How do I get an arrayList from an external class

Question

I have 3 classes. 1 is used to create a contact object. 2 is for my GUI 3 Does all the buisness logic. I need to get an updated arrayList back from class 3 to display the contents in my GUI class. Can someone give me a snipet. I know hat to do from there so am only looking for code to get my updated ArrayList.
If you need to see a snipet of code ask.

Answer 1

Here are my Buissness Layer and my GUI the other class is just and object class. Do I have the correct MVC concept or can I improve? If so how?
In addition I made my arrayList more visible(loads of ///////////////////////////////////// around them) can u tell me if this is correct will I be able to CRUD(the arrayList) as it is, meaning if it correctly laid out between the 2 classes for me to work on? Last thing... I think my arrayLists are creating an xlint error and I cant pick it up in compiler can soemoene point out why?
GUI class...
     Filename:     ContactsListInterface.java
     Date:           16 March 2008
     Programmer:     Yucca Nel
     Purpose:     Provides a GUI for entering names and contact numbers into a telephone directory.
                    Also allows options for searching for a specific name and deleting of data from the record
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.text.*;
import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;
import java.text.*;
public class Phonebook1 extends JFrame implements ActionListener
{ //start of class
     // construct fields, buttons, labels,text boxes, ArrayLists etc
     JTextPane displayPane = new JTextPane();
     JLabel listOfContacts = new JLabel("List Of Contacts");               // creates a label for the scrollpane
     JButton createButton = new JButton("Create");
     JButton searchButton = new JButton("Search");
     JButton modifyButton = new JButton("Modify");
     JButton deleteButton = new JButton("Delete");
     Contact c = new Contact();
     ArrayList<Person> contactList = c.getList();
     // create an instance of the ContactsListInterface
     public Phonebook1()
     { // start of cli()
          super("Phonebook Interface");
     } // end of cli()
     public JMenuBar createMenuBar()
     { // start of the createMenuBar()
          // construct and populate a menu bar
          JMenuBar mnuBar = new JMenuBar();                              // creates a menu bar
          setJMenuBar(mnuBar);
          JMenu mnuFile = new JMenu("File",true);                         // creates a file menu in the menu bar which is visible
               mnuFile.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_F);
               mnuFile.setDisplayedMnemonicIndex(0);
               mnuFile.setToolTipText("File Options");
               mnuBar.add(mnuFile);
          JMenuItem mnuFileExit = new JMenuItem("Save And Exit");     // creates an exit option in the file menu
               mnuFileExit.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_X);
               mnuFileExit.setDisplayedMnemonicIndex(1);
               mnuFileExit.setToolTipText("Close Application");
               mnuFile.add(mnuFileExit);
               mnuFileExit.setActionCommand("Exit");
               mnuFileExit.addActionListener(this);
          JMenu mnuEdit = new JMenu("Edit",true);                         // creates a menu for editing options
               mnuEdit.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_E);
               mnuEdit.setDisplayedMnemonicIndex(0);
               mnuEdit.setToolTipText("Edit Options");
               mnuBar.add(mnuEdit);
          JMenu mnuEditSort = new JMenu("Sort",true);                    // creates an option for sorting entries
               mnuEditSort.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_S);
               mnuEditSort.setDisplayedMnemonicIndex(0);
               mnuEdit.add(mnuEditSort);
          JMenuItem mnuEditSortByName = new JMenuItem("Sort By Name");          // to sort entries by name
               mnuEditSortByName.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_N);
               mnuEditSortByName.setDisplayedMnemonicIndex(8);
               mnuEditSortByName.setToolTipText("Sort entries by first name");
               mnuEditSortByName.setActionCommand("Name");
               mnuEditSortByName.addActionListener(this);
               mnuEditSort.add(mnuEditSortByName);
          JMenuItem mnuEditSortBySurname = new JMenuItem("Sort By Surname");     // to sort entries by surname
               mnuEditSortBySurname.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_R);
               mnuEditSortBySurname.setDisplayedMnemonicIndex(10);
               mnuEditSortBySurname.setToolTipText("Sort entries by surname");
