"cannot resolve symbol" when compiling a class that calls methods

Question

I am currently taking a Intro to Java class. This problem has my instructor baffled. If I have two classes saved in separate files, for example:
one class might contain the constructor with get and set statements,
the other class contains the main() method and calls the constructor.
The first file compiles clean. When I compile the second file, I get the "cannot resolve symbol error" referring to the first class.
If I copy both files to floppy and take them to school. I can compile and run them with no problem.
If I copy the constructor file to the second file and delete the "public" from the class declaration of the constructor, it will compile and run at home.
At home, I am running Windows ME. At school, Windows 2000 Professional.
The textbook that we are using came with a CD from which I downloaded the SDK and Runtime Environment. I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling. I have also tried downloading directly from the Sun website and still the error persists.
I came across a new twist tonight. I copied class files from the CD to my hard drive. 4 separate files. 3 of which are called by the 4th.
I can run these with no problem.
Any ideas, why I would have compile errors????
Thanks!!

Answer 1

Oooops ... violated....
Well first a constructor should have the same name as the class name so in our case what we have actually created is a static method statementOfPhilosophy() in class SetUpSite and not a constructor.
Now why does second class report unresolved symbol ???
Look at this line
Class XYZ=new XYZ();
sounds familiar, well this is what is missing from your second class, since there is no object how can it call a method ...
why the precompiled classes run is cuz they contain the right code perhaps so my suggestion to you is,
1) Review the meaning and implementation of Constructors
2) Ask your instructor to do the same ( no pun intended ... )
3) Check out this for understanding PATH & CLASSPATH http://www.geocities.com/gaurav007_2000/java/
4) Look at the "import" statement, when we have code in different files and we need to incorporate some code in another it is always a good idea to use import statement, that solves quite a few errors.
5) Finally forgive any goof up on this reply, I have looked at source code after 12 months of hibernation post dot com doom ... so m a bit rusty... shall get better soon though :)
warm regards and good wishes,
Gaurav
CW :-> Mother of all computer languages.
I HAM ( Radio-Active )
* OS has no significance in this error
** uninstalling and reinstalling ? r u nuttttttts ??? don't ever do that again unless your compiler fails to start, as long as it is giving a valid error it is working man ... all we need to do is to interpret the error and try to fix the code not the machine or compiler.