"Syntax error on token *********, annotationName expected after this token"

Question

i am having two errors i can not solve, google didn't give me a clear idea of what the problem was. I get two compiling errors, one on the line

Random random = new Random();

right after the ;, saying { expected. The next error is at this line

public void newGame() {

saying "Syntax error on token newGame, annotationName expected after this token". What does this mean? I have an extra } at the bottom of my code, the compiler (Eclipse) complains if i remove this. It says } expected on the last } if i remove it.

Any pointers in the right direction is welcome, but no spoonfeeding please. :) I want to learn. If i am breaking java convention anywhere, please point that out aswell. Thanks!

whole code:

import java.awt.*;
import java.io.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.util.Random;

public class Memory {

    File folder = (new File("mypictures"));
    File[] pictures = folder.listFiles();
    ImageIcon im = new ImageIcon();
    Card[] allCards;
    Random random = new Random();

    for(int i = 0; i < im.length; i++) {
        allCards[i] = new Card(new ImageIcon(pictures[i].getPath()));
    }

    public void newGame() {
        int row = Integer.parseInt
                (JOptionPane.showInputDialog("How many rows?"));
        int column = Integer.parseInt
                (JOptionPane.showInputDialog("How many columns?"));

        Card[] game = new Card[row*column];

        for(i = 0; i < game.length; i++) {
            int ranint = random.nextInt(game.length);
            game[i] = allCards[ranint];
            Card c = game[i].copy();
            game[i+game.length/2] = c;
        }

        for(i = 0; i < 5; i++) { // Randomizing a few times.
            Tools.randomOrder(game);
        }

        JFrame jf = new JFrame("Memory");
        jf.setLayout (new GridLayout (row, column));

        for(i = 0; i < game.length; i++) { // Adds the cards to our grid.
            jf.add(game[1]);
        }
    }
}
}

Answer 1

Your first loop needs to be put inside a method of the class. In case you want that loop to be executed upon the creation of an object of such class, you must write a constructor method like this:

public Memory() {
    for(int i = 0; i < im.length; i++) {
        allCards[i] = new Card(new ImageIcon(pictures[i].getPath()));
    }
}

However, you can't assign values to an array this way, because allCards is just an empty variable holding null. You must initialize the variable like this:

Card [] allCards = new allCards[desiredLength];