Java cannot find symbol [Color type]

Question

* Parked car class
* class properties are
* - Car Color
* - Car Model
* - Car Make
* - License Number
* - Number of minutes car has been parked
public class ParkedCar {
// Field declarations for class ParkedCar
// declare color datatype (enum)
Color CarColor;
String CarModel,
CarMake,
LicenseNumber;
double TimeParkedMinutes;
public ParkedCar() {
CarColor = Color.NOTSPECIFIED;
CarModel = "NOT SPECIFIED";
CarMake = "NOT SPECIFIED";
LicenseNumber = "NOT SPECIFIED";
TimeParkedMinutes = 0.0;
} // end no arg constructor method for ParkedCar class
public ParkedCar(Color parkedColor, String parkedModel, String parkedMake, String parkedLicense, double parkedMinutes) {
CarColor = parkedColor;
CarModel = parkedModel;
CarMake = parkedMake;
LicenseNumber = parkedLicense;
TimeParkedMinutes = parkedMinutes;
} // end constructor ParkedCar
public Color getColor() {
return CarColor;
public String getModel() {
return CarModel;
public String getMake() {
return CarMake;
public String getLicenseNumber() {
return LicenseNumber;
public double getTimeParkedMinutes() {
return TimeParkedMinutes;
} // end class ParkedCar
I keep getting this compilation error
ParkedCar.java:21: cannot find symbol
symbol  : class Color
location: class Color.ParkedCar
Color CarColor;
The enumerated data type Color is declared within a separate class file. This code will compile when Color is defined within this class. Seems that enums are somewhat of a strange breed. Any ideas?
Last edited by estex198 (2009-04-06 17:07:43)

Answer 1

found some example code. I'm definately doing something wrong here. Do I need an import statement somewhere? I found some example code on a tutorial site. The enumerated data type Days is only accessible to members of EnumTest if its declaration is within the class EnumTest (as opposed to storing the enum declaration in its own .java file.
public class EnumTest {
public enum Day {
SUNDAY, MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY,
THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY
Day day;
public EnumTest(Day day) {
this.day = day;
public void tellItLikeItIs() {
switch (day) {
case MONDAY: System.out.println("Mondays are bad.");
break;
case FRIDAY: System.out.println("Fridays are better.");
break;
case SATURDAY:
case SUNDAY: System.out.println("Weekends are best.");
break;
default: System.out.println("Midweek days are so-so.");
break;
public static void main(String[] args) {
EnumTest firstDay = new EnumTest(Day.MONDAY);
firstDay.tellItLikeItIs();
EnumTest thirdDay = new EnumTest(Day.WEDNESDAY);
thirdDay.tellItLikeItIs();
EnumTest fifthDay = new EnumTest(Day.FRIDAY);
fifthDay.tellItLikeItIs();
EnumTest sixthDay = new EnumTest(Day.SATURDAY);
sixthDay.tellItLikeItIs();
EnumTest seventhDay = new EnumTest(Day.SUNDAY);
seventhDay.tellItLikeItIs();
If I were to store the enum declaration in its own file then it should look something like this(?):
public enum Day {
SUNDAY, MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY,
THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY
Thanks for your time.