import java.util.*; class ArrayListExample { String boat_name; /** * create an arraylist **/ static ArrayList AL = new ArrayList(); String[] boat_string_array; void addBoats(String boat_name) { this.boat_name = boat_name; // Add boats names (String) to the Array List AL.add(boat_name); } void getArrayListValues() { //Get the vlaue of the arraylist System.out.println(AL); } // You can convert the ArrayList to a regular StringArray like this.. String[] convertToStringArray(ArrayList AL) { this.AL = AL; boat_string_array = (String[]) AL.toArray(new String[AL.size()]); for(int i = 0; i < boat_string_array.length; i++) System.out.println("Boat Name: " + boat_string_array[i]); return boat_string_array; } public static void main(String args[]) { ArrayListExample ALE = new ArrayListExample(); ALE.addBoats("Mary Celest"); ALE.addBoats("QE2"); ALE.addBoats("Black Perl"); ALE.addBoats("Titanic"); ALE.getArrayListValues(); ALE.convertToStringArray(AL); } }