Help with a very basic GUI

Question

Hi guys, i have a project to do and Ive chosen hangman. Ive already made the main program , but i need help with the GUI. I havent been taught about GUI in school, so all i know is what i could understand from a book and what ive read on the internet..
First , heres the code of my basic Hangman class:
import java.io.*;
import java.util.Random;
public class Hangman
    public void maingame()throws IOException
        InputStreamReader isr = new InputStreamReader(System.in);
        BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(isr);
        String movies[]={"THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM","TRANSFORMERS","RUSH HOUR 3","THE INSIDE MAN","THE SIMPSONS MOVIE","THE LORD OF THE RINGS","DIE HARD 4.0"};
        Random rand = new Random();
        char current[]=(movies[rand.nextInt(movies.length)]).toCharArray();  //Convert a random string from movies array into a char array
        char actual[]=new char[current.length]; //Store current state of guessed movie
        for (int i=0;i<actual.length;i++)
            if (isVowel(Character.toUpperCase(current))==true)
actual[i]=current[i];
else if (isSpecialChar(Character.toUpperCase(current[i]))==true)
actual[i]=current[i];
else if (current[i]==' ')
actual[i]='/';
else
actual[i]='_';
String hangman = "HANGMAN";
int turnsleft=7;
StringBuffer guessed=new StringBuffer();
while (turnsleft!=0)
System.out.println("\n\t\t\t\t"+hangman.substring(0,turnsleft)+"\n");
print(actual);
System.out.println("\nEnter your guess");
String inp = br.readLine();
if (inp.length()>1)
System.out.println("You may only enter one character");
else
char guess = inp.charAt(0); //Convert the entered string to char
if ( (hasBeenGuessed(guess,guessed)) == true )
System.out.println("You have already guessed that\nYou have "+turnsleft+" turns left");
else if (guess >= '0' && guess <= '9')
System.out.println("You cannot guess digits.All digits in a movie will will be filled in automatically");
else
guessed.append(guess);
if (isVowel(guess)!=true)
if (isCorrect(guess,turnsleft,current,actual)==true)
if (hasWon(actual,current)==true)
System.out.println();
print(actual);
System.out.println("\nCongratulations!You won!");
System.exit(0);
else
System.out.println("\nCorrect Guess!\nYou have "+turnsleft+" turns left\n");
else
turnsleft--;
System.out.println("Wrong Guess!\nYou have "+turnsleft+" turns left\n");
else if (isVowel(guess)==true)
System.out.println("You cannot guess vowels\nYou have "+turnsleft+" turns left\n");
else
System.out.println("You have already guessed that\nYou have "+turnsleft+" turns left\n");
print(actual);
if (turnsleft==0)
System.out.println("\nYou lose!\nThe movie was: ");
print(current);
System.exit(0);
private boolean isCorrect(char guess,int turnsleft,char current[],char actual[])
int flag=0;
for (int i=0;i<current.length;i++)
if ( Character.toUpperCase(current[i])==Character.toUpperCase(guess) && actual[i]!=guess ) //Check if guess is correct, and make sure it has not already been entered
actual[i]=guess;
flag=1;
else if (Character.toUpperCase(current[i])!=Character.toUpperCase(guess) && i==current.length-1 && flag==0)
return false;
if (flag!=0)
return true;
else
return false;
private boolean hasWon(char actual[],char current[])
char actualspc[]=new char[actual.length];
for (int i=0;i<actual.length;i++)
if (actual[i]=='/')
actualspc[i]=' ';
else
actualspc[i]=actual[i];
for (int i=0;i<actual.length;i++)
if ((Character.toUpperCase(current[i]))==(Character.toUpperCase(actualspc[i])) && i==actual.length-1)
return true;
else if ((Character.toUpperCase(current[i]))==(Character.toUpperCase(actualspc[i])) && i!=actual.length-1)
continue;
else
return false;
return false;
private void print(char arr[])
for (int i=0;i<arr.length;i++)
System.out.print(Character.toUpperCase(arr[i])+" ");
private boolean isVowel(char a)
if (a=='a' || a=='A' || a=='e' || a=='E' || a=='i' || a=='I' || a=='o' || a=='O' || a=='u' || a=='U')
return true;
else
return false;
private boolean isSpecialChar(char a)
//if (a>='a' && a<='z')
//return false;
//else if (a>='A' && a<='z')
//return false;
//else if (a==' ')
//return false;
//else if (a>='0' && a<='9')
//return true;
if (isLetter(a)==true)
return false;
else if (isWhiteSpace(a)==true)
return false;
else if (isDigit(a)==true)
return true;
else
return true;
private boolean hasBeenGuessed(char a,StringBuffer guessed)
for (int i=0;i<guessed.length();i++)
if ( Character.toUpperCase(guessed.charAt(i)) == Character.toUpperCase(a))
return true;
return false;
My first 2 questions are here:
a - Why does isLetter not work, it says cannot resolve symbol - method isLetter(char)... Im guessing even isDigit and isWhiteSpace wont work, so why? If i cant use them ill have to use the commented code, its kind of unprofessional..
b- Isnt there any way i can compare chars ignoring cases besides converting both to one case, like im doing now?
Heres the new HangmanGUI class i made, it doesnt necessarily have to be a different class in the final outcome, but i would prefer it if it can.. Ive made what i can figure out.. Ive commented about what i need to do.
Keep in mind i cant use Applets, only Frame/JFrame
import java.awt.*;
import javax.swing.*;
public class HangmanGUI extends JFrame implements ActionListener
    Button newGame = new Button("New Game");
    Button entGuess = new Button("Submit Guess");
    Button giveUp = new Button("Give Up");
    TextField input = new TextField("",1);
    Label hangman = new Label("HANGMAN");
    JPanel play = new JPanel();
    JPanel hang = new Jpanel();
    GridLayout playLayout = new GridLayout(2,4);
    public HangmanGUI()
        play.setLayout(playLayout);
        play.add(hangman+"\n");
        play.add(newGame);
        play.add(giveUp);
        play.add(input);
        play.add(entGuess);
        hang.add(hangman);
        getContentPane().add(play);
        getContentPane().add(hang);
    public void ActionPerformed(ActionEvent act)
        Object src = act.getSource();
        if (src==newGame)
        main(); //Calling main to restart program - will that work?
        //if (src==entGuess)
        //Need to submit the guess, while input is not empty to Hangman class
        //if (src==giveUp)
        //Need to go into the losing part of Hangman class
}As you can see i need help with:
a - How to complete the other ifs
b - How to really use the data of my Hangman class in this class and combine the GUI and backend to make a nice GUI Hangman app
c - btw, right now if i try to compile HangmanGUI it highlights the implements ActionListener line and says cannot resolve symbol - class ActionListener..
Any help would be greatly appreciated

