Thread: java grid and colors/graphics

okay...
i have a working code (from WikiHOW- this is only a test, so i will be making extreme alteration to this code, but i needed a base to at least start...) about creating a grid:
but when i try to alter it to have colors instead of numbers, it gets confused

i know i need to
import java.awt.color.*;
import java.awt.Color;
But eclipse keeps telling me that i cant put the color "BLUE" into the code

import javax.swing.JFrame; //imports JFrame library
import javax.swing.JButton; //imports JButton library
import java.awt.GridLayout; //imports GridLayout library
 
//Add import java.awt.color.*;
//import java.awt.Color;
 
 
public class grid_test_01{
        JFrame frame=new JFrame(); //creates frame
        JButton[][] grid; //names the grid of buttons
 
        public grid_test_01(int width, int length){ //constructor
                frame.setLayout(new GridLayout(width,length)); //set layout
                grid=new JButton[width][length]; //allocate the size of grid
                for(int y=0; y<length; y++){ 
                        for(int x=0; x<width; x++){
                                grid[x][y]=new JButton("("+x+","+y+")"); //creates new button <-- this is where i try to change to grid[x][y]=new color.BLUE, but i get errors   
                                frame.add(grid[x][y]); //adds button to grid
                        }
                }
                frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
                frame.setVisible(true); //makes frame visible
        }
        public static void main(String[] args) {
                new grid_test_01(25,25);//makes new Grid size (x,y)
        }
}

my eventual need for this code is to create a grid filled with random graphics that are edge dependent (at (0,0) type 1,2,3,4 etc can be chosen, but at (0,1) if type 1 is at (0,0) then only type 1 or 2 could be chosen etc)


Oh, if i posted in the wrong forum, sorry, i couldn't really find one that matched my question 100%....

What exactly is the error you're getting? Copy and paste the whole stack trace here.

What exactly is the line you're trying to run when you get the error?

I'm not exactly sure what you're trying to do. Are you trying to have the JButtons display a color? Or the name of a Color? Something else?

QUOTE=KevinWorkman;25353]What exactly is the error you're getting? Copy and paste the whole stack trace here.

What exactly is the line you're trying to run when you get the error?

I'm not exactly sure what you're trying to do. Are you trying to have the JButtons display a color? Or the name of a Color? Something else?[/QUOTE]

import javax.swing.JFrame; //imports JFrame library
import javax.swing.JButton; //imports JButton library
import java.awt.GridLayout; //imports GridLayout library
import java.awt.color.*;
import java.awt.Color;
 
 
public class grid_test_01{
        JFrame frame=new JFrame(); //creates frame
        JButton[][] grid; //names the grid of buttons
 
        public grid_test_01(int width, int length){ //constructor
                frame.setLayout(new GridLayout(width,length)); //set layout
                grid=new color[width][length]; //allocate the size of grid
                for(int y=0; y<length; y++){
                        for(int x=0; x<width; x++){
                                grid[x][y]=new color.BLUE
                                frame.add(grid[x][y]); //adds button to grid
                        }
                }
                frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
                frame.setVisible(true); //makes frame visible
        }
        public static void main(String[] args) {
                new grid_test_01(25,25);//makes new Grid size (x,y)
        }
}

my limited understanding of JAVA tells me this should "work" (granted, i only have programmed C++ for basic math/ non GUI text based algorithms)

My Goal:
I would like the grid to display a graphic, but a basic color would work (blue, green, etc)
I can adapt that to do what i want.

My ultimate goal would be to create a grid X by Y in size that creates a random "map" for a simple 2D android game i would like to try to create

Originally Posted by DavidFongs

Grid is a 2D array of JButtons. You assigning a 2D array of color objects to it. This will cause a compiler error.

You import Color and color. I'm pretty sure you want to use Color (you are using color in your code). There are errors here too.

What I think you are trying to do, is create a new 2D array of JButtons, then inside the for loops, create a new JButton, and set the background color of that JButton.

infinitely more helpful than searching for" java colors tutorial"

whats the difference between Color and color? Since i don't know the difference, i imported them both.

i understand the for do loop, so it would be:

import javax.swing.JFrame; //imports JFrame library
import javax.swing.JButton; //imports JButton library
import java.awt.GridLayout; //imports GridLayout library
import java.awt.Color;
 
 
public class grid_test_01{
        JFrame frame=new JFrame(); //creates frame
        JButton[][] grid; //names the grid of buttons
 
        public grid_test_01(int width, int length){ //constructor
                frame.setLayout(new GridLayout(width,length)); //set layout
                grid=new JButton[width][length]; //allocate the size of grid
                for(int y=0; y<length; y++){
                        for(int x=0; x<width; x++){
                                grid[x][y]=new JButton(Color= BLUE)//<--CHANGE!
                                frame.add(grid[x][y]); //adds button to grid
                        }
                }
                frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
                frame.setVisible(true); //makes frame visible
        }
        public static void main(String[] args) {
                new grid_test_01(25,25);//makes new Grid size (x,y)
        }
}

