java - How to store object inside Iterator<object>? -

so have variable string , want store inside iterator of type string, keep getting error stating incompatible types. how can store string variable inside iterator?

incompatible types: required: java.util.iterator <java.lang.string> found: java.lang.string 

this i've done far:

iterator<?> perentry = entries.iterator(); iterator<string> ids; while (perentry.hasnext()) {     ids = perentry.next().getid(); } 

any appreciated thank you!

p.s. forgot include this, how return iterator? error stating found java.util.objecttype, , requires java.util.iterator.

you misunderstood iterators. iterator not equivalent object in collection being iterated. instead, acts "pointer" such object.

if have iterator<entity>, can entity out of calling next(). however, iterator remain iterator on entity. cannot converted iterator of string.

however, can harvest strings iterator collection, this:

list<string> idlist = new arraylist<>(); while (perentry.hasnext()) {     idlist.add(perentry.next().getid()); } 

once have idlist list filled data, can iterator. iterator<string>, because idlist element of type string:

iterator<string> ids = idlist.iterator();