Invoke method in another source file?

Yes....I didn't mean the code to represent my code verbatim. My forms load fine, it's just when I'm in the second form and want to close it and show the first form again, I get the symbol not found error in the statement mainFrame.setVisible(true);

I have made it work by just creating another instance of MainFrame and then showing it, but I don't want to create a new instance each time, I just want to hide it while the second form is loaded and then show it again when the second form is closed.

*remember, each form is in a seperate source file, the first being MainFrame.java and the second being NewEstimate.java

*this really is just one specific problem I'm having, but really it's causing me all kinds of problems; I can't invoke methods in the other source file, evaluate variables etc. I'm hoping that all these problems are linked to one setting.

Anyway, my project is stalled right now because of this so please help! It's unbelievable that I can't find any tutorials on programs with 2 or more forms having each form in a seperate java file? Is my design the problem here? Should my entire program be in one single .java file? In C++ you just had to reference the other header file to invoke functions or methods, is that what I need to do here? what is the java way of doing this?

Thanks

Mike

mikenaa at 2007-7-16 13:10:34 >

Actually, I spoke to soon, exceptions are being thrown even though the program appears to run fine.

I'm starting to wonder if Java is a poor choice for programs with multiple frames, I can't seem to find any documentation on this and every forum I post to acts like they have no idea what I'm trying to do. Is this where my problem is? Is java a poor choice for software other than web apps?

mikenaa at 2007-7-16 13:10:34 >

Thanks for your reply. Here is a test case that resembles what I'm trying to do. Note that I don't want to dipose of Frame1, (my reason is that I only want to initialize it 1 time (when the program is started), so I only want to hide it when it calls Frame2. Then when the user clicks the button on Frame2, dispose of Frame2 and show Frame1 again. The specific error I'm getting in Frame2.java is in the line frame1.setVisible(true) and is frame1 symbol cannot be resolved. That is my MAIN problem (main priority at this point) but I am also having a problem evaluating or referncing variables in Frame1.java from Frame2.java; I'm assuming though that the problems are related.

Frame1.java

******************************************************************************

package thepackage;

import javax.swing.JPanel;

import javax.swing.JButton;

import javax.swing.JFrame;

import javax.swing.*;

public class Frame1 extends JFrame {

private JPanel jContentPane = null;

private JButton jButton = null;

public String name = "Bill"; //This is the variable I need to evaluate in

frame2

public Frame1() {

super();

initialize();

}

private void initialize() {

this.setSize(new java.awt.Dimension(300,200));

this.setSize(300, 200);

this.setContentPane(getJContentPane());

this.setTitle("Frame1");

}

public static void main(String[] args) {

Frame1 frame1 = new Frame1();

frame1.setVisible(true);

}

private JPanel getJContentPane() {

if (jContentPane == null) {

jContentPane = new JPanel();

jContentPane.setLayout(null);

jContentPane.add(getJButton(), null);

}

return jContentPane;

}

private JButton getJButton() {

if (jButton == null) {

jButton = new JButton();

jButton.setBounds(new java.awt.Rectangle(58,132,182,26));

jButton.addActionListener(new java.awt.event.ActionListener() {

public void actionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent e) {

Frame1.this.setVisible(false);

Frame2 frame2 = new Frame2();

frame2.setVisible(true);

}

});

}

return jButton;

}

}

Frame2.java

**********************************************************************************

package thepackage;

import javax.swing.JButton;

import javax.swing.JFrame;

import javax.swing.JPanel;

import javax.swing.JLabel;

public class Frame2 extends JFrame {

private JPanel jContentPane = null;

private JButton jButton = null;

private JLabel jLabel = null;

public Frame2() {

super();

initialize();

showFrame(); //set the label text to the string in variable "name"

}

private void initialize() {

this.setSize(300, 200);

this.setContentPane(getJContentPane());

this.setTitle("Frame2");

}

private JPanel getJContentPane() {

if (jContentPane == null) {

jLabel = new JLabel();

jLabel.setBounds(new java.awt.Rectangle(53,40,131,16));

jLabel.setText("");

jContentPane = new JPanel();

jContentPane.setLayout(null);

jContentPane.add(getJButton(), null);

jContentPane.add(jLabel, null);

}

return jContentPane;

}

private JButton getJButton() {

if (jButton == null) {

jButton = new JButton();

jButton.setBounds(new java.awt.Rectangle(49,117,136,35));

jButton.addActionListener(new java.awt.event.ActionListener() {

public void actionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent e) {

frame1.setVisible(true);

dispose();

}

});

}

return jButton;

}

private void showName(){

jLabel.setText(name); -> gives error Component.name is not

visible

}

}

mikenaa at 2007-7-16 13:10:34 >

here's an off the wall implementation to think about!

import javax.swing.*;

import java.awt.event.*;

public class FrameManager {

JFrame[] frames;//not used yet

//MyHandler handler; not used yet

JFrame frame1;

