Fixing config keys

I have a plugin that uses config files to make list of objects. It is crucial that they are in the right order and that there are no skips. the list also can be of infinite size. For example. if i have a config file like this:

Code:

Apples:
   '1':
        banna: 14
        orange:76
    '5':
        banna:34
        orange:24
    '3':
        banna:23
        orange:45

How would i reliably change it to:

Code:

Apples:
   '1':
        banna: 14
        orange:76
    '2':
        banna:23
        orange:45
    '3':
        banna:34
        orange:24

 

Use a list sorter?

 

uhh whats that

 

Why not an actual list. As yaml does not guarantee the order of a map.

Code:

Apples:
  - banna: 14
    orange: 76
  - banna:  23
    orange: 45
  - banna: 34
    orange: 23

 

because there has to be an index. this is the acual config

Code:

Tickets:
  '1':
    open: false
    time: 0
  '2':
    open: true
    player: Mike111177
    message: hi
    time: 1341791945043
  '3':
    open: true
    player: Mike111177
    message: hi
    time: 1341792008548
  '4':
    open: true
    player: Mike111177
    message: hi again
    time: 1341843993440
  '5':
    open: true
    player: Mike111177
    message: hi again
    time: 1341843995140
  '6':
    open: true
    player: Mike111177
    message: hi again
    time: 1341843995990
    comments:
    - 6  lolololololol
    - 6  lolololololol
    - lolololololol
  '7':
    open: true
    player: CONSOLE
    message: hi
    time: 1341844211890
  '8':
    open: true
    player: Mike111177
    message: lollololollololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololol
    time: 1341844292890

Code:java

    public void initiate() {//This is used on startup
	Set<String> keys = config.getConfig().getConfigurationSection("Tickets").getKeys(false);//gets a list of tickets
	Ticket[] list = new Ticket[keys.size()];//makes an array to be converted to a list
	if (keys.size()!=0){//skips if there is no tickets
	    for (String indexstring : keys){
		int num = Integer.parseInt(indexstring);//gets the configured value
		Ticket ticket = new Ticket(num, config);//creates the object ticket to managment
		ticket.load();//loads the ticket from the config
		list[num - 1] = ticket;//saves it to the array
	    }
	    for (Ticket ticket : list){
		tickets.add(ticket);//converts the array to a list
	    }
	    refreshYamlOrder();//my method for reordering
	}
 
    }
    private void refreshYamlOrder(){
	config.getConfig().set("Tickets", null);//deletes all of the tickets
	    for (Ticket tickt : tickets){//resaves them
		tickt.save();
	    }
    }

This is how i reorder them but it doesnt work for when its missing one

bascily how do i remove one ticket and have all of the rest of them move down a number accordingly

EDIT by Moderator: merged posts, please use the edit button instead of double posting.

 

Why not just serialize the Ticket object?

But if it against your religion to serialize objects, you can store the total number of tickets somewhere in the configuration, then, at ticket removal, go through the entire config and update the ticket id's. But this is a pain in the ass, you better come up with a better way to store ticket data.

 

its more of a thing that i don't dont know what serializing is:/

 

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=java+serializing