JList data model, MVC, is there an example?

Question

I have a JList, constructed from an AbstractListModel based on an ArrayList, tucked into a JScrollPane. The data model changes frequently en masse, not element by element. I have studied the API documentation of ListModel, ListDataListener, and ListDataEvent. I want to update my Jlist without reconstructing the whole thing, JScrollPane and all, and adding that JScrollPane to a JFrame's content pane in a method called from a distant class. That approach is just not working in the details like screen redraws, no matter the combination of validate(),repaint(), and show() calls I make.
The data in the ArrayList is there, I'm just trying to notify the AbstractListModel in the JList in the JScrollPane that the data has changed, so presumably it can take care of displaying those changes. The search function for similar posts on the forum is not working for me, and I am running out of resources to study on my own. A set of tutorials by by Dick Baldwin
http://www.phrantic.com/scoop/onjava.html
has been the most helpful by far in explaining MVC and its application to JList, but he says,
"fortunately we can avoid having to deal with the complexity of creating and maintaining a list of registered listener objects, and invoking listener mithods on those objects, by extending AbstractListModel to create our alternative data model..." I don't want complexity either, but I do want to update a data model.
I need an example of how to use these methods, like addListDataListener(ListDataListener l), fireContentsChanged(Object source,int index0, int index1),
public ListDataEvent(Object source,int type, int index0, int index1)
I can't believe that what I want to do is that uncommon or esoteric. Maybe it's just that I'm not seeing something obvious.
Any pointers?

Answer 1

Stated differently:
Here's the API and my error message and my code: is there a way to have just working code and the API, without the compiler error? (recs in the code is my data model, allRecs is the ArrayLIst it's based on)
API
fireContentsChanged
protected void fireContentsChanged(Object source,
int index0,
int index1)
AbstractListModel subclasses must call this method after one or more elements of the list change. The changed elements are specified by a closed interval index0, index1, i.e. the range that includes both index0 and index1. Note that index0 need not be less than or equal to index1.
Parameters:
source - The ListModel that changed, typically "this".
index0 - One end of the new interval.
index1 - The other end of the new interval.
See Also:
EventListenerList, DefaultListModel
error
C:\My Documents\Java\CIS 290\hw2\ConnectionHandler.java:173: fireContentsChanged(java.lang.Object,int,int) has protected access in javax.swing.AbstractListModel
recs.fireContentsChanged(recs,0,allRecs.size());
codepublic void handleServerMessages(DataInput in)
    done=false;
    int command =0;
    try
        command = in.readInt();
      catch(IOException e)
        e.printStackTrace();
      switch(command)
        case FULLPACKET:{handleFullPacket(in);} break;
        case PARTIALPACKET:
          initializeAllRecs();
          handlePartialPacket(in);
        } break;
        case ALREADYEXISTS: {;} break;
        case DOESNTEXIST: {;} break;
        case BYE: {done = true;} break;
        default: {;}
      recs.fireContentsChanged(recs,0,allRecs.size());
  }