How can I assign a different image to each keypress event in my swing sprite?

[Judas Styng]

I want up arrow key to change to an up facing sprite, down arrow key to change to a down facing sprite and left and right keys to do similar.  (I know how to make a sprite and import and image) I have the images for up, down, left, right, but I don't know how to assign it to each individual keypress. Also, this isn't my entire code, just my key pressed event code.

public void move()  //The move() method moves the position of my link character. 
    {
    	// These x and y values are used in the paintComponent() method to draw the image of the sprite.
        x += dx;
        y += dy;
    }

    public int getX() 
    {
        return x;
    }

    public int getY() 
    {
        return y;
    }

    public Image getImage() 
    {
        return image;
    }

    public void keyPressed(KeyEvent e) 
    {

        int key = e.getKeyCode();
        // pressed needs to be combined with key release or else the character will keep moving forever. 
        if (key == KeyEvent.VK_LEFT) 
        {
            dx = -6;
        }

        if (key == KeyEvent.VK_RIGHT) 
        {
            dx = 6;
        }

        if (key == KeyEvent.VK_UP) 
        {
            dy = -6;
        }

        if (key == KeyEvent.VK_DOWN) 
        {
            dy = 6;
        }
    }

    public void keyReleased(KeyEvent e) 
    {
        
        int key = e.getKeyCode();
       // release the up, down, left right, set the dx  to 0. Link will stop moving.
        if (key == KeyEvent.VK_LEFT) 
        {
            dx = 0;
        }

        if (key == KeyEvent.VK_RIGHT) 
        {
            dx = 0;
        }

        if (key == KeyEvent.VK_UP) 
        {
            dy = 0;
        }

        if (key == KeyEvent.VK_DOWN) 
        {
            dy = 0;
        }
    }
}

[Campbell Ritchie]

Don't know, but try going to the Java™ Tutorials and look up key bindings. That might help.

[Rob Camick]

I don't understand the question.

You have logic to change the x/y values when a specific key is pressed. Why can't you also change the image at that time?

[Judas Styng]

Rob Camick wrote:I don't understand the question.

You have logic to change the x/y values when a specific key is pressed. Why can't you also change the image at that time?

I can't change the image at the same time because I don't know how. This is my 4th week learning Java, so I am very new. Sorry, if this question seems vague or like I'm not trying.

[Rob Camick]

You are making this two difficult. Apparently you know how to you assign an image to the variable "image".

So, why can't you create 4 more variables "upImage, downImage, rightImage and leftImage" and assign an image to each of those variables.

Then in your key listener code you can add a statement like:

        if (key == KeyEvent.VK_LEFT) 
        {
            dx = -6;
            image = leftImage;
        }