (int i = 0; i < innerArrayLength; i++) {
                Object elem = copyNd(Array.get(arr, i));
                Array.set(newInnerArray, i, elem);
            }
            return newInnerArray;
        } else {
            return arr;//cant deep copy an opac object??
        }
    }
}