Need swing help

Question

I'm having a lot of troble with a java project i am doing for school. We have to make this word matching type game, and I'm unable to get the icons to repaint correctly. More specifically they will not show up on load, but if i resize the window they display correctly, they will also not refresh when the state of the game changes. I've pasted all the code that relates to drawing bellow, any help would be very apreciated. Thank you.
//package Phase2;
import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.event.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
public class Draw extends JFrame
     private Loader _loader;
     private java.util.LinkedList<GTile> _column1;
     private java.util.LinkedList<GTile> _column2;
     private java.util.LinkedList<GTile> _column3;
     private java.util.LinkedList<GTile> _column4;
     private java.util.LinkedList<GTile> _column5;
     private java.util.LinkedList<GTile> _column6;
     private java.util.LinkedList<GTile> _column7;
     private java.util.ArrayList<String> _arrayList;
     private java.util.ArrayList<java.util.LinkedList<GTile>> _2DArray;
     //private java.util.ArrayList<Picture> _pictures;
     private GamePanel GameBoard;
     private GameState _gsObj;
     public Draw(GameState arg_gsObj)
          super("Bookworm Group 4");
          setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
          _loader = new Loader();
          _gsObj = arg_gsObj;
          _column1 = new java.util.LinkedList<GTile>();
          _column2 = new java.util.LinkedList<GTile>();
          _column3 = new java.util.LinkedList<GTile>();
          _column4 = new java.util.LinkedList<GTile>();
          _column5 = new java.util.LinkedList<GTile>();
          _column6 = new java.util.LinkedList<GTile>();
          _column7 = new java.util.LinkedList<GTile>();
          _2DArray = new java.util.ArrayList<java.util.LinkedList<GTile>>();
          establishArrays();
          GameBoard = new GamePanel(_2DArray, _gsObj, _loader);
          getContentPane().add(GameBoard, BorderLayout.CENTER);
          setVisible(true);
          pack();
          show();
          paintComponents(this.getGraphics());
          //resize( 500, 500 );
     public void establishArrays()
          for(int i=0; i<8; i++)
               _column1.add(_loader.Send(1, i));
          for(int i=0; i<7; i++)
               _column2.add(_loader.Send(2 ,i));
          for(int i=0; i<8; i++)
               _column3.add(_loader.Send(3, i));
          for(int i=0; i<7; i++)
               _column4.add(_loader.Send(4, i));
          for(int i=0; i<8; i++)
               _column5.add(_loader.Send(5, i));
          for(int i=0; i<7; i++)
               _column6.add(_loader.Send(6, i));
          for(int i=0; i<8; i++)
               _column7.add(_loader.Send(7, i));
          _2DArray.add(_column1);
          _2DArray.add(_column2);
          _2DArray.add(_column3);
          _2DArray.add(_column4);
          _2DArray.add(_column5);
          _2DArray.add(_column6);
          _2DArray.add(_column7);
     public void update(Graphics g)
          super.update(g);
          System.out.println("update called");
          Graphics2D g2d = (Graphics2D)g;
          GameBoard.update(g2d);
     //     g2d.drawImage(_image, 0, 0, null);
     public void repaint()
          super.repaint();
          System.out.println("Draw repaint called");
          //Graphics2D g2d = (Graphics2D)this.getGraphics();
     //     g2d.drawImage(_image, 0, 0, null);
     public void paint(Graphics g)
          super.paint(g);
          System.out.println("Draw Paint called");
          System.out.println("Draw: "+this.getGraphics());
          System.out.println(g);
          Graphics2D g2d = (Graphics2D)g;
          GameBoard.update(g2d);
     //     g2d.drawImage(_image, 0, 0, null);
/package Phase2;
import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.event.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
class GamePanel extends JPanel
     private GameColumn _column1;
     private GameColumn _column2;
     private GameColumn _column3;
     private GameColumn _column4;
     private GameColumn _column5;
     private GameColumn _column6;
     private GameColumn _column7;
     private GameState _gsObj;
     private Loader _loader;
     java.util.ArrayList<GTile> _selectedTiles;
     java.util.ArrayList<java.util.LinkedList<GTile>> _cArray;
     public GamePanel(java.util.ArrayList<java.util.LinkedList<GTile>> arg_array, GameState arg_gsObj, Loader arg_loader)
          super();
          _cArray = arg_array;
          _gsObj = arg_gsObj;
          _loader = arg_loader;
          _selectedTiles = new java.util.ArrayList<GTile>();
          GridLayout board = new GridLayout(1,7);
          setLayout(board);
          buildColumns();
          setVisible(true);
          this.setBackground(java.awt.Color.WHITE);               
     public void buildColumns()
          _column1 = new GameColumn(_cArray.get(0), 1, this);
