cant find method from JOptionPane class

[Ben Hultin]

I am trying to compare the input from a JOptionPane to string literal and execute an event based on if the values match or not.

I do understand that .equalsIgnoreCase() is not part of the JOptionPane class, but I dont know any other way to compare string values.

here are my errors:

C:\Documents and Settings\ben\Desktop\park>javac BenHultinProg7.java
.\Prog7.java:90: cannot find symbol
symbol : method equalsIgnoreCase(java.lang.String)
location: class javax.swing.JOptionPane
if (inPut1.equalsIgnoreCase("red")) {
^
.\Prog7.java:100: cannot find symbol
symbol : method equalsIgnoreCase(java.lang.String)
location: class javax.swing.JOptionPane
if (inPut2.equalsIgnoreCase("white")) {
^
.\Prog7.java:109: cannot find symbol
symbol : method equalsIgnoreCase(java.lang.String)
location: class javax.swing.JOptionPane
if (inPut3.equalsIgnoreCase("yellow")) {

^
.\Prog7.java:118: cannot find symbol
symbol : method equalsIgnoreCase(java.lang.String)
location: class javax.swing.JOptionPane
if (inPut4.equalsIgnoreCase("green")) {
^
.\Prog7.java:127: cannot find symbol
symbol : method equalsIgnoreCase(java.lang.String)
location: class javax.swing.JOptionPane
if (inPut5.equalsIgnoreCase("blue")) {
^
5 errors

C:\Documents and Settings\ben\Desktop\park>

here is my driven class:

  
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JTextField;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.JOptionPane;
import java.awt.FlowLayout;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;



public class Prog7 extends JFrame{
	
	private JOptionPane outPut;
	private JOptionPane inPut1;
	private JOptionPane inPut2;
	private JOptionPane inPut3;
	private JOptionPane inPut4;
	private JOptionPane inPut5;
	private String message;
	// private JTextField field1;
	// private JTextField field2;
	// private JTextField field3;
	// private JTextField field4;
	// private JTextField field5;
	private JButton button;
	private FlowLayout layout;
	private JLabel label1;
	private JLabel label2;

	public Prog7() {
		// sets windows title
		super("the title");
		layout = new FlowLayout();
		// sets the default layout to the FlowLayout manager
		setLayout(layout);
		
		// field1 = new JTextField();
		// field2 = new JTextField();
		// field3 = new JTextField();
		// field4 = new JTextField();
		// field5 = new JTextField();
		
		inPut1 = new JOptionPane();
		inPut2 = new JOptionPane();
		inPut3 = new JOptionPane();
		inPut4 = new JOptionPane();
		inPut5 = new JOptionPane();
	
		TheHandler handler = new TheHandler();
		// field1.addActionListener(handler);
		// field2.addActionListener(handler);
		// field3.addActionListener(handler);
		// field4.addActionListener(handler);
		// field5.addActionListener(handler);
		
		button.addActionListener(handler);
		
		firstJFrame();
		
		// outPut = new JOptionPane();
		// add(outPut);
	
	} // end Prog7() constructor
	
	public void firstJFrame() {
		label1 = new JLabel("Welcome to my memory game.");
		label2 = new JLabel("re-type the 5 colors in the same order to win.");
		label2 = new JLabel("red, white, yellow, green, blue.");
		
		button = new JButton("OK");
		add(button);
	}
	
	private class TheHandler implements ActionListener {
	
		public void TheHandler() { }
	
		public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent event) {
		
			if (event.getActionCommand().equals("OK")) {
				String inPut1 = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Enter first color");
			}
		
			//String string = "";
			if (event.getSource() == inPut1) {
				
				//string = String.format("field 1: %s", event.getActionCommand());
				
					if (inPut1.equalsIgnoreCase("red")) {
						String inPut2 = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Enter second color");
					} else {
						JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, sorryMessage());
						firstJFrame();
					}
				
			} else if (event.getSource() == inPut2) {
				
				
					if (inPut2.equalsIgnoreCase("white")) {
						String inPut3 = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Enter third color");
					} else {
						JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, sorryMessage());
					}
				
			} else if (event.getSource() == inPut3) {
				
				
					if (inPut3.equalsIgnoreCase("yellow")) {
						String inPut4 = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Enter fourth color");
					} else {
						JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, sorryMessage());
					}
					
			} else if (event.getSource() == inPut4) {
				
				
					if (inPut4.equalsIgnoreCase("green")) {
						String inPut5 = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Enter fifth color");
					} else {
						JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, sorryMessage());
					}
					
