Error - creating an instance of an inner class

[Zarah]

package Threads;

// THIS PROGRAM WILL HAVE TWO THREADS i.e. "main" AND ANOTHER THREAD (SYSTEM WILL NAME IT "Thread-0"
//THE STORY IS THAT WE WILL START Thread-0 FROM main AND LET IT EXECUTE.
//main WILL WAIT AND LET IT EXECUTE FOR 5 MINUTES.
//IF IT FINISHES ITS EXECUTION BEFORE 5 MINUTES, WELL AND GOOD;
//BUT IF IT DOESN'T, WE WILL INTERRUPT IT.
//AFTER INTERRUPTION, WE WILL DECIDE TO WAIT INDEFINITELY.

public class SimpleThreadsCopy {
	public static void threadMessage(String s){
		String sThreadName= Thread.currentThread().getName();
		System.out.format("%s: %s%n", sThreadName, s);
	}
	public class MessageLoop implements Runnable{
		public void run(){
			String foodChain[]= {"Mares eat oats", "Doves eat oats", "Little lambs eat ivy", "A kid will eat ivy too" };
			try{for (int i=0; i<foodChain.length; i++){
				threadMessage(foodChain[i]);
				Thread.sleep(6000);
			}
			}catch(Exception e){
				threadMessage("I have been interrupted.");
			}
		}
	}
	public static void main(String [] args){
		threadMessage("STARTING THE THREAD NAMED MessageLoop!");//Announces that we are going to start the MessageLoop thead
		long timeTaken= 1000 * 60 * 5;
		long startTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
		Thread t= new Thread(new MessageLoop()); //**************************************************ERROR
		t.start(); 
		threadMessage("Waiting for MessageLoop to finish execution!");
		while(t.isAlive()){
			threadMessage("Still waiting...");//just says that the main thread is waiting for MessageLoop to complete, till 5 minutes
			try{t.join(1000);}catch(Exception e){threadMessage("t.join(1000); statement interrupted.");}
			if(System.currentTimeMillis() - startTime > timeTaken && t.isAlive()){ 
				t.interrupt(); 
				try{t.join();}catch(Exception e){threadMessage("t.join(); statement interrupted.");} // waits indefinitely
			}
		}
	}
}

The statement against which I have written many *'s gives the following error.

No enclosing instance of type SimpleThreadsCopy is accessible. Must qualify the allocation with an enclosing instance of type SimpleThreadsCopy (e.g. x.new A() where x is an instance of SimpleThreadsCopy).

Now that a similar "error-free" code is given here, what's wrong with this piece of code and what should I do about it?

EDIT:- Trying to understand the error statement, I replaced the erroneous statement with

Thread t= new Thread(new SimpleThreadsCopy().new MessageLoop());

and the error got fixed. From that I understand that the inner class is just kinda a nonstatic member of the outer class and it will be accessed by the objects of the outer class only.

But then why doesn't the code in the tutorial give an error?

[JosAH]

I think the example defined MessageLoop as a statically nested class ...

kind regards,

Jos

[jim829]

Here's a recommendation. When you enter main, which is a static method, you can have problems doing certain things
related to instances of the enclosing class. As such, I very seldom do anything in main except something like the following:

Assume a class named MyClass.

public static void main(String[] args) {
    new MyClass().start();
}

public void start() {
  // put here what you would
// normally put in main
}

I recommend reading up on static vs non-static contexts. If you have questions about it the forum will be here to help.

Regards,
Jim

[karthikeyan]

its quite easy. you need not to use the key word static in the method "threadMessage" Bcz u r creating an object for class "SimpleThreadsCopy" so you need not put static

[jim829]

That has nothing to do with the OP's problem and introduces even more error in the code. And just because one creates instances of classes does not mean those classes should not contain static methods. After all, main is a static method.

Regards,
Jim

[Zarah]

I think the example defined MessageLoop as a statically nested class ...

kind regards,

Jos

Oh yes, I overlooked that, my bad.

[Zarah]

Here's a recommendation. When you enter main, which is a static method, you can have problems doing certain things
related to instances of the enclosing class. As such, I very seldom do anything in main except something like the following:

Assume a class named MyClass.

public static void main(String[] args) {
    new MyClass().start();
}

public void start() {
  // put here what you would
// normally put in main
}

I recommend reading up on static vs non-static contexts. If you have questions about it the forum will be here to help.

Regards,
Jim

Thank you, since I have faced the nemesis of "non-static method can not be called from static context", I will definitely like to take up your recommendation.

I am reading about static vs non-static variables and methods.