Need Help showing text in JTextArea

Hi guys, I hope i'm posting this in the correct section of the forum since my problem involves swing and networking.

Basically my problem is this: I'm new to java and trying to create a very basic irc client, nothing fancy at all. I have two classes. One class creates the socket connection to the irc server, and the second class draws a basic swing interface.

I want the information that the server sends through the socket to be displayed in a JTextArea, however this is where my problem starts. No matter what i try i can not get the JTextArea to show anything at all.

I've tested the socket class to make sure it is actually conencting to the server, and it works fine. I just cant get the text the server sends back to be displayed in the text area.

Here is my socket class:

Code:

---


import java.io.*;
import java.net.*;
import java.util.*;

public class SockTest {
       
        public String chatter;
        public String chatText;
       

        public SockTest() throws java.io.IOException {
                String hostname = "efnet.xs4all.nl";
                int portnumber = 6669;
                Socket socktest = new Socket("efnet.xs4all.nl", portnumber);
                PrintStream out = new PrintStream(socktest.getOutputStream());
            BufferedReader in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(socktest.getInputStream()));
               
                out.print("user "+ "strangename" + " stranger irc : " + "Stranger");
                out.print("\n");
                out.print("nick " + "Stranger");
                out.print("\n");
               
                boolean eof = false;
                       
                        try {
                                while (!eof) {
                        String charText = in.readLine();
                        if (charText != null) {
                        chatText += charText;
                        } else {
                                eof = true;
                               
                        }
                       
                }
               
                } catch (IOException ioe) {
                       
                }
               
                }

---

And here is my very basic user interface class:

Code:

---

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


public class SwingTest extends javax.swing.JFrame implements ActionListener {
       
        JButton connect = new JButton("Connect");
        JTextArea chat = new JTextArea(15, 20);
       
    public SwingTest() {
            //set the title of the frame
            super("Chat Window");
           
            //set the size of the frame
            setSize(800, 600);
           
            //set what happens when the close button is clicked
            setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
           
            // create the scroll pane to add the text area to
            chat.setLineWrap(true);
            JScrollPane scroll = new JScrollPane(chat, ScrollPaneConstants.VERTICAL_SCROLLBAR_ALWAYS, ScrollPaneConstants.HORIZONTAL_SCROLLBAR_NEVER);
           
            //create the container panel
            JPanel jp = new JPanel();
           
            //create the layout manager and assign it to the container panel
            BoxLayout horizontal = new BoxLayout(jp, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS);
            jp.setLayout(horizontal);
           
            //add the text area and button to the container panel
            jp.add(scroll);
            jp.add(connect);
           
            //add the container panel to the frame
            add(jp);
           
            //make the frame and its contents visible
            setVisible(true);
           
            //add an event listener to the connect button
            connect.addActionListener(this);
           
    }
   
    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent event) {
                                  try {
                          SockTest mySock = new SockTest();
                    chat.append(mySock.chatText);
                  } catch (IOException ioe) {
                          chat.setText("Error " + ioe.getMessage());
                  }
   
            }
           
           
   
    public static void main(String[] arguments)  {
            //create an instance of the SwingTest class and let it do its thing
            SwingTest st = new SwingTest();
           
            }
   
   
}

---

I really would appreciate any help at all with this problem. I've been at it for days now and nothing i try works :confused:

pkwooster did some pioneering work with Sockets at the Sun forums.
He left some examples that are now in the archives.
Here are some links that may be helpful:
Taming the NIO circus

NIO Client Example

Multithreaded Server Example // w/fixes

Simple Socket Client
// compatible with:
Simple Socket Server
Socket Example using Java 5

NIO Server Example // w/update to NIOConnection class

First, declare the JPanel outside the public SwingTest() you call, then update it at the end of ActionListener by calling jp.updateUI();

This will refresh the UI with the new text...

Try to create a refresh button.
And try this code. I hope it helps.

public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent event) {
String command = event.getActionCommand();
if (command.equals("Connect")) {
try {
SockTest mySock = new SockTest();
chat.append(mySock.chatText);
} catch (IOException ioe) {
chat.setText("Error " + ioe.getMessage());
}

}
else if (command.equals("Refresh")) {
//Create your refresh here
}
}