Static method throwing "cannot find symbol - method"

Question

This is an assignment for school. I'm in my second semester of object oriented programming. Here is the method causing the error when compiled in the test case:
    public void testRead()
        Company aCompany = buildCompany();
        aCompany.writeToFile("CompanyDatabase.txt");
        Company bCompany = new BooksAndMore();
        bCompany = readFromFile("CompanyDatabase.txt");
        assertTrue(aCompany.equals(bCompany));
    }Error thrown is "cannot find symbol - method readFromFile(java.lang.String). Here is the method being called:
{code} public static Company readFromFile(String fileName)
Company company = new BooksAndMore();
FileInputStream fis = null;
ObjectInputStream in = null;
try
fis = new FileInputStream(fileName);
in = new ObjectInputStream(fis);
company = (Company)in.readObject();
in.close();
catch (IOException ex)
ex.printStackTrace();
catch (ClassNotFoundException ex)
ex.printStackTrace();
return company;
}{code}
What am I doing wrong?

Answer 1

are testRead() and readFromFile() in the same class?
also, the first line is pointless:
Company bCompany = new BooksAndMore();
bCompany = readFromFile("CompanyDatabase.txt");Since the second line calls a method that creates a new BooksAndMore object, there's no point creating one in the first line...it will just be replaced by the new one.
Company bCompany = readFromFile("CompanyDatabase.txt");...assuming that your readFromFile() method is in the same class. If not, you need to call the method on the class.