Child-Class Calling a Method in a Parent-Class

[Blah_]

Is there anyway when a class creates another class, that the class it has made (The Child-class) can call a method in the class that made it, e.g:

I have a class called Parent, it creates a class called Child. I want Child-class Child, to call the method ThisMethod that belongs to the Parent-class Parent.

I've tried methods like extending the class and using super but it seems to create the parent class again and I lose all my varibles. So is there and simple way just to call a method in the parent class I'm missing here?

If you don't understand what I mean, I can write up some example code to clarify it more.

,Thanks

[masijade]

Pass the "child" an instance of the "parent" in the constructor

// test/Parent.java
package test;

public class Parent {
  public void printA() { System.out.println("a"); }
  public Child createChild() { return new Child(this); }
}

// test/Child.java
package test;

public class Child {
  private final Parent parent;
  Child(Parent parent) { this.parent = parent; }
  public void printParent() { parent.printA(); }
}

// test/Test.java
package test;

public class Test {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Parent p = new Parent();
        Child c = p.createChild();
        c.printParent();
    }
}

[Blah_]

Thanks, this looks to be very helpful, will try it out.
Also thanks for the speedy resounce.

[Blah_]

Sorry this did not seem to work for what I wanted, heres a code example of what I want to happen:

// test/Test.java
package test;

public class Test {
  
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Parent p = new Parent();
        p.start();
    }
    
}

// test/Parent.java
package test;

public class Parent extends Thread{
  
  public int CHILD_CLASS = 50;
  Child[] c = new Child[CHILD_CLASS];
  
  public void run() {
    int i = 0;
    while (CHILD_CLASS > i)
    {
      c[i] = new Child();
      c[i].start();
      i++;
    }
  }
  
  public void cMessage(int num){
    System.out.println(num);
  }
  
}

// test/Child.java
package test;

public class Child extends Thread{
  
  public void run() {
    //Use the parent method cMessage() to send a number back
  }
  
}

Forgot to mention I was using threads before, not sure if it was too important in the end result.


EDIT

I seem to of found a solution after all using the idea behind the code from masijade

  private final Parent parent;
  
  Child(Parent parent) { 
    this.parent = parent; 
  }

being put into the child class and

c[i] = new Child(this);

being put in the parent class when the child is created using the above constructor.

I can then call a method in the class parent from child using

parent.cMessage(23);

For anyone wondering my solution.

[masijade]

I'm sorry, but that is what you were meant to do. The code posted was just an example, not meant to be a simple cut-n-paste solution.

[Blah_]

Sorry, was not too sure at first. as the example had the main thread create both objects. Still thanks alot for the help.