At a total loss with this code...

Question

So i'm working on this applet for work and im lost. in the end, this will be a cash register type app thats integrated with our web database. as of right now, the code to download an html page works fine when run by itself, independent of the main class. but when the download PageDownload class is called from the sales class (the main class), i get this error:
register/sales.java [245:1] unreported exception java.lang.Exception; must be caught or declared to be thrown
pagey.main(null);
what's my problem?
-------------------------SALES.java----------------------------
* sales.java
* Created on December 6, 2003, 1:34 PM
package register;
import javax.swing.* ;
import java.util.*;
import java.lang.*;
import java.text.*;
import javax.swing.table.AbstractTableModel;
import javax.swing.table.DefaultTableCellRenderer;
import javax.swing.table.TableCellRenderer;
import javax.swing.table.TableColumn;
import javax.swing.JComboBox.*;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.JScrollPane;
import javax.swing.JTable;
import javax.swing.table.AbstractTableModel;
import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.GridLayout;
import java.net.*;
import java.io.*;
* @author Geoff
public class sales extends java.applet.Applet {
/** Initializes the applet sales */
public void init() {
initComponents();
//private boolean DEBUG = false;
//Set the lblDate to contain today's date in mm/dd/yy format
Date today;
String dateOut;
DateFormat dateFormatter;
dateFormatter = DateFormat.getDateInstance(DateFormat.SHORT);
today = new Date();
dateOut = dateFormatter.format(today);
lblDate.setText(dateOut);
//set up the payment method choice box
cmbPaymentMethod.add("American Express");
cmbPaymentMethod.add("Cash");
cmbPaymentMethod.add("Check");
cmbPaymentMethod.add("Discover");
cmbPaymentMethod.add("Gift Card");
cmbPaymentMethod.add("Master Card");
cmbPaymentMethod.add("Visa");
JTable table = new JTable(new MyTableModel());
table.setPreferredScrollableViewportSize(new Dimension(500, 70));
//Create the scroll pane and add the table to it.
JScrollPane scrollPane = new JScrollPane(table);
//Add the scroll pane to this panel.
add(scrollPane);
scrollPane.setBounds(0, 165, 600, 200);
scrollPane.setVisible(true);
TableColumn sysCol = table.getColumnModel().getColumn(0);
sysCol.setWidth(120);
sysCol.setMaxWidth(120);
TableColumn conCol = table.getColumnModel().getColumn(2);
conCol.setWidth(60);
conCol.setMaxWidth(60);
TableColumn qtyCol = table.getColumnModel().getColumn(3);
qtyCol.setWidth(40);
qtyCol.setMaxWidth(40);
TableColumn rateCol = table.getColumnModel().getColumn(4);
rateCol.setWidth(60);
rateCol.setMaxWidth(60);
TableColumn amtCol = table.getColumnModel().getColumn(5);
amtCol.setWidth(60);
amtCol.setMaxWidth(60);
class MyTableModel extends AbstractTableModel {
private String[] columnNames = {"System",
"Item",
"Contents",
"Qty.",
"Rate",
"Amount"};
private Object[][] data = {
public int getColumnCount() {
return columnNames.length;
public int getRowCount() {
return data.length;
public String getColumnName(int col) {
return columnNames[col];
public Object getValueAt(int row, int col) {
return data[row][col];
* JTable uses this method to determine the default renderer/
* editor for each cell. If we didn't implement this method,
* then the last column would contain text ("true"/"false"),
* rather than a check box.
public Class getColumnClass(int c) {
return getValueAt(0, c).getClass();
* Don't need to implement this method unless your table's
* editable.
public boolean isCellEditable(int row, int col) {
//Note that the data/cell address is constant,
//no matter where the cell appears onscreen.
if (col < 2) {
return false;
} else {
return true;
* Don't need to implement this method unless your table's
* data can change.
public void setValueAt(Object value, int row, int col) {
//if (DEBUG) {
System.out.println("Setting value at " + row + "," + col
+ " to " + value
+ " (an instance of "
+ value.getClass() + ")");
data[row][col] = value;
fireTableCellUpdated(row, col);
/** This method is called from within the init() method to
* initialize the form.
