How to modify array elements from a separate class?

Question

I am trying to modify array elements in a class which populates these fields by reading in a text file. I have got mutator methods to modify the array elements and they work fine in the same class.
public class Outlet {
     private Outlet[] outlet;
     private String outletName;
     private int phoneNumber;
     private int category;
     private int operatingDays;
static final int DEFAULT = 99;
     public void setPhoneNumber(int newPhoneNumber) {
          phoneNumber = newPhoneNumber;
     public void setCategory(int newCategory) {
          category = newCategory;
     public void setOperatingDays(int newOperatingDays) {
          operatingDays = newOperatingDays;
public static void readFile(Outlet[] outlet) throws FileNotFoundException {
          Scanner inFile = new Scanner(new FileReader("outlets.txt"));
          int rowNo = 0;
          int i = 0;
          String outletValue;
          while (inFile.hasNext() && rowNo < MAXOUTLETS) {
               outlet[rowNo] = new Outlet();
               outletValue = inFile.nextLine();
               outlet[rowNo].setOutletName(outletValue.toUpperCase());
               outlet[rowNo].setPhoneNumber(DEFAULT);
               outlet[rowNo].setCategory(DEFAULT);
               outlet[rowNo].setOperatingDays(DEFAULT);
          inFile.close();
     public static void displayUnassignedOutlets(Outlet[] outlet) {
          int i = 0;
          System.out.println("Showing all unassigned Outlets");
          System.out.println(STARS);
          for (i = 0; i < MAXOUTLETS; i++ ) {
               if (outlet.getCategory() == DEFAULT) {
               System.out.println("\nOutlet Number: " + (i + 1) + "\t" +
                         outlet[i].getOutletName());
Now in the other class that I want to modify the array elements I use the following code but I get an error that "The expression type must be an array but a Class ' Outlet' is resolved".
So how can I modify the array elements? What do I have to instantiate to get the following code to work?
public class Franchise {
     private Franchise[] franchise;
     public Outlet[] outlet;
     public static void createFranchise(Franchise[] franchise) throws FileNotFoundException {
          Scanner console = new Scanner(System.in);
          int choice = -1;
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
          Outlet outlet = new Outlet();
          Outlet.readFile(outlet.getOutlet());
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
          boolean invalidChoice = true;
          while (invalidChoice) {
          System.out.println("\nCreating a New Franchise...");
          System.out.println(STARS);
          System.out.println("Please select an outlet from the list below");
          Outlet.displayUnassignedOutlets(outlet.getOutlet());
          choice = console.nextInt();
          if (choice < 0 || choice > 10) {
               System.out.println("Error! Please choose a single number between 1 and 10");               
          else {
               invalidChoice = false;
          invalidChoice = true;
          while (invalidChoice) {
               System.out.println("Please enter the Phone Number for this Outlet");
               choice = console.nextInt();
               String phone = new String();
          phone = new Integer(choice).toString();
               if (phone.length() < 8 || phone.length() > 10) {
                    System.out.println("Error! Please enter 8 to 10 digits only");
               else {
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
                    outlet[(choice - 1)].setPhoneNumber(choice);
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
                    invalidChoice = false;

