Starting game, debugging simple things: help =]

Question

Hi, this is my first post here and I've been playing around with Java for a little less than a year now. I'm trying to create a simple 2d game and need some help in the basics, such as the listeners and double-buffering.
So far I've tried implementing keylistener and using another method but neither are working. When I type space, c = 32 for the scope of keyTyped(), but in the switch of the thread "game," c = 0. So I can't transition form the intro/splash screen into the game.
Also when I skip to case 0, the double-buffering is horrible, it doesn't seem like there is any. On my computer the fillOval() and drawString() keep flickering.
Thanks for the help.
The following is my code in entirety (short but growing):
            TC STUDIOS PRESENTS
||_ \  ||- ]  ][  ||\/||   ][  ']['  ][  \\  //  ||--/
||__/  || \\    \\    //  //-\\    ||- ]  \\//   ||-
||               \\/\//  ADVANCED  || \\         ||__|
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.image.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.applet.*;
<applet code="pwGUI" width = 500 height = 400>
</applet>
public class pwGUI extends Applet implements Runnable, MouseMotionListener //,KeyListener
     int gamestate;
     int mouseX, mouseY;
     char c;
     int pressedKey;
     Thread game, ai;
     //boolean splash;
     Image offscreen;
     Graphics buffer;
     public void init(){
          setBackground(Color.black);
          offscreen = createImage(500,400);
          buffer = offscreen.getGraphics();
//          addKeyListener(this);
          addMouseMotionListener(this);
          //splash = true
          gamestate = -2;
          //load graphics
          resize(500,400);
     public void run(){
          //reset ints
          while(game!=null){
               switch(gamestate){
                    case -2:
                         showStatus("game menu");
                         buffer.setColor(Color.red);
                         buffer.drawString("PRIMITIVE WARS ADVANCED", 150, 50);
                         buffer.drawString("Press SPACE to start",160,70);
                         //splash == false;
                         gamestate = -1;
                         break;
                    case -1:
//                         showStatus(String.valueOf((int)c));
//                         showStatus("start" + (char)0 + "end");
                         if(pressedKey == ' ')
                              showStatus("c is: start" + (char)c + "end");
                         if(pressedKey == ' '){
                              gamestate = 0;
                              showStatus("gamestate");
                         break;
                    case 0: // Prepare for new game
                         //showStatus("Start game");
                         buffer.clearRect(0,0,500,400);
                         buffer.setColor(Color.red);
                         buffer.fillOval(mouseX, mouseY, 20,20);
                         buffer.drawString("Playing game",10,10);
                         break;
               buffer = offscreen.getGraphics();
               repaint();
     public void start(){
          showStatus("hello");
          if(game == null){
               game = new Thread(this, "game");
               game.start();
               showStatus("Starting thread");
     public boolean keyDown(java.awt.Event evt, int key)
          pressedKey=key;
          return true;
     public boolean keyUp(java.awt.Event evt, int key)
          pressedKey=0;
          return true;
     /** Handle the key typed event from the text field. */
/*     public void keyTyped(KeyEvent e) {
          char c = e.getKeyChar();
          showStatus(String.valueOf((int)c));
          //if(c == ' ')
          //     showStatus("typed space2");
     /** Handle the key pressed event from the text field. */
/*     public void keyPressed(KeyEvent e) {
//          showStatus(String.valueOf((int)c));
//          showStatus("pressed");
//          displayInfo(e, "KEY PRESSED: ");
     /** Handle the key released event from the text field. */
/*     public void keyReleased(KeyEvent e) {
//          showStatus(String.valueOf((int)c));
//          displayInfo(e, "KEY RELEASED: ");
     public void mouseMoved(MouseEvent me){
          mouseX = me.getX();
          mouseY = me.getY();
          showStatus("moved " + mouseX + ", " + mouseY);
     public void mouseDragged(MouseEvent evt){
     public void loadMap(int mapnum){ //maybe instead param (string map)
     public void paint(Graphics g){
           g.drawImage(offscreen,0,0,this);
     public void update(Graphics g){
          paint(g);
}

Answer 1

You problem with keyTyped is scope problem.
Because you declare char c inside keyTyped, it masks the declaration of char c that has class instance scope.
All you need to do in keyTyped() is remove the char in front of the declaration to unmask the instance variable.
     public void keyTyped(KeyEvent e) {
// should be          char c = e.getKeyChar();
          c = e.getKeyChar(); // this line uses c declared above
          showStatus(String.valueOf((int)c));
          //if(c == ' ')
          //     showStatus("typed space2");
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