               mnuEditSortBySurname.setActionCommand("Surname");
               mnuEditSortBySurname.addActionListener(this);
               mnuEditSort.add(mnuEditSortBySurname);
          JMenu mnuHelp = new JMenu("Help",true);                                        // creates a menu for help options
               mnuHelp.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_H);
               mnuHelp.setDisplayedMnemonicIndex(0);
               mnuHelp.setToolTipText("Help options");
               mnuBar.add(mnuHelp);
          JMenuItem mnuHelpHelp = new JMenuItem("Help");                              // creates a help option for help topic
               mnuHelpHelp.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_P);
               mnuHelpHelp.setDisplayedMnemonicIndex(3);
               mnuHelpHelp.setToolTipText("Help Topic");
               mnuHelpHelp.setActionCommand("Help");
               mnuHelpHelp.addActionListener(this);
               mnuHelp.add(mnuHelpHelp);
          JMenuItem mnuHelpAbout = new JMenuItem("About");                         // creates a about option for info about api
               mnuHelpAbout.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_T);
               mnuHelpAbout.setDisplayedMnemonicIndex(4);
               mnuHelpAbout.setToolTipText("About this program");
               mnuHelpAbout.setActionCommand("About");
               mnuHelpAbout.addActionListener(this);
               mnuHelp.add(mnuHelpAbout);
          return mnuBar;
     } // end of the createMenuBar()
     // create the content pane
     public Container createContentPane()
     { // start of createContentPane()
          //construct and populate panels and content pane
          JPanel labelPanel = new JPanel(); // panel is only used to put the label for the textpane in
               labelPanel.setLayout(new FlowLayout());
               labelPanel.add(listOfContacts);
          JPanel displayPanel = new JPanel();// panel is used to display all the contacts and thier numbers
               setTabsAndStyles(displayPane);
               displayPane = addTextToTextPane();
               displayPane.setEditable(false);
          JScrollPane scrollPane = new JScrollPane(displayPane);
               scrollPane.setVerticalScrollBarPolicy(JScrollPane.VERTICAL_SCROLLBAR_ALWAYS); // pane is scrollable vertically
               scrollPane.setWheelScrollingEnabled(true);// pane is scrollable by use of the mouse wheel
               scrollPane.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(400,320));
          displayPanel.add(scrollPane);
          JPanel workPanel = new JPanel();// panel is used to enter, edit and delete data
               workPanel.setLayout(new FlowLayout());
               workPanel.add(createButton);
                    createButton.setToolTipText("Create a new entry");
                    createButton.addActionListener(this);
               workPanel.add(searchButton);
                    searchButton.setToolTipText("Search for an entry by name number or surname");
                    searchButton.addActionListener(this);
               workPanel.add(modifyButton);
                    modifyButton.setToolTipText("Modify an existing entry");
                    modifyButton.addActionListener(this);
               workPanel.add(deleteButton);
                    deleteButton.setToolTipText("Delete an existing entry");
                    deleteButton.addActionListener(this);
          labelPanel.setBackground(Color.red);
          displayPanel.setBackground(Color.red);
          workPanel.setBackground(Color.red);
          // create container and set attributes
          Container c = getContentPane();
               c.setLayout(new BorderLayout(30,30));
               c.add(labelPanel,BorderLayout.NORTH);
               c.add(displayPanel,BorderLayout.CENTER);
               c.add(workPanel,BorderLayout.SOUTH);
               c.setBackground(Color.red);
          // add a listener for the window closing and save
          addWindowListener(
               new WindowAdapter()
                    public void windowClosing(WindowEvent e)
                         int answer = JOptionPane.showConfirmDialog(null,"Are you sure you would like to save all changes and exit?","File submission",JOptionPane.YES_NO_OPTION);
                         if(answer == JOptionPane.YES_OPTION)
                              System.exit(0);
          return c;
     } // end of createContentPane()
     protected void setTabsAndStyles(JTextPane displayPane)
     { // Start of setTabsAndStyles()
          // set Font style
          Style fontStyle = StyleContext.getDefaultStyleContext().getStyle(StyleContext.DEFAULT_STYLE);
          Style regular = displayPane.addStyle("regular", fontStyle);