Answer 1

Thanks for the explanation pete...
Anyways, i started implementing my code within abillconsl's code, and im trying to assign a label to a char array using .toString(); but instead of whats in the char array i get [C@<numbers and digits> ..
Whats wrong?
[code]
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.util.Random;
public class HangEmHighGUI extends JFrame implements ActionListener
private Button newGame,
entGuess,
giveUp;
private TextField input;
private Label hangman,
movie;
private JPanel play,
hang;
private GridLayout playLayout;
private FlowLayout labelLayout;
private Container container; // To avoid extra meth calls
String movies[]={"THE/BOURNE/ULTIMATUM","TRANSFORMERS","RUSH HOUR 3","THE INSIDE MAN","THE SIMPSONS MOVIE","THE LORD OF THE RINGS","DIE HARD 4.0"};
Random rand = new Random();
char current[]=(movies[rand.nextInt(movies.length)]).toCharArray(); //Convert a random string from movies array into a char array
char actual[]=new char[current.length]; //Store current state of guessed movie
public HangEmHighGUI()
setUp();
container = this.getContentPane();
play = new JPanel();
hang = new JPanel();
playLayout = new GridLayout(1, 3, 5, 5); // rows, cols, space, space
labelLayout = new FlowLayout(FlowLayout.CENTER);
newGame = new Button("New Game");
entGuess = new Button("Submit Guess");
giveUp = new Button("Give Up");
input = new TextField("",1);
hangman = new Label("HANGMAN");
movie = new Label(actual.toString());
hang.setLayout(labelLayout);
play.setLayout(playLayout);
play.add(newGame);
play.add(giveUp);
play.add(entGuess);
hang.add(hangman);
hang.add(movie);
container.add(hang,BorderLayout.NORTH);
container.add(input,BorderLayout.CENTER);
container.add(play,BorderLayout.SOUTH);
pack();
setVisible(true);
setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent act)
Object src = act.getSource();
if (src==newGame)
main(new String[] {""}); //Calling main to restart program, this does not work without parameters, is there some other way to restart?
if (src==entGuess)
if (input.getText()=="")
setUp();
//if (src==giveUp)
//Need to go into the losing part of Hangman class
public static void main(String args[])
javax.swing.SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
public void run() {
new HangEmHighGUI();
private void setUp()
for (int i=0;i<actual.length;i++)
if (isVowel(Character.toUpperCase(current)))
actual[i]=current[i];
else if (isSpecialChar(Character.toUpperCase(current[i])))
actual[i]=current[i];
else if (Character.isWhitespace(current[i]))
actual[i]='/';
else
actual[i]='_';
private boolean isVowel(char a)
if (Character.toUpperCase(a)=='A' || Character.toUpperCase(a)=='E' || Character.toUpperCase(a)=='I' || Character.toUpperCase(a)=='O' || Character.toUpperCase(a)=='U')
return true;
else
return false;
private boolean isSpecialChar(char a)
if (Character.isLetter(a))
return false;
else if (Character.isDigit(a))
return true;
else if (Character.isWhitespace(a))
return false;
else
return true;
private boolean isCorrect(char guess,int turnsleft,char current[],char actual[])
int flag=0;
for (int i=0;i<current.length;i++)
if ( Character.toUpperCase(current[i])==Character.toUpperCase(guess) && actual[i]!=guess ) //Check if guess is correct, and make sure it has not already been entered
actual[i]=guess;
flag=1;
else if (Character.toUpperCase(current[i])!=Character.toUpperCase(guess) && i==current.length-1 && flag==0)
return false;
if (flag!=0)
return true;
else
return false;
private boolean hasWon(char actual[],char current[])
char actualspc[]=new char[actual.length];
for (int i=0;i<actual.length;i++)
if (actual[i]=='/')
actualspc[i]=' ';
else
actualspc[i]=actual[i];
for (int i=0;i<actual.length;i++)
if ((Character.toUpperCase(current[i]))==(Character.toUpperCase(actualspc[i])) && i==actual.length-1)
return true;
else if ((Character.toUpperCase(current[i]))==(Character.toUpperCase(actualspc[i])) && i!=actual.length-1)
continue;
else
return false;
return false;
private void print(char arr[])
for (int i=0;i<arr.length;i++)
System.out.print(Character.toUpperCase(arr[i])+" ");
private boolean hasBeenGuessed(char a,StringBuffer guessed)
for (int i=0;i<guessed.length();i++)
if ( Character.toUpperCase(guessed.charAt(i)) == Character.toUpperCase(a))
return true;
return false;
Note that the majority of the code has been taken from my old hangman class, i havent adapted it to the GUI yet, so ignore all of that stuff.