Repaint fails when using threads

[rjevans2000]

Hi, I'm trying to get to grips with threads and am creating a test application that carries out several tasks simultaneously. My problem is that when using a thread, the repaint() method doesn't seem to update the panel that I would expect it to. Below is the fragment of code in question:

class ColourPanel extends JPanel implements Runnable {

public void run() {
try {
for (int i=0;i<100000;i++) {

randomNumber = Math.random();
if ((randomNumber >= 0) && (randomNumber < 0.25))
setBackground(Color.RED);
if ((randomNumber >= 0.25) && (randomNumber < 0.5))
setBackground(Color.BLUE);
if ((randomNumber >= 0.5) && (randomNumber < 0.75))
setBackground(Color.MAGENTA);
if ((randomNumber >= 0.75) && (randomNumber <= 1))
setBackground(Color.ORANGE);

repaint();
setVisible(true);
Thread.sleep(200);
}
}
catch (InterruptedException e) {
}
}

public ColourPanel() {

setLayout(new BorderLayout());

colourButton = new JButton("Change Background");
add(colourButton, BorderLayout.SOUTH);

colourButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent evt) {

Runnable q = new ColourPanel();
Thread s = new Thread(q);
s.start();

}
});
}

private JButton colourButton;
private double randomNumber;

}

I would expect the repaint() method to update the panel with the new background colour. However, this does not work and I can't see why. I have tried calling getParent().repaint() and getRootPane().repaint() but these also don't work. Am I barking up the wrong tree? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Bojevnik]

instead of
Runnable q = new ColourPanel();
Thread s = new Thread(q);

try
Thread s = new Thread(this);

(im not 100% on this).

[rjevans2000]

Thread s = new Thread(this) fails to compile with the following error message:

symbol : constructor Thread(<anonymous java.awt.event.ActionListener>)
location: class java.lang.Thread
Thread s = new Thread(this);

Any ideas?

[hardwired]

Code:

Runnable q = new ColourPanelRx();
Thread s = new Thread(q);
s.start();

This is okay to do but it creates and starts up a new instance, not this enclosing class, but another that doesn't do anything because it isn't shown in a gui. To do this with the enclosing class you can build some state (member variables: thread and animate) and some methods to make things happen (start and stop).
To check this idea out, ie, "a new instance not getting shown", you could see what happens with this:

Code:

Runnable q = new ColourPanelRx();
Thread s = new Thread(q);
s.start();
// JPanel default size is 10,10.
((JComponent)q).setPreferredSize(new Dimension(100,100));
JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, q, "separate instance", -1);

Code:

import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;

public class ColourPanelRx extends JPanel implements Runnable {
    Thread thread;
    boolean animate = false;

    public void run() {
        try {
            for (int i=0;i<100000;i++) {
                randomNumber = Math.random();
                if ((randomNumber >= 0) && (randomNumber < 0.25))
                    setBackground(Color.RED);
                if ((randomNumber >= 0.25) && (randomNumber < 0.5))
                    setBackground(Color.BLUE);
                if ((randomNumber >= 0.5) && (randomNumber < 0.75))
                    setBackground(Color.MAGENTA);
                if ((randomNumber >= 0.75) && (randomNumber <= 1))
                    setBackground(Color.ORANGE);
                repaint();
//                setVisible(true);
                Thread.sleep(1000);
                if(!animate) break;
            }
        } catch (InterruptedException e) {
            stop();
        }
    }

    private void start() {
        if(!animate) {
            animate = true;
            thread = new Thread(this);
            thread.setPriority(Thread.NORM_PRIORITY);
            thread.start();
        }
    }

    private void stop() {
        animate = false;
        if(thread != null)
            thread.interrupt();
        thread = null;
    }

    public ColourPanelRx() {
        setLayout(new BorderLayout());

        colourButton = new JButton("Change Background");
        add(colourButton, BorderLayout.SOUTH);

        colourButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent evt) {
                System.out.printf("this = %s%nthis.enclosingClass = %s%n",
                                   this.getClass().getName(),
                                   this.getClass().getEnclosingClass().getName());
//                Runnable q = new ColourPanelRx();
//                Thread s = new Thread(q);
//                s.start();
                start();
            }
        });
    }

    private JButton colourButton;
    private double randomNumber;

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        JFrame f = new JFrame();
        f.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        f.getContentPane().add(new ColourPanelRx());
        f.setSize(400,400);
        f.setLocation(200,200);
        f.setVisible(true);
    }
}