Code not executing (stack implementation)

[mafro]

Hey I'm new to java and for an assignment I'm to implement a stack using arrays and a GUI.

Basically the problem I'm facing is when I press a button, a particular line of code isn't executing. The line of code is 'suppose' to take the elements at the top of the stack, and add them together (as shown below).

result = ((stack.getElementAt(0)) + (stack.getElementAt(1)));

This code is located within a JButton event, and result is a class level integer variable (as shown below).

private int result = 0;

and here is the getElementAt code (located in the Stack class):

public int getElementAt(int n) {
    return stack[n];
}

if(stack.getStackSize() >= 2) {
    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "it works!", "Attention", JOptionPane.INFORMATION_MESSAGE);
    result = ((stack.getElementAt(0)) + (stack.getElementAt(1)));
    Display.setText(Integer.toString(result));
}

It most likely has a really simple solution but atm I have no idea on why this isn't working.

Thanks for any help/tips/guidance.

[Norm]

a particular line of code isn't executing.

Is the line of code inside of a if statement that is not true?
There is no way to say what the problem is with the information you have given.

Add lots of println statements to the code to show where it is executing and to show the values of all the variables used. The print out will show you what the code sees and where it is executing.

[mafro]

Is the line of code inside of a if statement that is not true?
There is no way to say what the problem is with the information you have given.

Add lots of println statements to the code to show where it is executing and to show the values of all the variables used. The print out will show you what the code sees and where it is executing.

It is, but the other code within the if is executing. I know this because i used a joptionpane to test whether it was actually reaching the code within the if statement. It appears that any line of code after the joptionpane code isn't functioning so using print statements won't work (i have tried this already).

Here's the if statement code:

 if(stack.getStackSize() >= 2) {
    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "it works!", "Attention", JOptionPane.INFORMATION_MESSAGE);
    result = ((stack.getElementAt(0)) + (stack.getElementAt(1)));
    Display.setText(Integer.toString(result));
}

[Norm]

Can you post the code you are talking about? Show which lines are executed and which lines are skipped by adding a comment where the execution stops.

Using println statements are better than joptionpane because you can copy and paste the print out to show what is happening.

[mafro]

Can you post the code you are talking about? Show which lines are executed and which lines are skipped by adding a comment where the execution stops.

Using println statements are better than joptionpane because you can copy and paste the print out to show what is happening.

if(stack.getStackSize() >= 2) {
System.out.println("Stack[0] = " + Integer.toString(stack.getElementAt(0)) + ". " + "Stack[1] = " + Integer.toString(stack.getElementAt(1)));
result = ((stack.getElementAt(0)) + (stack.getElementAt(1)));
Display.setText(Integer.toString(result));
}

The compiler would enter the if statement, execute the joptionpane which then signifies that the if statement is true, and then nothing else would be executed.

So I replaced the joptionpane code (which was being executed) with a print statement which is not being executed. I'm now starting to think that my Stack.getElementAt method is broken... which is leading to any code containing or following the code with the getElementAt method to be excluded from execution.

[Norm]

excluded from execution.

That happens when an exception is thrown.
Do you have a try/catch block surrounding the code?
Does the catch block ignore any exceptions? Be sure to call printStackTrace() in the catch block.