Refreshing a text field in an applet

Question

I wrote a program which produced a lot of numbers as output. I installed this program into an applet by calling it from the start() override and converting the number to a string then placing it in a text field. However, it only seems to display the last number. I am getting the impression that the display is only refreshed when the applet finishes. Is this generally the case? I have put in a call to repaint() after each output but it doesn't seem to make any difference. I know the program is working because the numbers appear in the OUTPUT window in IDE too, as I have done a System.out.print.

Answer 1

Here is my crazy programme. I put a sleep in but no difference. If I append to the buffer then all goes on the same line, which is not what I want. Also all appear at once when the program completes, but I want to watch this thing running. It produces prime numbers and increasing mp makes it produce lots and lots of them.
* SimpleScrolling.java
* Created on 21 March 2002, 15:00
* @author me
import java.awt.* ;
import java.applet.Applet;
import java.awt.TextField ;
public class SimpleScrolling extends java.applet.Applet {
TextField field;
public void init() {
initComponents();
//Create the text field and make it uneditable.
field = new TextField();
field.setEditable(false);
//Set the layout manager so that the text field will be
//as wide as possible.
setLayout(new java.awt.GridLayout(1,0));
//Add the text field to the applet.
add(field);
validate(); //this shouldn't be necessary
addItem("initializing... 1");
addItem("initializing... 2");
addItem("initializing... 3");
addItem("initializing... 4");
addItem("initializing... 5");
addItem("initializing... 6");
addItem("initializing... 7");
public void start() {
addItem("starting... ");
addItem("starting...2 ");
addItem("starting...3 ");
addItem("starting...4 ");
addItem("starting...5 ");
primes() ;
public void stop() {
addItem("stopping... ");
public void destroy() {
addItem("preparing for unloading...");
void addItem(String newWord) {
String t = field.getText();
System.out.println(newWord);
field.setText(newWord);
try {
repaint() ;
Thread.sleep(100) ;}
catch (InterruptedException e) {}
public void primes()
String primeString ;
long i=3 ;
int j, k=0, t=0 ;
final int mp = 10 ;
long[] primes; // declare an array of integers
primes = new long[mp]; // create an array of integers
for (j = 0 ; j < mp ; j = j + 1 ) primes[j] = 0 ;
primes[0] = 2 ;
while (t!=2)
j = 0 ;
t = 0 ;
while ( t == 0)
if (j>=mp) {t=2; break;}
if ((primes[j] * primes[j]) > i) {t = -1 ; break;}
if (i % primes[j] == 0 ) {t = 1 ; break;}
j = j + 1 ;
if (t == -1)
k = k + 1 ;
if (k < mp) { primes[k] = i ; } ;
if (k % 1 == 0)
primeString = String.valueOf((int) i) ;
addItem(primeString);
validate();
i = i + 2 ;
/** This method is called from within the init() method to
* initialize the form.
* WARNING: Do NOT modify this code. The content of this method is
* always regenerated by the Form Editor.
private void initComponents() {
setLayout(new java.awt.BorderLayout());
// Variables declaration - do not modify
// End of variables declaration