object not visible

[jim01]

I have to create a class named stock that contains the following:

- A string data field named symbol for a stock's stock symbol.

- A string data field named name for a stock's name.

- A double data field named previousClosingPrice that stores the stock price for the previous day.

- A double data field named currentPrice that stores the stock price for the current time.

- A constructor that creates a stock with specified symbol and name.

A method named getChangePercent() that returns the percentage changed from previousClosingPrice to currentPrice.

This is what I have come up with:

package Stock;

public class Stock {
	//declare variables
	private String symbol;
        private String name;
	private double previousClosingPrice;
	private double currentPrice;
	
	//Construct a two-arg constructor
	Stock(String newSymbol, String newName){
		symbol = newSymbol;
		name = newName;				
	}
	//invoke a getter method to return the stock price percentage change
	double getChangePercent(double previousClosingPrice, double currentPrice){
		//perform logic functions to find percentage of stock change
		if (currentPrice >= previousClosingPrice){
			double percentChanged = currentPrice / previousClosingPrice;
			return percentChanged;
		}
		else {
			double percentChanged = previousClosingPrice / currentPrice; 
			return percentChanged;
		}			
	}	
}

I then have to write a test program that creates a Stock object with a stock symbol Java, the name Sun Microsystems Inc, the previous closing price set to 4.5 and a new current price of4.35. Then I have to display the percentage change.

This is what I have come up with:

package Stock;

public class TestStock {
	//invoke main method
	public static void main(String [] args){
	Stock stock1 = new Stock ("Java", "Sun Microsystems Inc");
	System.out.println("The stock symbol of " + stock1.name + " is " +   stock1.symbol + " and the stock has 
had a " + stock1.getChangePercent(4.5, 4.35)+ " % change since yesterday's " + "closing price");		        
	}
}

The problem is that I get these two error messages:

"The field stock.name is not visible" and
The field stock.symbol is not visible."

I am assuming that they are not visible due to the private access control modifer. However, that didn't fix the problem.

I would appreciate it if someone could tell me what I am doing wrong.

Please excuse the poor formatting. It does not appear that way in eclipse.

[Junky]

Yes you cannot access the instance variables outside the class if they are declared private. What people usually do is provide getter methods that simply return the value of the variable.

Also, I doubt the getChangePercentage method is supposed to accept two values passed in as parameters. Otherwise what is the point of storing them in instance variables? You might want to get clarification but you probably want setter methods for them. Then the getChangePercentage method will perform the calculation of the values stored in the instance variables and not use parameters.

[sunde887]

You can't access private instance variables from another class directly as you have. You must provide getters to view them, and setters to change them. You should also do either of the following, create a constructor which takes previous price and current price as well, or create setters which you use to set the values. Then the getpercentChange should look like this

public double getPercentChange(){
  if(condition){
    return previous/current;
  }
  return current/previous;
}

Then you would have one getter for each item you want to view.

public String getName(){
  return name;
}

and similar methods for each additional instance variable. Then use the methods instead of accessing variables directly.

[jim01]

Yes you cannot access the instance variables outside the class if they are declared private. What people usually do is provide getter methods that simply return the value of the variable.

Also, I doubt the getChangePercentage method is supposed to accept two values passed in as parameters. Otherwise what is the point of storing them in instance variables? You might want to get clarification but you probably want setter methods for them. Then the getChangePercentage method will perform the calculation of the values stored in the instance variables and not use parameters.

Ok. Thank you for pointing me in the right direction.

Improving the world one idiot at a time!

Hey, I resemble that remark! :)

[jim01]

Thank you for your help.