JFrame frame2;

public FrameManager() {

init();

}

private void init(){

frame1 = getFrameOne();

frame2 = getFrameTwo();

frame1.setVisible(true);

}

private JFrame getFrameOne(){

JFrame frame = new JFrame();

frame.setSize(new java.awt.Dimension(300,200));

frame.setSize(300, 200);

frame.setTitle("Frame1");

frame.getContentPane().setLayout(null);

JButton button = new JButton(getButtonOneAction());

button.setBounds(new java.awt.Rectangle(58,132,182,26));

frame.getContentPane().add(button);

frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);

return frame;

}

private Action getButtonOneAction(){

Action a = new AbstractAction(){

public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae){

if(frame1!=null)

frame1.setVisible(false);

if(frame2!=null)

frame2.setVisible(true);

}

};

return a;

}

private JFrame getFrameTwo(){

JFrame frame = new JFrame();

frame.setSize(new java.awt.Dimension(300,200));

frame.setSize(300, 200);

frame.setTitle("Frame2");

frame.getContentPane().setLayout(null);

JButton button = new JButton(getButtonTwoAction());

button.setBounds(new java.awt.Rectangle(53,40,131,16));

frame.getContentPane().add(button);

frame.getContentPane().add(new JLabel(""));

frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);

return frame;

}

private Action getButtonTwoAction(){

Action a = new AbstractAction(){

public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae){

if(frame2!=null)

frame2.setVisible(false);

if(frame1!=null)

frame1.setVisible(true);

}

};

return a;

}

public static void main(String[] args) {

new FrameManager();

}

}

walken16a at 2007-7-16 13:10:34 >

> Thanks for your reply....I like the idea you have

> given me but I don't know if it's quite whan I

> need....

>

> Each of my frames are in their own .java file, this

> is just a simple example, the code that creates the

> actual frames are a few hundred lines long, thus

> putting them in their own file.

>

> If I am interpreting your example correctly, I would

> put all of the frame instaniating code form both

> frames in ONE .javafile/class?

no, not necessarily, i just wanted to make a point.

some folks automatically always extend JFrame.

just wanted to show another point of view.

that wasn't really even the point.

the point was that you could have a handler class.

you can still use your two frame classes, just invoke your

application through the frame manager class which could

have references to all of your frames. these references could

be in an array or collection.

in this manager class, you could create the instances of your frames

Frame1 f1 = new Frame1();

with yoru existing classes.

you could also have a handler class that takes all processing away from you "presentation layer"

that's what the stuff was at the top that said "not used yet"

there are so many options and some of them don't involve

putting all your listeners and handling all your events in the gui presentation layer

the gui shouldn't have to know anything about what goes on in the processing.

walker

walken16a at 2007-7-16 13:10:34 >

in other words

you could have a manager class that starts the application and manages the frames. this class would know how many frames you have and whether they were visible

the manager class could create a handler class that would handle all the events.

the manager class would create the frames and you could either call a method in the handler class that returns an Action or Listener

or

you could use addActionListener method and send the handler as a param.

when i want to separate my listeners (multiple listeners) then i sometime use the first method

then the handler knows about the frames through the manager maybe,

but the frame is stupid and doesn't have to worry about anything else but presenting a UI to the user.

walken

walken16a at 2007-7-16 13:10:34 >

I just don't "get" it. I'm not disagreeing with you or discrediting your solution but I just don't understand why all that is necessary just to show a hidden frame, which essentially is all I'm trying to do here. I like the idea of a frame manager class but I just have two frames, one of which, frame2 I can create a new instance each time and dipose of it when I'm done. With frame1 I just want 1 instance of so I'll hide it when working with frame2 and show it when frame2 is done doing it's job. Perhaps I'm going about it all wrong, I don't necessarily need frame1 to be hidden; I just don't want the user to be able to work on frame1 while frame2 is open but I would PREFER frame1 to be hidden so there will be less frames open on the screen. To sum it up, if there's not a much simpler way to achieve this effect then I'll just be stuck with living frame1 visible all the time.

Thanks again

mikenaa at 2007-7-20 18:49:49 >

Yes...I really appreciate you explaining the options; that means a lot to me. I always like to hear everybody's opinion/explanation on a solution.

But what you said about referencing.... how do that? I think that's what I'm looking for? How do I reference frame1 in frame2 so I can just set frame1 visible from within frame2?

Thanks

mikenaa at 2007-7-20 18:49:49 >

Ah man, if you only knew how good it feels to finally get this working. Thank you very much - that was exactly what I was trying to achieve.

If you don't mind though, and explanation on the constructor you made would be great; mainly the lines

public Frame2(Frame1 frame1)

this.frame1=frame1;

....those are the two lines that I don't really understand what is happening exactly

public Frame2(Frame1 frame1) {

super();

this.frame1 = frame1;

initialize();

}

mikenaa at 2007-7-20 18:49:49 >