# Utilities

## Collect

```
[%objects%]
[%objects% as %javatype%]
```

Creates an array containing the specified objects. Specifying a type determines the component type of the resulting array.

{% hint style="info" %}
The brackets in this syntax are literal, not representing an optional group.
{% endhint %}

## Spread

```
...%object%
```

Returns the contents of a single array, iterable, iterator, or stream.

## Array Creation

```
new %javatype%[%integer%]
```

Creates an array of the given type and size. The type may be primitive, which doesn't require an import.

{% hint style="info" %}
The brackets in this syntax are literal, not representing an optional group.
{% endhint %}

## Array Value

```
%array%[%integer%]
```

Represents the value at a certain index of an array.

This value may be read from and written to.

{% hint style="info" %}
The brackets in this syntax are literal, not representing an optional group.
{% endhint %}

## Null

```
null
```

Represents `null` in Java. This is different from Skript's `<none>`.

## Bits

```
[the] (bit %number%|bit(s| range) [from] %number%( to |[ ]-[ ])%number%) of %numbers%
%numbers%'[s] (bit %number%|1¦bit(s| range) [from] %number%( to |[ ]-[ ])%number%)
```

Represents a subset of bits from a number.

This value may be read from and written to.

## Raw Expression

```
[the] raw %objects%
```

Returns the underlying object of an expression.

{% hint style="info" %}
When used with [the expression-expression](../../advanced/custom-syntax#expression), you can set it to a value, which will change the input value from that argument. This can be used to store data in variables in the calling trigger.

```
import:
	ch.njol.skript.lang.Variable

effect put %objects% in %objects%:
	parse:
		expr-2 is an instance of Variable # to check if the second argument is a variable
		continue
	trigger:
		set raw expr-2 to expr-1
```
{% endhint %}

## Members

```
[the] (fields|methods|constructors) of %objects%
%objects%'[s] (fields|methods|constructors)
```

Returns a list of the fields, methods, or constructors of an object, including their modifiers and parameters.

If you need a list of field or method names without modifier or parameter details, see [Member Names](#member-names).

## Member Names

```
[the] (field|method) names of %objects%
%objects%'[s] (field|method) names
```

Returns a list of the fields or methods of an object.

## Is Instance

```
%objects% (is|are) [a[n]] instance[s] of %javatypes%
%objects% (is not|isn't|are not|aren't) [a[n]] instance[s] of %javatypes%
```

Checks whether objects are instances of the given java types.

## Class reference

```
%javatype%.class
```

Returns a reference to the class from the given java type. Returns an object of type `java.lang.Class`. This expression also supports primitive types, which doesn't require an import.

## Plugin instance

```
[(an|the)] instance of [the] plugin %javatype/string%
```

Returns the instance of the given plugin (either the name as a string, or the plugin class).
