Netbeans 4.0 - private/public access problem

[Steve Schowiak]

I want to change the text of a jLabel in another class at runtime from within a Java application. That class is declared as public:

public class bank extends javax.swing.JPanel { ...

I am getting this compile error:

C:\Documents and Settings\Steve\J95\src\j95\main.java:18: bankJLabel has private access in j95.bank this.bank1.bankJLabel.setText("1");

This is the code in question:

public main() {
initComponents();
this.bank1.bankJLabel.setText("1");
// so on and so forth ...
}

NB 4.0 sets some variables as private at the bottom of the code in the main application class, but I'm not sure if this has anything to do with the problem:

private j95.bank bank0;
private j95.bank bank1;
private j95.bank bank2; ... etc.

The IDE won't let me change it to public so the jLabel can be accessed. I'm not sure if this is a problem with the IDE or me. Probably me . Can anybody offer a clue? The complete listing of the main application code follows. The application and other classes otherwise run fine. Thanks!:

  
/*
 * main.java
 *
 * Created on December 5, 2004, 4:26 PM
 */
 
package j95;
 
/**
 *
 * @author  Steve Schowiak
 */
public class main extends javax.swing.JFrame {
    
    /** Creates new form main */
    public main() {
        initComponents();
        this.bank1.bankJLabel.setText("1");
        this.bank2.bankJLabel.setText("2");
        // so on and so forth ...
    }
    
    /** This method is called from within the constructor to
     * initialize the form.
     * WARNING: Do NOT modify this code. The content of this method is
     * always regenerated by the Form Editor.
     */
    private void initComponents() {
        jTabbedPane1 = new javax.swing.JTabbedPane();
        bank0 = new j95.bank();
        bank1 = new j95.bank();
        bank2 = new j95.bank();
        bank3 = new j95.bank();
        bank4 = new j95.bank();
        bank5 = new j95.bank();
        bank6 = new j95.bank();
        bank7 = new j95.bank();
        bank8 = new j95.bank();
        bank9 = new j95.bank();
        jMenuBar1 = new javax.swing.JMenuBar();
        jMenu1 = new javax.swing.JMenu();
 
        getContentPane().setLayout(null);
 
        setDefaultCloseOperation(javax.swing.WindowConstants.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        jTabbedPane1.addTab("Bank 0", bank0);
 
        jTabbedPane1.addTab("Bank 1", bank1);
 
        jTabbedPane1.addTab("Bank 2", bank2);
 
        jTabbedPane1.addTab("Bank 3", bank3);
 
        jTabbedPane1.addTab("Bank 4", bank4);
 
        jTabbedPane1.addTab("Bank 5", bank5);
 
        jTabbedPane1.addTab("Bank 6", bank6);
 
        jTabbedPane1.addTab("Bank 7", bank7);
 
        jTabbedPane1.addTab("Bank 8", bank8);
 
        jTabbedPane1.addTab("Bank 9", bank9);
 
        getContentPane().add(jTabbedPane1);
        jTabbedPane1.setBounds(10, 10, 770, 570);
 
        jMenu1.setText("Menu");
        jMenuBar1.add(jMenu1);
 
        setJMenuBar(jMenuBar1);
 
        pack();
    }
    
    /**
     * @param args the command line arguments
     */
    public static void main(String args[]) {
        java.awt.EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            public void run() {
                new main().setVisible(true);
                
            }
        });
    }
    
    // Variables declaration - do not modify
    private j95.bank bank0;
    private j95.bank bank1;
    private j95.bank bank2;
    private j95.bank bank3;
    private j95.bank bank4;
    private j95.bank bank5;
    private j95.bank bank6;
    private j95.bank bank7;
    private j95.bank bank8;
    private j95.bank bank9;
    private javax.swing.JMenu jMenu1;
    private javax.swing.JMenuBar jMenuBar1;
    private javax.swing.JTabbedPane jTabbedPane1;
    // End of variables declaration
    
}

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

Steve,
I haven't used Netbeans, but their generated code is pretty clear. You definitely shouldn't mess with the generated code or it will not work in the future.

Where is the "bank" class? Can you add a getter method to it? In general, it is better to use getter/setter methods than try to make the variables public.

Also, two comments:
1) Class names are capital by convention. So "bank" should be "Bank".
2) Main is a bit confusing for a class name.

[Steve Schowiak]

I figured it out. If you right-click on the variable declarations at the bottom of the code, you can change public/private access.

Thanks anyway!