Java/Eclipse is reading my constructor commands in wrong order

[Herjan]

Hello people,

I am new to this forum so, I hope im gonna have some fun here, learn and maybe I can help others ;)

I had a problem with my strategy game im working on...
And than I thought about something, I have worked with other (easier) programming languages and I loved to be on a forum for fun, to help others and to get help, and I typed in google "Java Forum" and registered at the first one coming up ;)

So ehm, lets explain my problem now..
So, like you have read, I am making a strategy game but I walked into a problem...

I am declaring a class in the Constructor of my JPanel and after the declaration of that class, called createLevel, I declare some instances from the class Slave...
And there the problem is, It first declares the Slaves and after that the createLevel class, and that gives some problems, because I am using some information from the createLevel class in the slave instances.

Here the broncode:

new createLevel(); // give blocks the good ID's and stuff
		
		// player get 3 slaves on start WHY DOES THIS STUPID PROGRAM/LANGUAGE declare THIS BEFORE declaring THE CREATELEVEL???????????????????????????
		slave[0] = new Slave(baseXY[0][0], baseXY[0][1], true);
		slave[1] = new Slave(baseXY[0][0], baseXY[0][1], true);
		slave[2] = new Slave(baseXY[0][0], baseXY[0][1], true);
		System.out.println(baseXY[0][0]);
		
		for(int i = 3; i < slave.length; i++){
			slave[i] = new Slave(-1, -1, false);
		}

Thanks

[DarrylBurke]

... the declaration of that class, called createLevel ...

Class names should start with an uppercase letter -> Code Conventions for the Java Programming Language: Contents

And there the problem is, It first declares the Slaves and after that the createLevel class, and that gives some problems, because I am using some information from the createLevel class in the slave instances.

Somebody else here may have a better crystal ball, but I haven't a clue where your problem might lie (or even exactly what problem you have).

To get better help sooner, post a SSCCE (Short, Self Contained, Correct (Compilable), Example) that demonstrates the problem.

db

[Norm]

It first declares the Slaves and after that the createLevel class,

How do you know the order the code is executed?

[Sierra]

I am declaring a class in the Constructor of my JPanel and after the declaration of that class, called createLevel, I declare some instances from the class Slave...
And there the problem is, It first declares the Slaves and after that the createLevel class, and that gives some problems, because I am using some information from the createLevel class in the slave instances.

I guess the problem is that you do not know the concept of object orientation that is the difference between class, object and method and declaration and reference.
I can also only guess what your problem might be - and if I am right this advice will helkp you: Do less things in the constructor and more in dedicated methods - the constructor can be tricky as it constructs the object and e.g. constructing others during that process that may reference back this one creates errors. Use a straight way of creating, initializing and then using your objects.

If you want more specific help I think you have to post the full class or at least method because nobody can work with just a code fragment.

[Herjan]

Class names should start with an uppercase letter

Thanks, I have never known that!

How do you know the order the code is executed?

I was afraid that, the baseXY variable didn't change at all so I printed everywhere (with System.out.println("Class blabla " + baseXY)) to actually see where it was going wrong, but what I noticed is that the Slave class prints got printed out BEFORE the CreateLevel class prints (I have changed it to an uppercase letter now ;)

Do less things in the constructor and more in dedicated methods - the constructor can be tricky as it constructs the object and e.g. constructing others during that process that may reference back this one creates errors. Use a straight way of creating, initializing and then using your objects.

Yeah, you are true, but I have just placed it in the constructor so you can see it in like, 10 seconds, and not have to watch through my define class where im initializing hundreds of images and bad stuff ;)

public class GamePanel extends JPanel implements Runnable {
    public GamePanel(){
		
		define();
		
		//set all baseXY to -1, means unused
		for(int x = 0; x<baseXY.length; x++){
			baseXY[x][0] = -1;
		}
		
		new CreateLevel(); // give blocks the good ID's and stuff
		
		// player get 3 slaves on start WHY DOES THIS STUPID PROGRAM/LANGUAGE initialize THIS BEFORE initializing THE CREATELEVEL???????????????????????????
		slave[0] = new Slave(baseXY[0][0], baseXY[0][1], true);
		slave[1] = new Slave(baseXY[0][0], baseXY[0][1], true);
		slave[2] = new Slave(baseXY[0][0], baseXY[0][1], true);
		
		for(int i = 3; i < slave.length; i++){
			slave[i] = new Slave(-1, -1, false);
		}
	}

public void run(){
		while(true){
			
			try{
				repaint();
				Thread.sleep(5);
			}catch(Exception e){
				System.out.println("run error!");
			}
			
		}
	}

}

There is nothing to show more :S, in the define method the only thing that is happening is initializing of some images...
But if its helpful to post the whole project I will do that, but I dont know why that should be helpful, its just initializing in the wrong order...

[Norm]

How can the posted code be compiled and executed for testing to show the problem?

[Herjan]

Aha, okey then,

Here the full project is:

Strategy.rar

Thanks for the fast reply

[Norm]

I'm not looking for the full project that has to be downloaded from a foreign site.

I am looking for a small, complete program that compiles, executes and shows the problem.

[Sierra]

its just initializing in the wrong order...

It is 99.9% NOT doing what you say here...

In the files you provided I do not see any printouts to reproduce the error... sorry. But you know that if you get an Exception, all of your code there will be skipped and you return, right?
That is most probably what happens...

EDIT: Wait, I just saw something... you don't dare, do you? You wonder why your baseXY does not change? Because you do never change it anywhere! Show me where it should be changed in CreateLevel()...?

[Herjan]

It is 99.9% NOT doing what you say here...

In the files you provided I do not see any printouts to reproduce the error... sorry. But you know that if you get an Exception, all of your code there will be skipped and you return, right?
That is most probably what happens...

EDIT: Wait, I just saw something... you don't dare, do you? You wonder why your baseXY does not change? Because you do never change it anywhere! Show me where it should be changed in CreateLevel()...?

Ofcourse I do know that exception thingy, but i have already deleted that printouts..., but if you just put two simple printouts in the classes, you will see it is first initializing the slaves.. Thanks for checking it btw

[Herjan]

Wait, I have downloaded my own files and now it's working fine... Thanks for all the help, if I have next time a problem like this Im gonna upload it to the internet and download it for myself lolz.

To be honest... :S hard to say but I failed... putting a print in the paint method instead of in the constructor... Gonna make new account where I have a better prestation without BIG fails ^^