			} else if (event.getSource() == inPut5) {
				
				
					if (inPut5.equalsIgnoreCase("blue")) {
						JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, congratsMessage());
					} else {
						JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, sorryMessage());
					}
			}
		
		} // end actionPerformed() method 
		
		public String sorryMessage() {
			message = "Sorry, but you didnt choose the right color.";
			return message;
		}
		
		public String congratsMessage() {
			message = "Congratulations! You got all the colors correct.";
			return message;
		}
	
	} // end inner class

} // end Prog7 class
  

I appreciate the help

[pete stein]

But you're not comparing String values. You're comparing a JOptionPane with a String which makes no sense, and so the compiler is right to complain. Just what are you trying to have your program do here?

[Ben Hultin]

well I am trying to compare the string value that was inputed by the user from the JOptionPane with another string literal. How would I get the value from the JOptionPane and save it into a variable?

[Rob Camick]

How would I get the value from the JOptionPane and save it into a variable?

What are you talking about you already know how to do this.

String inPut1 = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Enter first color");   

How is prompting for a second color any different than prompting for the first color?

[Ben Hultin]

Sorry about that, I must have gotten sidetracked. The real issue is the .equalsIgnoreCase() method. The JVM is trying to find it in the JOptionPane class. But I need it to look in the java.lang.String class which I understand is implicit.

The main purpose is to get the String value gathered from the JOptionPane input and compare it with another string literal. I know I cant use the == for comparing strings and .equals() is missing a feature I need. So .equalsIgnoreCase() is the one I need to use, but as mentioned before the JVM is looking for this method in the swing class. How could I fix this?

Thanks a lot for the help

[Maneesh Godbole]

String inPut1 = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Enter first color");     
String inPut2 = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Enter second color");     
inPut1.equalsIgnoreCase(inPut2);

[Ben Hultin]

Thanks for the response, but I am not trying to compare two separate JOptionPane inputs with each other. I am trying to compare if:

inPut1.equalsIgnoreCase("red");

Besides i am not sure if you suggestion would work, its the .equalsIgnoreCase() that is not being found by the JVM. How would I make the .equalsIgnoreCase() method found?

I have used this method several times in the past without a problem, so I dont why its causing a problem now or how to fix it.

[pete stein]

Ben Hultin wrote:Thanks for the response, but I am not trying to compare two separate JOptionPane inputs with each other. I am trying to compare if:

inPut1.equalsIgnoreCase("red");

Besides i am not sure if you suggestion would work, its the .equalsIgnoreCase() that is not being found by the JVM. How would I make the .equalsIgnoreCase() method found?

I have used this method several times in the past without a problem, so I dont why its causing a problem now or how to fix it.

The method can only be called on a String object. Is this how you are trying to call it?

Rather than make us to guess, why not post your latest code effort and let us see for ourselves.

Much luck.

[Ben Hultin]

Thanks, I have included the current code I have below for inPut1 JOptionPane and the string literal I am trying to compare it to.

  
 if (event.getActionCommand().equals("OK")) {  
                 String inPut1 = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Enter first color");  
             }  
           
             
             if (event.getSource() == inPut1) { 
                   
                     if (inPut1.equalsIgnoreCase("red")) {  
                         String inPut2 = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Enter second color");  
                     } else {  
                         JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, sorryMessage());  
                       firstJFrame();  
                     }  
  

The two lines that really matter are:

   
String inPut1 = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Enter first color");  
 if (inPut1.equalsIgnoreCase("red")
 

the error I am getting about this particular line is:

.\Prog7.java:90: cannot find symbol
symbol : method equalsIgnoreCase(java.lang.String)
location: class javax.swing.JOptionPane
if (inPut1.equalsIgnoreCase("red")) {

Thanks for the help

[Michael Dunn]

you need to re-start, at page 1, whatever programming book you have, and try to grasp the basics

here, input1 is local to the if(), and cannot be 'seen' anywhere else

    
if (event.getActionCommand().equals("OK")) {  
   String inPut1 = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Enter first color");  
}  

in your original post, you have this
private JOptionPane inPut1;

so, it seems you think, via some magic, the two input1's are linked - they are not

the way to do it
//private JOptionPane inPut1;
private String inPut1;
then
//String inPut1 = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Enter first color");
inPut1 = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Enter first color");

JOptionPane.showInputDialog(..) returns a String (someString or empty) or null ('esc' 'X' or 'Cancel'), so null should always be the first check

[Ben Hultin]

huh, I thought local variables only applied within a method. Never heard it also applied to if() as well. Thanks for the heads up there. That would explain the problem.