Thread: Array and loop

Goal: To count the number of times each letter (a-z) is used in a file. The code is workin (atleast it appears to be), but I have a couple issues.

1. I am wanting the array to be initialized in the constructor but when I do that the other methods can't access is. Is there a way to make that work?
2. I am not sure how to reset the counter at the end in the resetInventory method

/*
 * Count the number of times a letter 
 * 
 * @author Kristen Watson
 * @version 11/12/2012
 * 
 */
 
import java.util.Scanner;
import java.io.File;
 
public class LetterInventory{
    public final static String filename = "testFile.txt";
 
    public void main(String[] args) {
        Scanner inputFile = null;
        try {
            inputFile = new Scanner(new File(filename));
        } catch (Exception e) {
            System.out.println("File could not be opened: " + filename);
            System.exit(0);
        }
 
        countOccurrences(inputFile);
        displayTable();
    }
 
    int[]counters = new int[26];
    char current;
    int value;
 
    /*
     * constructor
     * inventory of letters with maximum of 26 different letters
     */
    public LetterInventory(){
 
 
    }
 
    /*
     * scanner takes information from the file and counts the letters 
     */
    public void countOccurrences(Scanner file) {
        while(file.hasNextLine()){
            //take information one line at a time
            String line = file.nextLine();
 
            //convert all letters in the string to lower case
            line.toLowerCase();
 
            for(int i=0; i < line.length(); i++){
                current = line.charAt(i);
                if (current >= 'a' && current <= 'z'){ //check that the char is a letter
                    value = (int)(current - 'a');
                    counters[value]++;
                }
 
            }
 
        }
    }
 
 
    /*
     * output of the counted letters
     */
    public void displayTable(){
       for (int i = 0; i < counters.length; i++){
           current = (char)(i + 'a');
           System.out.println(current + ":" + counters[i]);
       }
 
    }
 
    public void resetInventory(){
 
 
    } 
}

Gracias to anyone who can explain to me the error of my ways

There are a couple of minor issues.

1. You main method is defined incorrectly, it should be

public static void main(String [] args)

2. Create an instance of the LetterInventory object in the main method and call methods on todhe object. You can initialize the counters in the constructor as all methods of the object will be able to see it.