Call Static Methods Outside Classes

[Insomniac Riot]

This DNA-creation project I am making has a JMenu. The selections are:

 - File
    - New
    - Load
    - Save
    - Save As...
 - Commands
    - Insert Start
    - Insert Codon
    - Insert Stop
    (Seperate)
    - Transcribe
    - Translate
 - Help
    - DNA Help
    - Loading/Saving
    - Commands
 - Other
    - Change Theme
    - Version Number
    - Credits

In my main class, called "ConstructMenuActionListener.java", it holds all of the buttons for the JMenu and the Action Listener for each one of them. IN a different class called "JMenuMethods.java", it holds all of the button's actions called by the Action Listener inside of ConstructMenuActionListener.java. Them methods are static, but I have no idea how to call on them. Heres a quick part of my code, this deals with the "Translate" JMenuItem inside the "Commands" Tab.

		translate.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
			public void actionPerformed (ActionEvent e) {
				// This is where it is called.
				// Should I call it like this?
				// JMenuMethods.translate();
				translate();
			}
		});

And here is the "Translate" void inside the "JMenuMethods.java":

	public static void translate()
	{
		// I haven't made this yet
		// Action goes here
	}

Help would be nice.

[Fubarable]

Your first goal would be to make things compile. What happens when you try to call the method on the class, i.e.,

JMenuMethods.translate();

Does it compile? If so, then you know that you're probably on the right track.

The next issue is to consider whether those methods should be static or not. Most recommend to avoid using static methods unless there are definite reasons to do so, and not knowing more about the structure of your program, I'm not sure if you have definite reasons or not. Best of luck.

[PhHein]

The next issue is to consider whether those methods should be static or not. Most recommend to avoid using static methods unless there are definite reasons to do so, and not knowing more about the structure of your program, I'm not sure if you have definite reasons or not.

It definitely smells.

[JosAH]

It definitely smells.

To me it looks like a functional (or procedural) decomposition: collect those actions nicely in a separate utility class. I would at least have made it some sort of an ActionFactory that hands out the appropriate Action but then again, those Actions are known in advance so why have a separate class for them ...

kind regards,

Jos

[Insomniac Riot]

Thanks. I do get an error, "cannot find symbol".