Answer 1

Hi Pete!
Thanks for your comments. I have included my full classes below with their respective driver modules. Hope this helps out a bit more using the code tags. Sorry, it was my first posting. Thanks for the heads up!
import java.util.*;
import java.io.*;
public class Outlet {
     public Outlet[] outlet;
     private String outletName;
     private int phoneNumber;
     private int category;
     private int operatingDays;
//     private Applicant chosenApplicant;
     static boolean SHOWDETAILS = false;
     static final String STARS = "****************************************";
     static final int MAXOUTLETS = 10;
     static final int DEFAULT = 99;
     public Outlet[] getOutlet() {
          return outlet;
     public String getOutletName() {
          return outletName;
     public int getPhoneNumber() {
          return phoneNumber;
     public int getCategory() {
          return category;
     public int getOperatingDays() {
          return operatingDays;
     public void setOutletName(String newOutletName) {
          outletName = newOutletName;
     public void setPhoneNumber(int newPhoneNumber) {
          phoneNumber = newPhoneNumber;
     public void setCategory(int newCategory) {
          category = newCategory;
     public void setOperatingDays(int newOperatingDays) {
          operatingDays = newOperatingDays;
     public Outlet() {
          outlet = new Outlet[10];
     public static void readFile(Outlet[] outlet) throws FileNotFoundException {
          Scanner inFile = new Scanner(new FileReader("outlets.txt"));
          int rowNo = 0;
          int i = 0;
          String outletValue;
          while (inFile.hasNext() && rowNo < MAXOUTLETS) {
               outlet[rowNo] = new Outlet();
               outletValue = inFile.nextLine();
               outlet[rowNo].setOutletName(outletValue.toUpperCase());
               //System.out.println(rowNo % 2);
          //     if (rowNo % 2 == 0) {
               outlet[rowNo].setPhoneNumber(DEFAULT);
               outlet[rowNo].setCategory(DEFAULT);
               outlet[rowNo].setOperatingDays(DEFAULT);
//               System.out.println("Outlet Name+++++++  " + rowNo + "\n" + outlet[rowNo].getOutlet());               
               rowNo++;
     //          System.out.println(rowNo);
          if (SHOWDETAILS) {
               if (rowNo > 6) {
                    for (i = 0; i < rowNo; i++ ) {
                         System.out.println("\nOutlet Name+++++++  " + (i + 1) + "\t" +
                                   outlet.getOutletName());
          inFile.close();
     public static void displayAllOutlets(Outlet[] outlet) {
          int i = 0;
          System.out.println("Showing All Outlets");
          System.out.println(STARS);
          for (i = 0; i < MAXOUTLETS; i++ ) {
               System.out.println("\nOutlet Number: " + (i + 1) + "\t" +
                         outlet[i].getOutletName());
     public static void displayUnassignedOutlets(Outlet[] outlet) {
          int i = 0;
          System.out.println("Showing all unassigned Outlets");
          System.out.println(STARS);
          for (i = 0; i < MAXOUTLETS; i++ ) {
               if (outlet[i].getCategory() == DEFAULT) {
               System.out.println("\nOutlet Number: " + (i + 1) + "\t" +
                         outlet[i].getOutletName());
     public static void main(String[] args) throws FileNotFoundException {
          Outlet start = new Outlet();
          Outlet.readFile(start.getOutlet());
          Outlet.displayUnassignedOutlets(start.getOutlet());
================================
So in the below Franchise class, when I specify:
outlet[(choice - 1)].setPhoneNumber(choice);
I get the error that an array is required but the class Outlet is resolved. Any feedback is greatly appreciated!
import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
import java.io.PrintWriter;
import java.util.*;
public class Franchise {
     private Franchise[] franchise;
     public Outlet[] outlet;
     static final int MAXOUTLETS = 10;
     static final int DEFAULT = 99;
     static boolean SHOWDETAILS = false;
     static final String STARS = "****************************************";
     static final double REGHOTDOG = 2.50;
     static final double LARGEHOTDOG = 4;
     static final int SALESPERIOD = 28;
     static final int OPERATINGHOURS = 8;
     public Franchise[] getFranchise() {
          return franchise;
     public Franchise() {
     public static void createFranchise(Franchise[] franchise) throws FileNotFoundException {
          Scanner console = new Scanner(System.in);
          int choice = -1;
          //franchise[i] = new Franchise();
          Outlet outlet = new Outlet();
          //outlet[i] = new Franchise();
          Outlet[] myOutlet = new Outlet[10];
          Outlet.readFile(outlet.getOutlet());
          boolean invalidChoice = true;
          while (invalidChoice) {
          System.out.println("\nCreating a New Franchise...");
          System.out.println(STARS);
          System.out.println("Please select an outlet from the list below");
          Outlet.displayUnassignedOutlets(outlet.getOutlet());
          choice = console.nextInt();
          if (choice < 0 || choice > 10) {
               System.out.println("Error! Please choose a single number between 1 and 10");               
          else {
               invalidChoice = false;
          //System.out.println(j);
          invalidChoice = true;
          while (invalidChoice) {
               System.out.println("Please enter the Phone Number for this Outlet");
               choice = console.nextInt();
               String phone = new String();
              phone = new Integer(choice).toString();
               if (phone.length() < 8 || phone.length() > 10) {
                    System.out.println("Error! Please enter 8 to 10 digits only");
               else {
                    outlet[(choice - 1)].setPhoneNumber(choice);
                    invalidChoice = false;
          invalidChoice = true;
          while (invalidChoice) {
               System.out.println("Please enter the category number for this Outlet");
               choice = console.nextInt();
               if (choice < 1 || choice > 4) {
                    System.out.println("Error! Please choose a single number between 1 and 4");
               else {
                    outlet.setCategory(choice);
                    invalidChoice = false;
          invalidChoice = true;
          while (invalidChoice) {
               System.out.println("Please enter the Operating Days for this Outlet");
               choice = console.nextInt();
               if (choice < 5 || choice > 7) {
                    System.out.println("Error! Please choose a single number between 5 and 7");
               else {
                    outlet.setOperatingDays(choice);
                    invalidChoice = false;
//          Applicant chosenApplicant = new Applicant();
     //     Applicant.readFile(chosenApplicant.getApplicant());
          //Applicant.checkCriteria(chosenApplicant.getApplicant());
     //     System.out.println("This Franchise has been assigned to : " +
          //          chosenApplicant.displayOneEligibleApplicant());
          Outlet.displayUnassignedOutlets(outlet.getOutlet());
     public static void main(String[] args) throws FileNotFoundException {
          Franchise start = new Franchise();
          Franchise.testing(start.getFranchise());
          //Franchise.createFranchise(start.getFranchise());
          //Franchise.displaySalesForcast();
          //Franchise.displayAllFranchises(start.getOutlet());