          _column2 = new GameColumn(_cArray.get(1), 2, this);
          _column3 = new GameColumn(_cArray.get(2), 3, this);
          _column4 = new GameColumn(_cArray.get(3), 4, this);
          _column5 = new GameColumn(_cArray.get(4), 5, this);
          _column6 = new GameColumn(_cArray.get(5), 6, this);
          _column7 = new GameColumn(_cArray.get(6), 7, this);
          add(_column1);
          add(_column2);
          add(_column3);
          add(_column4);
          add(_column5);
          add(_column6);
          add(_column7);
          System.out.println("gamePanel: "+this.getGraphics());
     public void paint(Graphics g)
          GTile temp = new GTile("z");
          for(int i=0; i<8; i++)
               temp = _column1.getTile(i);
               temp.repaint();
          for(int i=0; i<7; i++)
               temp = _column2.getTile(i);
               temp.repaint();
          for(int i=0; i<8; i++)
               temp = _column3.getTile(i);
               temp.repaint();
          for(int i=0; i<7; i++)
               temp = _column4.getTile(i);
               temp.repaint();
          for(int i=0; i<8; i++)
               temp = _column5.getTile(i);
               temp.repaint();
          for(int i=0; i<7; i++)
               temp = _column6.getTile(i);
               temp.repaint();
          for(int i=0; i<8; i++)
               temp = _column7.getTile(i);
               temp.repaint();
    public void follow(GTile arg_tile)
         System.out.println("heres a tile "+arg_tile.getColumn()+" "+arg_tile.getPos());
         if(!_selectedTiles.isEmpty())
              GTile lastTile = _selectedTiles.get(0);
              System.out.println("last tile "+lastTile.getColumn()+" "+lastTile.getPos());
              if(arg_tile.getColumn() == lastTile.getColumn() && arg_tile.getPos() == lastTile.getPos())
                   if(_gsObj.Submit(_selectedTiles))
                        this.removeTiles(_selectedTiles);
                   _selectedTiles.clear();
              }else if(this.adjacent(arg_tile))
                   _selectedTiles.add(0, arg_tile);
              }else
                   _selectedTiles.clear();
                   _selectedTiles.add(0, arg_tile);
         }else
              _selectedTiles.add(0, arg_tile);
    private void removeTiles(java.util.ArrayList<GTile> arg_deadTiles)
         for(int i = 0; i<arg_deadTiles.size(); i++)
              GTile tempTile = arg_deadTiles.get(i);
              int column = tempTile.getColumn() - 1;
              java.util.LinkedList<GTile> tempColumn = _cArray.get(column);
              for(int k = tempTile.getPos(); k >0; k--)
                   tempColumn.set(k, tempColumn.get(k-1));
              tempColumn.set(0, _loader.Send(column, 0));
              _cArray.set(column, tempColumn);
         this.removeAll();
         this.buildColumns();
         System.out.println(this.getGraphics());
         this.update(this.getGraphics());
         System.out.println("\n\n\n");
         //this.resize(500, 500);
    private boolean adjacent(GTile arg_tile)
         if(!_selectedTiles.isEmpty())
              GTile lastTile = _selectedTiles.get(0);
              System.out.println("modulus"+arg_tile.getColumn()%2);
              if(arg_tile.getColumn()%2 == 1)
                   System.out.println("this is a 7 tile column"+arg_tile.getColumn()%2);
                   if(arg_tile.getColumn() == lastTile.getColumn())
                        if( arg_tile.getPos()+1 == lastTile.getPos() || arg_tile.getPos()-1 == lastTile.getPos())
                             return true;
                        }else
                             return false;
                   }else if(arg_tile.getColumn()+1 == lastTile.getColumn())
                        if( arg_tile.getPos()-1 == lastTile.getPos() || arg_tile.getPos() == lastTile.getPos())
                             return true;
                        }else
                             return false;
                   }else if(arg_tile.getColumn()-1 == lastTile.getColumn())
                        if( arg_tile.getPos()-1 == lastTile.getPos() || arg_tile.getPos() == lastTile.getPos())
                             return true;
                        }else
                             return false;
                   }else
                        return false;
              }else
                   if(arg_tile.getColumn() == lastTile.getColumn())
                        if( arg_tile.getPos()+1 == lastTile.getPos() || arg_tile.getPos()-1 == lastTile.getPos())
                             return true;
                        }else
                             return false;
                   }else if(arg_tile.getColumn()+1 == lastTile.getColumn())
                        if( arg_tile.getPos()+1 == lastTile.getPos() || arg_tile.getPos() == lastTile.getPos())
                             return true;
                        }else
                             return false;