          StyleConstants.setFontFamily(fontStyle, "SansSerif");
          Style s = displayPane.addStyle("bold", regular);
          StyleConstants.setBold(s,true);
     } // End of setTabsAndStyles()
     public JTextPane addTextToTextPane()
     { // start of addTextToTextPane()
          int numberOfEntries = contactList.size();
          int count = 0;
          Document doc = displayPane.getDocument();
          try
          { // start of tryblock
               // clear previous text
               doc.remove(0,doc.getLength());
               // insert titles of columns
               doc.insertString(0,"NAME\tSURNAME\tHOME NO\tWORK NO\tCELL NO\n",displayPane.getStyle("bold"));
               for(Person person : contactList)
                    Person c = contactList.get(count);
                    doc.insertString(doc.getLength(),c.name,displayPane.getStyle("regular"));
                    count ++;
          } // end of try block
          catch(BadLocationException ble)
          { // start of ble exception handler
               System.err.println("Could not insert text.");
          } // end of ble exception handler
          return displayPane;
     } // end of addTextToTextPane()
     // code to process user clicks
     public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e)
     { // start of actionPerformed()
          String arg = e.getActionCommand();
          // user clicks create button
          if(arg.equals("Create"))
               c.createNew();                                                  // method to create a new Contact
               addTextToTextPane();
          if(arg.equals("Search"))
               c.searchExisting();                                             // method to search for an existing entry
          if(arg.equals("Modify"))
               c.modifyExisting();
          if(arg.equals("Delete"))
               c.deleteExisting();
          if(arg.equals("Exit"))
     } // end of actionPerformed()
     // method to create a new contact
     public static void main(String[] args)
     { // start of main()
          // Set look and feel of interface
          try
          { // start of try block
               UIManager.setLookAndFeel("com.sun.java.swing.plaf.windows.WindowsLookAndFeel");
          } // end of try block
          catch(Exception e)
          { // start of catch block
               JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null,"There was an error in setting the look and feel of this application","Error",JOptionPane.INFORMATION_MESSAGE);
          } // end  of catch block
          Phonebook1 pb = new Phonebook1();
          pb.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.DO_NOTHING_ON_CLOSE);
          pb.setJMenuBar(pb.createMenuBar());
          pb.setContentPane(pb.createContentPane());
          pb.setSize(520,500);
          pb.setVisible(true);
          pb.setResizable(true);
     } // end of main()
} //end of classBuisness Layer.....
import javax.swing.JOptionPane;
import java.util.ArrayList;
public class Contact
     ArrayList<Person> contactList = new ArrayList<Person>();               // To hold all the contacts
     Person p = new Person();                                                       // Create a instance of the  Person class
     int maxLength = 10;                                                                 // To be used as a boundary value for the Strings entered
     public void createNew()
          String firstName = getName("Create");
          if(firstName.trim().length() > maxLength)
               JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null,"You may not enter a name longer than "+maxLength+" chracters. Please try again","Error",JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE);
               createNew();
          if(firstName == null)
               finish();
          if(firstName.length() == 0)
               JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null,"You may not enter a blank name. Please try again.","Error",JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE);
               createNew();
          p.name = firstName.trim().toUpperCase();
          contactList.add(p);
     public void searchExisting()
     public void modifyExisting()
     public void deleteExisting()
     public String getName(String str)
          String strx = str;
          String firstName = JOptionPane.showInputDialog(null,"Please enter the name of the contact you wish to "+strx);
          if(firstName == null)
          finish();
          return firstName;
     public void finish()
          System.exit(0);
     public ArrayList getList()
          ArrayList<Person> list = contactList;
          return list;
}Edited by: Yucca on Apr 17, 2008 4:48 PM