Originally Posted by DavidFongs

you need to change grid = new color[width][length] so that it is creating a 2d array of JButtons. Right now it is trying to create a 2d array of colors

Originally Posted by ajmukon

import javax.swing.JFrame; //imports JFrame library
import javax.swing.JButton; //imports JButton library
import java.awt.GridLayout; //imports GridLayout library
import java.awt.Color;
 
 
public class grid_test_01{
        JFrame frame=new JFrame(); //creates frame
        JButton[][] grid; //names the grid of buttons
 
        public grid_test_01(int width, int length){ //constructor
                frame.setLayout(new GridLayout(width,length)); //set layout
                grid=new Color[width][length]; //allocate the size of grid//<-- CHANGED
                for(int y=0; y<length; y++){
                        for(int x=0; x<width; x++){
                                grid[x][y]=new JButton(Color= BLUE)//<--CHANGED!
                                frame.add(grid[x][y]); //adds button to grid
                        }
                }
                frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
                frame.setVisible(true); //makes frame visible
        }
        public static void main(String[] args) {
                new grid_test_01(25,25);//makes new Grid size (x,y)
        }
}

is this correct?
my message needs to be 10 characters long and i cant think of anything to say...
I have yet to run this code in eclipse, but i will try after i am sure it is 80% of the way there

i will run this code soon.. and post back with any errors that come up

import javax.swing.JFrame; //imports JFrame library
import javax.swing.JButton; //imports JButton library
import java.awt.GridLayout; //imports GridLayout library
import java.awt.Color;
 
 
public class grid_test_01{
        JFrame frame=new JFrame(); //creates frame
        Color[][] grid; //names the grid of buttons //AUTO CHANGE JButton[][] grid -->Color[][] grid
 
        public grid_test_01(int width, int length){ //constructor
                frame.setLayout(new GridLayout(width,length)); //set layout
                grid=new Color[width][length]; //allocate the size of grid
                for(int y=0; y<length; y++){
                        for(int x=0; x<width; x++){
                                grid[x][y]=new JButton(Color= BLUE)
                                frame.add(grid[x][y]);//  frame.add brocken
                        }
                }
                frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
                frame.setVisible(true); //makes frame visible
        }
        public static void main(String[] args) {
                new grid_test_01(25,25);//makes new Grid size (x,y)
        }
}

the code will not run, comments above note were the problems are.

Originally Posted by ajmukon

is this correct?
my message needs to be 10 characters long and i cant think of anything to say...
I have yet to run this code in eclipse, but i will try after i am sure it is 80% of the way there

That's not really a great way to program. You should test each small step before moving on to the next one. Waiting until you have a bunch of different pieces added will only cause you to deal with multiple errors at once, which is what you're doing.

Honestly, what you're doing is overkill. I'd recommend you first go back through the basic tutorials, as you're making syntax errors that don't make any sense. For example, what method takes an assignment statement as an argument? What constructor of JButton takes a Color argument? Why are you using JButtons for this anyway? Read through this: Trail: Learning the Java Language (The Java™ Tutorials)

When you have a handle on the basic syntax, write some simple test programs to practice. You can probably even start on the logic of whatever you're trying to do, without worrying about the GUI part of it.

Only after you have a firm grasp on that, then you should worry about the GUI. Read through the Swing tutorials: Trail: Creating a GUI With JFC/Swing (The Java™ Tutorials)

And for what you're doing, I'd recommend the painting tutorials: Painting in AWT and Swing

Programming is hard. You can't just expect to dive into GUI programming without a firm grasp of the basics first. You probably don't like that answer, but it's the correct one.

Originally Posted by KevinWorkman

That's not really a great way to program. You should test each small step before moving on to the next one. Waiting until you have a bunch of different pieces added will only cause you to deal with multiple errors at once, which is what you're doing.

Honestly, what you're doing is overkill. I'd recommend you first go back through the basic tutorials, as you're making syntax errors that don't make any sense. For example, what method takes an assignment statement as an argument? What constructor of JButton takes a Color argument? Why are you using JButtons for this anyway? Read through this: Trail: Learning the Java Language (The Java™ Tutorials)

When you have a handle on the basic syntax, write some simple test programs to practice. You can probably even start on the logic of whatever you're trying to do, without worrying about the GUI part of it.

Only after you have a firm grasp on that, then you should worry about the GUI. Read through the Swing tutorials: Trail: Creating a GUI With JFC/Swing (The Java™ Tutorials)

And for what you're doing, I'd recommend the painting tutorials: Painting in AWT and Swing

Programming is hard. You can't just expect to dive into GUI programming without a firm grasp of the basics first. You probably don't like that answer, but it's the correct one.

impressively enough, i have some grasp of the basics, at least in C++, and i have been told that java isn't all that different (if/then, for/do, do/while are the same)

but thanks for the links, i will read up on them!... I tried searching for "JAVA tutorials", and got nowhere real fast...

and thank you for pointing out my exact errors.