Non-static and static errors

Question

Hi,
I've created a couple classes, say, Input and Output both with a number of different methods.
Output holds an integer value that Input needs access to.
I created a method in Output to return the value, such as
//doneItemCount is declared up here somewhere, etc
public int items()
     int returnvalue = doneItemCount;
     return returnvalue;
My Input class has a method from which it tries to get that value
public void blah()
int test = Output.items();
but no matter what i try i get
non-static method items() cannot be referenced from a static context
int test = Output.items();
If i make the methods static, then i get the same error for doneItemCount not being static or whatnot.
Any tips on how to overcome this?
Thanks

Answer 1

Hi!!
This error means that you are mixing up static and non-static methods. If you keep items() as you wrote it, then it's not a static method, and you'll have to create or use an Output variable in the blah() method. If I'm not clear:
In Output, you put:
public int items()
return doneItemCount;
And in Input, you put either:
public void blah()
int test = new Output().items();//not very useful
or, if you declared and instanciated an Output variable(say blabla) somewhere else in the Input class, you put:
public void blah()
int test = blabla.items();
Anyway, you should keep items() non-static, since it needs to access to an attribute(doneItemCount).
Hope this'll help. When I first met this error, I thought it was quite a weird solution, but you get used to it. And the compiler leaves you alone :).