Breakout paddle doesn't move

[JavaProgrammerToo]

Hi there, I'm new to java and I'm attempting to create a Breakout game (or something similar). Right now, I've succeeded in creating a ball and a paddle. However, I cannot get the paddle to move when I press the left and right arrow keys... I've posted my code so far below.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

The game class (puts together the ball and paddle classes) :

import java.applet.Applet;
import java.awt.Color;
import java.awt.Graphics;
import java.awt.Image;
import java.awt.event.KeyEvent;
import java.awt.event.KeyListener;
import java.awt.event.MouseEvent;
import java.awt.event.MouseListener;

public class game extends Applet implements Runnable, KeyListener {	
//variables
	private Image i;	
	private Graphics doubleG;
	private Thread th = new Thread(this);
	private boolean running = true;
	private int fps = 50;
	private ball ball;
	private Paddle paddle;	
//centers the paddle at the bottom of the screen
	private int x = 450;
	private int y = 950;
//setting the screen and creating the ball and paddle 
	public void init() {
		setSize(1000, 1000);
		paddle = new Paddle(x, y);
		ball = new ball();
		ball.setColor(Color.red);
	}
//starts the thread
	public void start() {
		th.start();
	}
//to end the game later
	public void endGame() {
		running = false;
	}
//The main run method that executes all of the animation in the while loop
	public void run() {
		while (running) {
			repaint();
			ball.update(this);
			if ((paddle.leftPressed) && (!paddle.rightPressed)) {
				paddle.moveLeft();
			}
			if ((paddle.rightPressed) && (!paddle.leftPressed)) {
				paddle.moveRight();
			}
			try {
				Thread.sleep(1000 / fps);
			} catch (Exception e) {
			}
		}
	}

// double buffering the image to avoid flickering
	public void update(Graphics g) {
		if (i == null) {
			i = createImage(this.getSize().width, this.getSize().height);
			doubleG = i.getGraphics();
		}
		doubleG.setColor(getBackground());
		doubleG.fillRect(0, 0, this.getSize().width, this.getSize().height);
		doubleG.setColor(getForeground());
		paint (doubleG);
		g.drawImage(i,0, 0, this);
	}

//putting the ball and paddle on the screen
	public void paint(Graphics g) {
		ball.paint(g);
		paddle.paint(g);
	}
//The key events that should make the paddle move
	public void keyPressed(KeyEvent e) {
		if (e.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_LEFT) {
			paddle.leftPressed = true;
		}
		
		if (e.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_RIGHT) {
			paddle.rightPressed = true;
		}		
	}
	public void keyReleased(KeyEvent e) {
		if (e.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_LEFT) {
			paddle.leftPressed = false;
		}		
		if (e.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_RIGHT) {
			paddle.rightPressed = false;
		}		
	}
	public void keyTyped(KeyEvent e) {			
	}	
}

The Ball class (Creates and formats a ball. Also includes the bounce logic) :

import java.awt.*;
import java.util.ArrayList;

import javax.swing.*;

import acm.util.RandomGenerator;


public class ball  {

//Variables	
//The velocity, initial x and y positions, and the velocity are all random integers	

	private RandomGenerator rgen = RandomGenerator.getInstance();
	private int radius = 20;
	private double xPos = rgen.nextInt(radius + 1, radius + 100);
	private double yPos = rgen.nextInt(radius + 1, radius + 100);

	private double angle = rgen.nextInt(0, 360);
	private double velocity = rgen.nextInt(15, 25);
	private int xSin= 1;
	private int ySin = 1;
	Color color = Color.black;
	public int numLives = 3;
	public boolean isRunning = true;

// The update method contains the logic of the ball.
//Based on the angle, velocity, and position, the x and y positions are updated.
// the if statements are to keep the ball inside the screen

	public void update(game mv) {
		
		if (xPos >= (mv.getWidth() -radius - 5)) {
			xSin = -1 * xSin; 
		}
		
		if (xPos <= 0 + radius) {
			xSin = -1 * xSin; 
		}


		if (yPos >= (mv.getHeight() - radius - 5)) {
			ySin = -1 * ySin;
		} 
		
		if (yPos <= radius) {
			ySin = -1 * ySin;
		}

		xPos += xSin * velocity * (Math.cos(angle));
		yPos += ySin * velocity * (Math.sin(angle));
	}
// To keep track of the number of lives later 	
	public void lostLife(int numLives) {
		numLives = numLives - 1;
	}

	
//paints the ball to the screen with the updated x and y positions	
	public void paint(Graphics g) {
		g.fillOval((int)xPos - radius, (int)yPos - radius, 2 * radius, 2 * radius);
		g.setColor(color);
		