* WARNING: Do NOT modify this code. The content of this method is
* always regenerated by the Form Editor.
private void initComponents() {
label1 = new java.awt.Label();
txtSoldTo = new java.awt.TextArea();
label2 = new java.awt.Label();
lblDate = new java.awt.Label();
label4 = new java.awt.Label();
txtSoldBy = new java.awt.TextField();
label3 = new java.awt.Label();
lblSaleNumber = new java.awt.Label();
lblPaymentMethod = new java.awt.Label();
cmbPaymentMethod = new java.awt.Choice();
jButton1 = new javax.swing.JButton();
setLayout(null);
label1.setFont(new java.awt.Font("Dialog", 1, 12));
label1.setText("Sold To:");
add(label1);
label1.setBounds(10, 10, 50, 20);
add(txtSoldTo);
txtSoldTo.setBounds(10, 30, 180, 80);
label2.setFont(new java.awt.Font("Dialog", 1, 12));
label2.setText("Date:");
add(label2);
label2.setBounds(410, 10, 38, 20);
lblDate.setAlignment(java.awt.Label.CENTER);
lblDate.setText("dategoeshere");
add(lblDate);
lblDate.setBounds(390, 30, 90, 20);
label4.setFont(new java.awt.Font("Dialog", 1, 12));
label4.setText("Sold By:");
add(label4);
label4.setBounds(500, 70, 50, 20);
add(txtSoldBy);
txtSoldBy.setBounds(500, 90, 50, 20);
label3.setFont(new java.awt.Font("Dialog", 1, 12));
label3.setText("Sale No.");
add(label3);
label3.setBounds(500, 10, 50, 20);
lblSaleNumber.setAlignment(java.awt.Label.CENTER);
lblSaleNumber.setText("0");
add(lblSaleNumber);
lblSaleNumber.setBounds(490, 30, 70, 20);
lblPaymentMethod.setFont(new java.awt.Font("Dialog", 1, 12));
lblPaymentMethod.setText("Payment Method");
add(lblPaymentMethod);
lblPaymentMethod.setBounds(380, 70, 100, 20);
add(cmbPaymentMethod);
cmbPaymentMethod.setBounds(380, 90, 100, 20);
jButton1.setText("jButton1");
jButton1.setActionCommand("GO");
jButton1.addActionListener(new java.awt.event.ActionListener() {
public void actionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {
jButton1ActionPerformed(evt);
add(jButton1);
jButton1.setBounds(210, 100, 81, 26);
private void jButton1ActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {
// Add your handling code here:
if( evt.getActionCommand().equals("GO")) {
PageDownload pagey = new PageDownload();
System.out.println("PageDownload created.");
pagey.main(null);
private String thepage;
// Variables declaration - do not modify
private java.awt.Choice cmbPaymentMethod;
private javax.swing.JButton jButton1;
private java.awt.Label label1;
private java.awt.Label label2;
private java.awt.Label label3;
private java.awt.Label label4;
private java.awt.Label lblDate;
private java.awt.Label lblPaymentMethod;
private java.awt.Label lblSaleNumber;
private java.awt.TextField txtSoldBy;
private java.awt.TextArea txtSoldTo;
// End of variables declaration
----------------------------PageDownload.java------------------------
package register;
* @author Geoff
import java.net.*;
import java.io.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.lang.Exception;
public class PageDownload extends java.applet.Applet {
/** Creates a new instance of PageDownload */
public PageDownload() {
public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
URL url = new URL("http://www.awebsite.com");
InputStream html = url.openStream();
int c = 0;
String a = "";
while(c != -1) {
a = "";
c = html.read();
if(c == (char)60) {
while(c != (char)62) {
a = a + (char)c;
c = html.read();
if(a == "") {}
else
System.out.println(a + ">");

Answer 1

Your PageDownload code has no non-static code other than the blank class instantiator. You shouldn't be calling a static method from an instance of the class. You could just as easily say:
PageDownload.main(null);
instead of:
PageDownload pagey = new PageDownload();
pagey.main(null);
the PageDownload class needs no instance since it has no object code of any value.
Re-think the design a bit, the pattern looks bad.
If your intention for the PageDownload class was to create a singleton then search the tutorials for the proper way to construct singletons, also decide wether or not you need this class to be a singleton.
Also output some of the error information to help diagnose what exactly is wrong with the URL, ie, try to output the URL, maybe it's blank