Cannot make a static reference to the non-static method

[Reskaillev]

So I have this Japplet which represents a bunch of Jpanels. I first say to the Japplet that it has to display the first Jpanel. In this JPanel is a button which has an actionlistener connected to it. When you click on it the method ChangePanel is called from the container (the Japplet) which changes the Jpanel that is displayed (from present to future)

Here's the code:

import java.awt.Image;
import java.awt.event.MouseEvent;
import java.awt.event.MouseListener;

import javax.swing.JApplet;
import javax.swing.JPanel;


public class menu extends JApplet {

	/**
	 * 
	 */
	private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

	private JPanel[] GamePanels = {new FirstPanel(), new SecondPanel()};
	Image BackgroundImage;
	
	public static void ChangePanel(int present,int future)
	{
		remove(GamePanels[present]); [COLOR="red"]Point A[/COLOR]
		add(GamePanels[future]);  [COLOR="red"]Point B[/COLOR]
	}
	
	public void init()
	{
		this.setSize(200,300);
		this.add(GamePanels[0]);
		GamePanels[0].setVisible(true);
	}

}

So I try to run this code and it says at point A and B:

Cannot make a static reference to the non-static field GamePanels

And it gives a fast solution:

Change modifier GamePanels to static

I do this (Which I shouldn't because I actually want the Jpanel to be a instance method and not a static one)

and in return get the following error messages:

Exception in thread "AWT-EventQueue-1" java.lang.Error: Unresolved compilation problems:
Cannot make a static reference to the non-static method remove(Component) from the type JApplet
Cannot make a static reference to the non-static method add(Component) from the type Container

What am I doing wrong? Or how do I get this to work?

PS: I doubt there's anything wrong with my panels

[DarrylBurke]

And why is ChangePanel, which should be changePanel* static?

db

* Code Conventions for the Java(TM) Programming Language: Contents

[Reskaillev]

Tru that...

It's because I changed the method to static as a fast solution to the following problem:
(This is my first panel called FirstPanel.java)

import java.awt.Color;
import java.awt.Graphics;
import java.awt.Image;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import java.awt.event.KeyEvent;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.IOException;

import javax.imageio.ImageIO;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JPanel;


public class FirstPanel extends JPanel implements ActionListener {

	/**
	 * 
	 */
	private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
	
	protected JButton b1,b2;
	Image Background;
	Color color;

	public FirstPanel()
	{
	    try {                
	    Background = ImageIO.read(new File("ButtonEscape.png"));
	    } catch (IOException ex) {
	    }
		color= Color.black;
		b1 = new JButton("Change My Color!!");
		b1.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_D);
		b1.setActionCommand("ChangeColor");
		
		b2 = new JButton("DisplayNextScreen");
		b2.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_E);
		b2.setActionCommand("Next");
		
        b1.addActionListener(this);
        b2.addActionListener(this);
		
	    add(b1);
	    add(b2);
	}
	
    @Override
    public void paintComponent(Graphics g) {
    	g.setColor(color);
    	g.fillRect(0, 0, getWidth(), getHeight());
        g.drawImage(Background, getWidth()/2-Background.getWidth(this)/2, 2*getHeight()/3, null);
    }
    
	@Override
	public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
		if ("ChangeColor".equals(e.getActionCommand())) 
			{
			if (color==Color.black){
				color=Color.white;
			} else {
				color=Color.black;
			}
			repaint();
			}
		else {
			menu.changePanel(0,1); [COLOR="red"]Point A[/COLOR]
        }
		
	}

}

It says at point A the following:

Cannot make a static reference to the non-static method changePanel(int, int) from the type menu

And the fast solution is to make changePanel() a static method which I did (and thus it went static)

But now I have the above error haunting with no idea how to solve it...

[Fubarable]

You're fixing things backwards and it's coming back to bite you. The solution is not to make any methods static, but rather to call methods on objects, not on classes. Suggestions include

• Fix your Java naming (as Darryl mentions) so you don't confuse others who try to help you or grade you. Class names should begin with a capital letter and methods and variables with a lower case letter. You should do this now.
• Make changePanel a non-static method.
• Pass an instance of the applet (this within the applet itself) into your FirstPanel and SecondPanel constructors and have these classes store that instance in a Menu variable. This way these classes can call non-static methods on the Main object.
• Use a CardLayout to do the JPanel swapping for you. The tutorials will show you how to do this.

[Reskaillev]

Your fixing things backwards and it's coming back to bite you. The solution is not to make any methods static, but rather to call methods on objects, not on classes. Suggestions include

• Fix your Java naming (as Darryl mentions) so you don't confuse others who try to help you or grade you. Class names should begin with a capital letter and methods and variables with a lower case letter. You should do this now.
• Make changePanel a non-static method.
• Pass an instance of the applet (this within the applet itself) into your FirstPanel and SecondPanel constructors and have these classes store that instance in a Menu variable. This way these classes can call non-static methods on the Main object.
• Use a CardLayout to do the JPanel swapping for you. The tutorials will show you how to do this.

thnx a lot fuba and db! it works properly now I will read about the Cardlayout tomorrow its rather late now though