Java compiler: "cannot find symbol method getResult()"

AARRRGH

Hello

My Java compiler is giving me a weird error... of course I know the problem is me, but I can't figure it out!

The details of the code aren't really important, as the problem is related to the getResult() method only, but just in case: I have two threads searching through an array looking for the largest number. I have a method getResult() which returns the result of the search. One of the threads searches the first half of the array, the other searches the second half.

/*
 * Find the maximum element in a large array
 * Two threads
 *
 */
 
 import java.util.*;
 
 class Search extends Thread {
 	
 	private int largeArray[];
 	private int start;
 	private int end;
 	private int biggest;
 		 
 	Search(int largeArray[],int start,int end) {
 		this.largeArray = largeArray;
 		this.start = start;
 		this.end = end;
 	}
 	
 	public void run() {
 		// navigate through each element in the array starting at start
 		biggest = largeArray[start];	
 		for(int x = (start+1); x <= end; x++)
 			if (biggest<largeArray[x])
 				biggest = largeArray[x];
 		// biggest should now contain the biggest number
 	}
 	
 	public int getResult() {
 		return biggest;
 	}
 	
 }
 
 class Question2 {
 	public static void main(String[] args) {
 		
 		System.out.print("How many elements in the array? ");
 		Scanner in = new Scanner(System.in);
 		int x = in.nextInt();
 		
 		int largeArray[] = new int[x];
 		
 		for (int count = 0; count < largeArray.length; count++) {
 			largeArray[count] = (int)(Math.random()*x);
 		}
 		
 		int split = x/2;
 		
 		Thread t1 = new Search(largeArray,0,split-1);
 		Thread t2 = new Search(largeArray,split,x-1);
 		
 		t1.start();
 		t2.start();
 		
 		try {
 			t1.join();
 			t2.join();
 		} catch (InterruptedException e) {}
 		
 		if (t1.getResult()>t2.getResult())
 			System.out.println("The biggest number is " + t1.getResult());
 		else 
 			System.out.println("The biggest number is " + t2.getResult());
 		// catches if they are equal too
 	}
 }

So, it's pretty simple, but the compiler doesn't like the getResult() method.

Can any of you figure out why?

Thanks very much in advance.

Giblet

You can only use methods available to Thread if you go
Thread t1 = new Search();

AARRRGH

Hi Giblet

Thanks for the reply. I do have these lines in my code though -

Thread t1 = new Search(largeArray,0,split-1);
Thread t2 = new Search(largeArray,split,x-1);

...followed by...

if (t1.getResult()>t2.getResult())

...which in theory should use...

public int getResult() {
return biggest;
}

Am I not able to do this?

Thanks

hussey

No ...

You are using the Thread class
Thread doesn't have a getResult method ... search does

try Search t1 = new Search(largeArray,0,split-1);

by Using Thread t1 .. you can only use method available to Thread as it isn't aware of subclass methods

Search is still a 'Thread' though

You should only use
Thread t1 = new Search( .. if you don't care about the underlying methods
if you were only ever going to call run()

AARRRGH

Ah yes, yes, that worked perfectly.

Thank you for taking the time to figure out what the problem is.