some help connecting different components in java's SWING framework.

What have you tried?

I don't know what "newM if statement" you are referring to.

The first thing I notice is that you have a point in your code that silently swallows exceptions. Never, ever do this. At the very least, print something. In an interactive GUI application, you should inform the user there is a problem with the file.

Another thing I notice is that the logic for creating a new item doesn't appear to save the idem anywhere - though possibly the call to setStore() is doing something funky. You seem to be creating a new stock object, and then setting the text to the second (first?) element, which may not be populated.

It is idiomatic in Swing to attach the event listeners directly to the component they are listening too. This is often done via an anonymous inner class. Doing it this way means that you don't have to determine the source of an event - it is implied.

For example:

// In the setup method:

this.OpenMI.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
@Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent arg0)
{
try
{
this.fileLoaded = this.LoadFile();
if(fileLoaded)
{
this.printData();
this.addDataToList();
}
}
catch(IOException e)
{
// TODO: improve me!
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
});

this.newItemB.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
@Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent arg0)
{
AddItem newItem = new AddItem();
newItem.setVisible(true);
stock = new HardwareStock(40);
newItem.setStore(this);
this.HardwareDataTA.setText(stock.elementAt(1).toString());
}
});

Moving the logic performed into a separate method or class is common, otherwise the method creating these inner classes starts getting very long:

this.OpenMI.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
@Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent arg0)
{
handleOpenMI();
}
});

this.newItemB.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
@Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent arg0)
{
handleNewItemB();
}
});


I'm really sorry cos I'd like to say it in a different way but I can't: that code is a BIG pile of SHITE.

Try reading a book like "Clean Code" by Robert C. Martin or "The Art of Readable Code" by Boswell & Foucher.

Anyway, the new item is inserted. It can be checked with the code in HardwareStock class:
[source lang="java"]
public void insertEnd(HardwareItem item) {
if (numOfElements < m_items.length) {
m_items[numOfElements++] = item;
System.out.println("Item " + item.getItemName() + " added");
} else {
System.out.println("Cannot add to full list");
}
}
[/source]
that is called from HWStore class:
[source lang="java"]
public void addItem(HardwareItem i) {
stock.insertEnd(i);
}
[/source]

the "newM" is a menu item to open the file dialog to get the file to load the data and print it. as you can see i create the stock after i load the file, but i suppose i could add a resize method for easy resizing.... like create a stock of 5 items but then resize it when necessary. Hmm,

I'm really sorry cos I'd like to say it in a different way but I can't: that code is a BIG pile of SHITE.

Try reading a book like "Clean Code" by Robert C. Martin or "The Art of Readable Code" by Boswell & Foucher.

Anyway, the new item is inserted. It can be checked with the code in HardwareStock class:
[source lang="java"]
public void insertEnd(HardwareItem item) {
if (numOfElements < m_items.length) {
m_items[numOfElements++] = item;
System.out.println("Item " + item.getItemName() + " added");
} else {
System.out.println("Cannot add to full list");
}
}
[/source]
that is called from HWStore class:
[source lang="java"]
public void addItem(HardwareItem i) {
stock.insertEnd(i);
}
[/source]

hey man, it's ok, i mostly write like that because MOST of the time i can understand it but yea i guess it's shit and not very professional.......I'm just used to doing this a certain way i guess. guess i need to change if i want to make it

What have you tried?

I don't know what "newM if statement" you are referring to.

The first thing I notice is that you have a point in your code that silently swallows exceptions. Never, ever do this. At the very least, print something. In an interactive GUI application, you should inform the user there is a problem with the file.

Another thing I notice is that the logic for creating a new item doesn't appear to save the idem anywhere - though possibly the call to setStore() is doing something funky. You seem to be creating a new stock object, and then setting the text to the second (first?) element, which may not be populated.

It is idiomatic in Swing to attach the event listeners directly to the component they are listening too. This is often done via an anonymous inner class. Doing it this way means that you don't have to determine the source of an event - it is implied.

For example:

// In the setup method:

this.OpenMI.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
@Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent arg0)
{
try
{
this.fileLoaded = this.LoadFile();
if(fileLoaded)
{
this.printData();
this.addDataToList();
}
}
catch(IOException e)
{
// TODO: improve me!
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
});

this.newItemB.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
@Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent arg0)
{
AddItem newItem = new AddItem();
newItem.setVisible(true);
stock = new HardwareStock(40);
newItem.setStore(this);
this.HardwareDataTA.setText(stock.elementAt(1).toString());
}
});

Moving the logic performed into a separate method or class is common, otherwise the method creating these inner classes starts getting very long:

this.OpenMI.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
@Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent arg0)
{
handleOpenMI();
}
});

this.newItemB.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
@Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent arg0)
{
handleNewItemB();
}
});


good sir, best read i've had in awhile THANK YOU.