                   }else if(arg_tile.getColumn()-1 == lastTile.getColumn())
                        if( arg_tile.getPos()+1 == lastTile.getPos() || arg_tile.getPos() == lastTile.getPos())
                             return true;
                        }else
                             return false;
                   }else
                        return false;
         return false;
//package Phase2;
import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.event.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
class GameColumn extends JPanel
     private java.util.LinkedList<GTile> _tArray;
     private int _cnumber;
     private GamePanel _gpObj;
     public GameColumn(java.util.LinkedList<GTile> arg_tArray, int arg_cnumber, GamePanel arg_gpObj)
          super();
          _cnumber = arg_cnumber;
          _tArray = arg_tArray;
          _gpObj = arg_gpObj;
          int height = _tArray.size();
          GridLayout cLayout = new GridLayout(height, 1);
          setLayout(cLayout);
          for(int i=0; i<height; i++)
               GTile temp = _tArray.get(i);
               temp.setGP(_gpObj);
               System.out.println(_tArray.get(i)._gpObj);
               add(_tArray.get(i));
          if(height == 7)
               float tempY = 15;
               setAlignmentY(tempY);
          setVisible(true);
          this.setBackground(java.awt.Color.WHITE);
          System.out.println("gamecolumn: "+this.getGraphics());
     public GTile getTile(int arg_pos)
          return _tArray.get(arg_pos);
     public int GetSize()
          return _tArray.size();
     public void paint(Graphics comp)
          super.paint(comp);
          GTile tempTile = new GTile("x");
          int height = _tArray.size();
          for(int i=0; i<height; i++)
               tempTile = _tArray.get(i);
               tempTile.paintComponent(comp);
//package Phase2;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.Graphics2D;
import javax.swing.event.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.geom.AffineTransform;
public class GTile extends JComponent
     private String _letter;
     private int _column;
     private int _pos;
     public GamePanel _gpObj;
     private Image _image;
     private Graphics2D DDGraphic;
     public GTile(String arg_letter)
          super();
          _letter = arg_letter;
          _column = 0;
          _pos = 0;
          _image = new ImageIcon("Pictures/"+_letter+".GIF").getImage();
          this.setMinimumSize(new Dimension(30,30));
          this.setMaximumSize(new Dimension(30,30));
          this.setBackground(java.awt.Color.WHITE);
          this.addMouseListener(new MouseAdapter()
               public void mouseClicked(MouseEvent e){
                         handleClick();
               public void mousePressed(MouseEvent e){
                         //setCurrent(e);
               public void mouseReleased(MouseEvent e){
                         //releaseCurrent();
          setVisible(true);
     public void setPos(int arg_column, int arg_pos )
          _column = arg_column;
          _pos = arg_pos;
     public void setGP(GamePanel arg_gpObj)
          _gpObj = arg_gpObj;
     public int getColumn()
          return _column;
     public int getPos()
          return _pos;
     public String getLetter()
          return _letter;
     public void handleClick()
          GTile temp = this;
          System.out.println("we got anything here?");
          _gpObj.follow(temp);
     public void paint(Graphics g)
          super.paint(g);
          if(_letter.equals("A"))
               System.out.println("\npos "+_pos+" col "+_column);
               System.out.println("Paint called");
               System.out.println(g);
          Graphics2D g2d = (Graphics2D)g;
          g2d.drawImage(_image, 0, 0, null);
     public void paintComponent(Graphics g)
          super.paintComponent(g);
          Graphics2D g2d = (Graphics2D)g;
          if(_letter.equals("A"))
               System.out.println("\npos "+_pos+" col "+_column);
               System.out.println("paintComponet called");
               System.out.println(g);
               System.out.println(this.getGraphics());
          g2d.drawImage(_image, 0, 0, null);
          //_image.paintIcon(this, DDGraphic, 0, 0);
          setVisible(true);
          

Answer 1

Well, I would start by reading the Swing tutorial on [url http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/uiswing/misc/icon.html]How to Use Icons. The easiest way is to just add the icon to a JLabel.
You code is full of overrides. There should be no need to override methods like "update, paint, repaint" of your main JFrame. Even the panels you use override the paint method. Although I strongly doubt you need to override the paint() method, the correct way to override the painting is by overriding the paintComponent(..) method.
I would suggest you don't need any of your override logic. Instead you just replace the icon of each JLabel by using setIcon.