Question

Error message: local variable is access from within inner class

Asked by: shogun5

Hello Experts,
I am trying to make a simple flashcard java program for my Kids to review school vocbulary. I am new to Java and am stuck with the error message noted in the title.

Please see code included. I am trying to read from a questions.txt file and populate an array with the questions in the .txt file. I think I got that working fine. The concern I have is how to get the array values to display on a jtextfield or jlabel when mybutton is pressed.

Any ideas. Not sure how to get the inner class to recognized the values in the array. I am writing this for their upcoming quiz so need this soon.

import java.util.Scanner;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
 
public class QuizGUI3000 extends JFrame {
  // Declare components as instance variables
  private JTextField myText = new JTextField("The answer will display here.");
  private JButton myButton = new JButton("Next Question >>");
  private JLabel labelWithText = new JLabel("The question displays here.");
  
  //Constructor
  public QuizGUI3000() {
    
        //System.out.print ("Enter file name: ");    
        //Scanner keyboard = new Scanner (System.in);
    
        String[] ques = new String[10];
        String[] ans = new String[10];
        int cnt = 0;
       
        String fileName = "questions.txt";        
        Scanner inputStream = null;
 
        try
        {
            inputStream = new Scanner (new File (fileName));
        }
        catch (FileNotFoundException e)
        {
            System.out.println ("Error opening the file " + fileName );
                    System.exit (0);
        }
        while (inputStream.hasNextLine ())
        {
           String line = inputStream.nextLine ();
           ques[cnt] = line;
           cnt++;
        }
        inputStream.close ();
 
        // Set up the frame
        setLayout(new GridLayout(2,2,5,5));
        add(myText);
        add(myButton);
        add(labelWithText);
        
        // Add an event handler
        myButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
          public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
          labelWithText.setText(ques[0]);
      }
    });
    }
  
 
    public static void main (String [] args)
    {
      QuizGUI3000 myFrame = new QuizGUI3000();
      myFrame.setVisible(true);
      myFrame.setTitle("Quiz GUI 3000");
      myFrame.setSize(500, 150);
        
    }
}

                                  
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Asked On
2009-05-21 at 21:25:54ID24429999
Topic

New to Java Programming

Participating Experts
3
Points
500
Comments
13

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Answers

 

by: objectsPosted on 2009-05-21 at 22:10:44ID: 24447879

make ques a member var

  private JLabel labelWithText = new JLabel("The question displays here.");
  private String[] ques = new String[10];
   ...

 

by: ksivananthPosted on 2009-05-21 at 23:09:11ID: 24448057

if you feel, the ques variable not usable outside the method, decalre it as final and then you will be able to access it inner class.

final String[] ques = new String[10];

 

by: HylkeVdSPosted on 2009-05-22 at 01:17:11ID: 24448738

It's better to have the ActionListener inner class call a method on QuizGUI3000 that performs the actual logic. That way the inner class does not need to access any variables of QuizGUI3000.

 

by: shogun5Posted on 2009-05-22 at 03:37:42ID: 24449362

HylkeVdS,

Can you give me an example of this?

 

by: HylkeVdSPosted on 2009-05-22 at 04:00:15ID: 24449485

sure.

 

by: HylkeVdSPosted on 2009-05-22 at 04:00:55ID: 24449488


import java.util.Scanner;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
 
public class QuizGUI3000 extends JFrame {
  // Declare components as instance variables
  private JTextField myText = new JTextField("The answer will display here.");
  private JButton myButton = new JButton("Next Question >>");
  private JLabel labelWithText = new JLabel("The question displays here.");
  
  //Constructor
  public QuizGUI3000() {
    
        //System.out.print ("Enter file name: ");    
        //Scanner keyboard = new Scanner (System.in);
    
        String[] ques = new String[10];
        String[] ans = new String[10];
        int cnt = 0;
        int pointer = 0;
       
        String fileName = "questions.txt";        
        Scanner inputStream = null;
 
        try
        {
            inputStream = new Scanner (new File (fileName));
        }
        catch (FileNotFoundException e)
        {
            System.out.println ("Error opening the file " + fileName );
                    System.exit (0);
        }
        while (inputStream.hasNextLine ())
        {
           String line = inputStream.nextLine ();
           ques[cnt] = line;
           cnt++;
        }
        inputStream.close ();
 
        public void showNextQuestion() {
                labelWithText.setText(ques[pointer]);
                pointer++;
        }
        
        // Set up the frame
        setLayout(new GridLayout(2,2,5,5));
        add(myText);
        add(myButton);
        add(labelWithText);
        
        // Add an event handler
        myButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
          public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
          showNextQuestion();
      }
    });
    }
  
 
    public static void main (String [] args)
    {
      QuizGUI3000 myFrame = new QuizGUI3000();
      myFrame.setVisible(true);
      myFrame.setTitle("Quiz GUI 3000");
      myFrame.setSize(500, 150);
        
    }
}
                                              
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by: ksivananthPosted on 2009-05-22 at 04:11:14ID: 24449564

that won't work, you can't have a method within a method unless it is sorrounded with a inner class.

 

by: shogun5Posted on 2009-05-22 at 04:18:49ID: 24449609

HylkeVdS:

I get the error "illegal start of expression" with the following line highlighted:

        public void showNextQuestion() {

 

by: ksivananthPosted on 2009-05-22 at 04:20:08ID: 24449622

>>I get the error "illegal start of expression" with the following line highlighted:

I told you that it won't work. whats the problem making it final for you?

 

by: shogun5Posted on 2009-05-22 at 04:27:26ID: 24449674

ksivananth,

Final does work. Thank you. I do have one follow up question.

How do I create a variable in the action listener that will increment each time the button is pressed. This way a new question will post with each subsequent press of the myButton.

Thanks!

// Add an event handler
        myButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
          public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
          labelWithText.setText(ques[0]);

                                              
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by: ksivananthPosted on 2009-05-22 at 04:43:19ID: 24449753

>>How do I create a variable in the action listener that will increment each time the button is pressed

myButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
          int count ;
          public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
               count++ ;

and you have to make sure, it doesn't exceed the max index of array!

 

by: shogun5Posted on 2009-05-22 at 04:50:22ID: 24449796

ksivananth,

Yes, great! Works like a charm. Thanks!

 

by: HylkeVdSPosted on 2009-05-22 at 05:17:07ID: 24450002

Ah, of course, that method shouldn' be in the constructor but in the class itself.
I should've done that in a code editor :)

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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