Help With cannot find symbol method Error

[decon101]

Hi This is my first post so im sorry if its not in the correct format. Ive been trying to get the following code working. I keep getting an error.. cannot find symbol method add(competitor) when i try to compile. with line 62 competitors.add(runner); highligthed. I have tried changing List<String> competitors = new ArrayList<String>(); to List<Competitor> competitors = new ArrayList<Competitor>(); but this does not work and ive got myself confused! Can any one help?

public class RaceAdmin
{
   /* instance variables */
     private String competitors; // replace this example variable with your own
 
 
   /**
    * Default constructor for objects of class RaceAdmin
    */
   public RaceAdmin()
   {
      super();
      List<String> competitors = new ArrayList<String>();
   }
 
 
   /* instance methods */
 
   /**
    * A public instance method that take no argument
    * and returns no value.  Method reads from a file called
    * competitors.txt which contains pertinent information
    */
public void readInCompetitors()
   {
      String pathname = OUFileChooser.getFilename();
      File compFile = new File(pathname);
      BufferedReader bufferedFileReader = null;
      try
      {
         bufferedFileReader = new BufferedReader(new FileReader(compFile));
         String currentLine = bufferedFileReader.readLine();
         String name;
         String sex;
         Integer age;
         String ageGroup;
         Scanner lineScanner;
         Integer time;
         while (currentLine != null)
         {
            lineScanner = new Scanner(currentLine);
            lineScanner.useDelimiter(",");
            Competitor runner = new Competitor();
            runner.setName(lineScanner.next());
            runner.setSex(lineScanner.next());
            System.out.print("e");
            age = lineScanner.nextInt();
            if (age < 18)
            {
               runner.setAgeGroup("junior");
            }
            else if (age > 55)
            {
               runner.setAgeGroup("senior");
            }
            else
            {
               runner.setAgeGroup("standard");
            }
            runner.setTime(Integer.parseInt(OUDialog.request(" Enter Time for Competitor: ")));
            currentLine = bufferedFileReader.readLine();
            competitors.add(runner);
         }
      }
      catch (Exception anException)
      {
         System.out.println("An error has occur: " + anException);
      }
      finally
      {
         try
         {
            bufferedFileReader.close();
         }
         catch (Exception anException)
         {
            System.out.println("An error has occur: " + anException);
         }
      }
   }
}

[eRaaaa]

I have tried changing List<String> competitors = new ArrayList<String>(); to List<Competitor> competitors = new ArrayList<Competitor>(); but this does not work and ive got myself confused! Can any one help?

That should work, however, please note the line 4! competitors is declared as String!! Your list is only visible in your constructor, so the competitors (String) covers your list! Delete line 4 and replace it with the creation of the list!

[decon101]

Thank you!

Thats seems to have worked, i cant believe it had me stuck for so long! I've amended my code to the following.. but i get an error uses unchecked or unsafe operation, how do I recompile wint -xlint:unchecked for details?

public class RaceAdmin
{
   /* instance variables */
     private ArrayList competitors; // replace this example variable with your own
  
  
   /**
    * Default constructor for objects of class RaceAdmin
    */
   public RaceAdmin()
   {
      super();
      List<Competitor> competitors = new ArrayList<Competitor>();
   }
  
  
   /* instance methods */
  
   /**
    * A public instance method that take no argument
    * and returns no value.  Method reads from a file called
    * competitors.txt which contains pertinent information
    */
public void readInCompetitors()
   {
      String pathname = OUFileChooser.getFilename();
      File compFile = new File(pathname);
      BufferedReader bufferedFileReader = null;
      try
      {
         bufferedFileReader = new BufferedReader(new FileReader(compFile));
         String currentLine = bufferedFileReader.readLine();
         String name;
         String sex;
         Integer age;
         String ageGroup;
         Scanner lineScanner;
         Integer time;
         while (currentLine != null)
         {
            lineScanner = new Scanner(currentLine);
            lineScanner.useDelimiter(",");
            Competitor runner = new Competitor();
            runner.setName(lineScanner.next());
            runner.setSex(lineScanner.next());
            System.out.print("e");
            age = lineScanner.nextInt();
            if (age < 18)
            {
               runner.setAgeGroup("junior");
            }
            else if (age > 55)
            {
               runner.setAgeGroup("senior");
            }
            else
            {
               runner.setAgeGroup("standard");
            }
            runner.setTime(Integer.parseInt(OUDialog.request(" Enter Time for Competitor: ")));
            currentLine = bufferedFileReader.readLine();
            competitors.add(runner);
         }
      }
      catch (Exception anException)
      {
         System.out.println("An error has occur: " + anException);
      }
      finally
      {
         try
         {
            bufferedFileReader.close();
         }
         catch (Exception anException)
         {
            System.out.println("An error has occur: " + anException);
         }
      }
   }
}

[soph]

Line 4 needs to be;

private ArrayList<Competitor> competitors;

also the constructor code should be;

competitors = new ArrayList<Competitor>();