	}
// getters and setters
	public void setLocation(int i, int j) {
		xPos = i;
		yPos = j;
	}

	public void setAngle(int i) {
		angle = i;
	}

	public void setSpeed(int i) {
		velocity = i;
	}
	
	public void setColor(Color colorofball) {
		color = colorofball;
	}
	
	public int getRadius() {
		return radius;
	}
	
	public void setRadius(int i) {
		radius = i;
	}
	

}

And finally, the paddle class, which creates a paddle (basically a rectangle) :

import java.awt.Color;
import java.awt.Graphics;
import java.awt.event.KeyEvent;
import java.awt.event.KeyListener;
import java.awt.*;


public class Paddle {
	public int xPosition = 0;
	public int yPosition = 0;
// dx is the distance to travel each time in pixels	
	int dx = 5;
	int minx = 0;
	int maxx = 1000;

	int width = 100;
	int height = 20; 
	public boolean leftPressed = false;
	public boolean rightPressed = false;	
// constructor
	public Paddle(int x, int y) {
		this.xPosition = x;
		this.yPosition = y;	
		
	}	
// painting the paddle to the screen
	public void paint(Graphics g) {
		g.setColor(Color.black);
		g.fillRect(xPosition, yPosition, width, height);

	}
// when the moveLeft method is called by the keyPressed method, the paddle should move to the left
	public void moveLeft() {
		if (xPosition-dx>minx) {
			xPosition -= dx;  
		} else {		  
			xPosition = minx;
		}
	}	 
	
// when the moveRight method is called by the keyPressed method, the paddle should move to the left	
	public void moveRight() {
		if (xPosition-dx>minx) {
			xPosition += dx;  
		} else {		  
			xPosition = minx;
		}
	}	    
// to set the location of the paddle manually	
	public void setLocation(int i, int j) {
		xPosition = i;
		yPosition = j;
	}

	public int getLength() {
		return width;
	}

}

Again, thank you so much for any help you provided.

JavaProgrammerToo

[SRaith]

You just forgot to add the KeyListener to your applet :).
Just add it in your init method and it should work.

[JavaProgrammerToo]

Thanks so much for your quick reply!!
So, I added it into the init() method (the new line is in bold)

public void init() {
        addKeyListener()
        setSize(1000, 1000);
        paddle = new Paddle(x, y);

        ball = new ball();
        ball.setColor(Color.red);
}

but it gives me an error:
the method addKeyListener(KeyListener) in the type Component is not applicable for the arguments().

What do I do???

JavaProgrammerToo

[Norm]

Please post the full text of the compiler's error message showing the line where the error happens.

Where is the method: addKeyListener() (called on line 2) defined?

Have you read the API doc for the class where the method is defined to see how to call it?
Have you read the tutorial on how to write a listener:
Lesson: Writing Event Listeners (The Java™ Tutorials > Creating a GUI With JFC/Swing)

[SRaith]

The addKeyListener method need a KeyListener as parameter. If you look at your game class, you implement KeyListener,
which means, you can give the addKeyListener this class as parameter.

public void init() {
        addKeyListener(this);
        setSize(1000, 1000);
        paddle = new Paddle(x, y);
 
        ball = new ball();
        ball.setColor(Color.red);
    }

[JavaProgrammerToo]

Sorry to bother again, but the paddle still doesn't move when I changed the line to addKeyListener(this). I don't understand why though.
Is there faulty logic in any of my classes that is preventing the paddle from moving?

JavaProgrammerToo

[quad64bit]

Put a System.out.println() in the move action and see if it prints anything when you hit the key. That way you'll know if your keyListener is even firing.

[DarrylBurke]

A KeyListener is only triggered for the focused component. Which in turn implies that said component be focusable.

Why, in this day and age, are you writing AWT code? Swing superseded AWT more than 10 years ago.

db

[JavaProgrammerToo]

Ok, so I tried the println statements, and it seems like both the leftPressed and rightPressed booleans are always true and are both being called each update. So, their movement is cancelled out by each other. I know now that the problem lies in the key listener. When I put println statements there, they don't seem to work. Is there any particular reason why? I've read the key Listener tutorials and tried a couple things like focus, and it still doesn't work :(

[DarrylBurke]

Just make the change to Swing and use Key Bindings already instead of hacking away at obsolete stuff.

db

[Norm]

they don't seem to work

Please explain.
Do you mean that the code with the printlns is not being executed?

[JavaProgrammerToo]

Wow... I worded that kinda weird. I meant to say that I put the println statements in the moveLeft and moveRight methods, and they were both being called every update. Then I tried putting the println statements in the keyPressed and keyReleased methods. The two methods weren't being called when I ran the program.
Sorry for the confusion...

[quad64bit]

That makes it sound like your keyPressed/released methods are never happening, which means the event isn't being caught. When you put the println in the keyPressed method, you didn't nest it in any logic did you? You put the printout on the first line of the method[s]?

[JavaProgrammerToo]

In my keyPressed and keyReleased methods, the println statement is on the first line of code, no logic whatsoever. It should work, and I can't figure out why it isn't.
Another question... why are both methods, moveLeft() and moveRight(), being called every update? I think that this is also part of the problem, but the key listener isn't working either :(

JavaProgrammerToo

[Norm]

why are both methods, moveLeft() and moveRight(), being called every update

What logic controls when those methods are called? Add some println statements to print out the values of the variables that control when they are called to see why.

What do you mean by an "update"? What event are you referring to?

Can you post the code for the current program?