class as parameter

[trishtren]

Hey,
i googled around for a solution but seem unable to come up with a reasonable solution to the problem of passing a class as a parameter. I wish to mimic the syntax used in java like below :

setPenColor(new Color(255, 0, 255));

Where i can pass a new object as a parameter, however since no constructor has a return type, and if i use something like :

//output returns a hex string, part of RGBColor class
public String getOutput()
    {
        return output;

    }

//the add function in the pen class
public int add(String c) {
        System.out.print(c);
        return 0;
    }

pen.add(new RGBColor(233,233,233).getoutput);

Then it returns a null object, can anyone link me or explain a way to pass a new instance without previously instantiating an object or without refering a specific type to the add function please :)

[Majestics]

I think you are confused in passing a class as a paramater,
You can pass class as a paramater...

Lets Take an example

//----------- Class a -----------------
class a
{
    private int i;
    a(int j)
    {
        i = j;
    }

    public void print()
    {
    System.out.println(i);
    }
}


//----------------- Class b
class b
    {
        b(a A)
        {
            A.print();
        }
    }


//---------------- Main Class which is controlling the other classes    
public class c
{
    public static void main(String args[])
        {
            b B1  = new b(new a(10));
            b B2  = new b(new a(10));
        }
}       

Here i have taken two class a and b, while c is only for central controlling the two. b class constructor takes a class parameter and print it in the constructor.

[NormR1]

Does the code have compiler error messages? Please post the full text of the error messages.

[trishtren]

de have compiler error messages? Plea

when i try to do it as examples above i get :

Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NullPointerException
    at RGBColour.<init>(RGBColour.java:6)
    at compiler.main(test.java:31)

The instancing of a class for a parameter is fine, but as soon as i try to use the getOutput function i get a null pointer.

[jLocke]

Where is the code where you actually store something in the field named output?

[NormR1]

Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NullPointerException
at RGBColour.<init>(RGBColour.java:6)

What variable at line 6 has a null value. That is causing the NPE.

[JamesCherrill]

getOutput() is a method, but you call it without its () - yet there's no compiler message?
Do you have a variable with the same name?

[stultuske]

also: getoutput is not the same as getOutput
java is case sensitive. you are telling your method not that you are passing a color, but you are passing the (non-existant) variable getoutput.

 //the add function in the pen class
 public int add(String c) {
         System.out.print(c);
         return 0;
     }

why exactly does your add method return anything? since the result is always the same, it might as well be void.

[JamesCherrill]

Roger the case error, but getoutput must be defined (but not initialised) somewhere or you would get a compiler error, not a run-time NPE