Vague Compiler error "cannot find symbol", but doesn't specify which symbol

Question

*This question is not a duplicate of "non-static method cannot be referenced from a static context?", and it covers a different error message, which is "Cannot find symbol".

I'm having an issue with JCreator showing the build error error: cannot find symbol, while not specifying what symbol is found.

code:

import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
public class FanTest extends JFrame
{
    public FanTest()
    {
        setLayout(new GridBagLayout());
    //more stuff here
    }
    public void addCompsToGui(Container pane)
    {
        pane.setLayout(new GridBagLayout());
        GridBagConstraints c = new GridBagConstraints();
     //more stuff here
    }
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        FanTest gui = new FanTest();
        gui.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        gui.setSize(600,600);
        gui.setTitle("Test Console for Fan");
        addCompstoGui(gui.getContentPane()); // error pointing to this line
        gui.setVisible(true);
    }
}

This is homework, and I'm only looking for help with the one error and it's resolution

The line number is 218, which is marked with the comment after the line (4th from bottom in the post). And that's all the detail that the compiler is giving me — Azulflame, Mar 05 '16 at 23:19
stackTrace please because here we won'tbe able to identify which line is exactly 218 ?? — Vikrant Kashyap, Mar 05 '16 at 23:20
Can you share the implementations of `addCompstoGui` and `getContentPane` methods? — Darshan Mehta, Mar 05 '16 at 23:20
shouldn't that be `gui.addCompsToGui`? Not only is the 't' lower case but it needs to be called from the object — Ascalonian, Mar 05 '16 at 23:20

Elliott Frisch · Accepted Answer · 2016-03-05T23:22:13.657

4

main is static and has no visibility to instance methods. Change

addCompstoGui(gui.getContentPane());

to

gui.addCompsToGui(gui.getContentPane());

edited Mar 05 '16 at 23:22

answered Mar 05 '16 at 23:20

Elliott Frisch

198,278
20
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1

Actually that won't work either because the method has a capital 'T' in it: addCompsToGui – Ascalonian Mar 05 '16 at 23:21
1

You're right, this wasn't answered before. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/290884/what-is-the-reason-behind-non-static-method-cannot-be-referenced-from-a-static – Tunaki Mar 05 '16 at 23:21
@Ascalonian Oops. Fixed the T. – Elliott Frisch Mar 05 '16 at 23:22

Vikrant Kashyap · Answer 2 · 2016-03-05T23:33:08.413

0

addCompstoGui(gui.getContentPane()); // java naming convention Error

gui.addCompsToGui(gui.getContentPane()); //Successfully run becoz 

        //method name should be addCompsToGui and instance should associate with ths

edited Mar 05 '16 at 23:33

answered Mar 05 '16 at 23:24

Vikrant Kashyap

6,398
3
32
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Vague Compiler error "cannot find symbol", but doesn't specify which symbol

2 Answers2