Java: Using an actionlistener to call a function in another class on an object from that class

Question

Basically what I want to do is get a start button to initiate a method running in another class and acting on another object.

My code for the listener:

button1a.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
    public void actionPerformed (ActionEvent event) {
        // Figure out how to make this work
        //sim.runCastleCrash(); 
    }
} );

My code for the other class:

public static void main(String[] args) {
    CastleCrash sim;
    sim = new CastleCrash();
}

and

public void runCastleCrash() {
    System.out.println("Castle Crash is beginning...");
    //Other method parts here to be added
}

I get the feeling this can't be too hard, but I'm missing a piece.

Answer 1

One way to reference things in an anonymous class is using the final keyword:

  public static void main(String[] args) {
    final Object thingIWantToUse = "Hello";

    JButton button = new JButton("Click");
    button.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
      @Override public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
        System.out.println(thingIWantToUse);
      }
    });

    JFrame frame = new JFrame();
    frame.setLayout(new FlowLayout());
    frame.add(button);
    frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
    frame.pack();
    frame.setVisible(true);
  }

Alternatively, you can access members (variables or methods) of an enclosing type:

public class ActionListenerDemo2 {
  private final JFrame frame = new JFrame();
  private Object thingIWantToUse = "Hello";

  public ActionListenerDemo2() {
    JButton button = new JButton("Click");
    button.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
      @Override public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
        thingIWantToUse = "Goodbye";
        System.out.println(thingIWantToUse);
      }
    });
    frame.setLayout(new FlowLayout());
    frame.add(button);
    frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
    frame.pack();
    frame.setVisible(true);
  }

  public static void main(String[] args) {
    new ActionListenerDemo2().frame.setVisible(true);
  }
}