Help noob with code

Question

I am working on an applet that will use the g.drawRect from the applets paint method. I want to allow user to enter the data for the rectangle (coordinate and size).
What is the proper sytax to inclue variables as such?
g.drawRect( xplot, yplot, width, height );
**this code gives me the following error when compiling**
C:\Documents and Settings\Alan\My Documents\IUPUI\Java\Labs\Lab2\Lab2b\Lab2b.java:116: cannot resolve symbol
symbol : variable xplot
location: class Lab2b
          g.drawRect( xplot,yplot,width,height );

Answer 1

The error is saying that the compiler cannot resolve the symbol xplot, the first argument in drawRect on line 116. It resolves the symbol by finding where it is declared, eg, "int xplot;". In the code below we declare the variables as class or instance variables, eg, "int height;", and instantiate them in the constructor, eg, the instance variable width = w, local variable passed in to the constructor. Can't resolve something means can't find where you declared it, where did it come into being.
import java.awt.*;
import javax.swing.*;
public class jota extends JPanel {
  int x;
  int y;
  int width;
  int height;
  Color color;
  public jota(int x, int y, int w, int h, Color c) {
    this.x      = x;
    this.y      = y;
    this.width  = w;
    this.height = h;
    this.color  = c;
  public void paintComponent(Graphics g) {
    super.paintComponent(g);
    g.setColor(color);
    g.drawRect(x, y, width, height);
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    JFrame f = new JFrame();
    f.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
    f.getContentPane().add(new jota(50,50,200,175,Color.red));
    f.setSize(500,400);
    f.setLocation(300,200);
    f.setVisible(true);
}