Thread: Accessing another abstract class's variable?

Hello guys, I just started self teaching and encounter a problem that requires me to access a variable from a different class.

Here's a shortened version of what I have so far...

abstract public class A
{
     //nothing yet
}
 
public class B extends A
{
    protected int num;
    public int getNum(){...}
    public void setNum(int x){...}
}
 
abstract public class XYZ
{
    protected A[] myList = new A[10];  // this is an array of instances of class A
}
 
public class XYZ_2 extends XYZ
{
    public int small()
    {
        // here I want to be able to compare each element in 'myList' to find the smallest number
        // but right now I don't even know how to access the variable 'num'...
 
        int x = this.myList[0].num           //attempt 1
        int x = this.myList[0].getNum();     //attempt 2
        int x = myList[0].num                 //attempt 3
        int x = myList[0].getNum();           //attempt 4
 
        // the error says "XYZ_2.java:141:error:cannot find symbol"
        //                "int x = this.myList[0].getNum();"
        //                                  ^
        //                "symbol: method getNum();"
        //                "location: class A"
        //                "1 error" 
    }
}

Any advice is HUGELY appreciated..!!

If you are getting compiler error messages, please copy them and paste them here.

Please edit your post and wrap your code with code tags:

[code]
**YOUR CODE GOES HERE**
[/code]

to get highlighting and preserve formatting.

"XYZ_2.java:141:error:cannot find symbol"
// "int x = this.A[0].getNum();"
// ^
// "symbol: method getNum();"

The compiler can not find a method named getNum that is defined in the class A.

Make sure the method is defined in the class before trying to call it.

In the posted code, getNum is defined in class B

way to call the getNum() method in class B

Create an instance of the B class and use the reference to that instance to call the method:

   SomeClass smCls = new SomeClass();    // create an instance and save reference to it
   smCls.theMethod();   // call the method in the class using the reference