explodeString.java

private static String[] explodeString(String input, char[] delimiters) { //this HAS to be an array, I think. I have no idea how one would pass an unknown number of arguments INTO a method call
        if (input.length() <= 0) {
            return new String[0]; //because we are not interested in empty Strings between two delimiters, are we?
        } else if (delimiters.length <= 0) {
            return new String[]{input};
        }

        int delimPointer = -1;
        List<Character> nextDelims = new ArrayList();
        for (char d : delimiters) {
            if (delimPointer >= 0) { //after first valid delimiter has been found
                nextDelims.add(d); //just pass the delimiter to the next iteration
            } else { //before first valid delimiter has been found
                for (int i = 0; i < input.length(); i++) { //todo go from middle to edges instead of reading from left to right (or read from right to left
                    if (input.charAt(i) == d) {
                        while (input.charAt(input.length() - 1) == d) {
                            input = input.substring(0, input.length() - 1);// remove trailing delimiters
                        }
                        while (input.charAt(0) == d) {
                            input = input.substring(1, input.length());// remove leading delimiters
                            i--; //to keep the pointer pointed at the same character
                        }
                        if (input.length() <= 0) {
                            return new String[0]; //because we are not interested in empty Strings between two delimiters, are we?
                        }
                        if (i < 0 || i >= input.length()) { // if this instance of this delimiter has been removed as a result of removing the trailing or leading delimiters
                            i = 0; //start the for-loop over from the new beginning of input
                        } else { //this instance of the delimiter is guaranteedly not the first or the last character in input
                            delimPointer = i; // pick the position of this delimiter as the splitting point for recursion 
                            nextDelims.add(d); //the delimiter can be possibly found again, so pass it on to the next iteration
                            break;
                        }
                    }
                    //if this line is reached, this delimiter has not been found thus far, except perhaps leading or trailing, so don't pass it on to the next generation
                }
            }
        }
        if (delimPointer < 0) { //none of the delimiters were found in input except perhaps leading or trailing
            return new String[]{input};
        } else {
            char[] nextDelimsAsArray = new char[nextDelims.size()];
            for (int i = 0; i < nextDelims.size(); i++) {
                nextDelimsAsArray[i] = nextDelims.get(i);
            }
            //todo split the input on delimpointer
            //todo recursively call this method and merge the results
            //keep in mind that the return values can be String arrays of any size, even 0
        }
        
        return null;//TODO so the IDE will shut up
    }