Stuck with the paint and repaint methods

Question

I am supposed to create a JApplet with a button and a background color. When the button is clicked the first time a word is supposed to appear (I got that part), when the button is clicked the second time the word is supposed to appear again in a different color and in a different location on the Applet (I got that part).
The problem is that the first name is supposed to disappear when the second word appears. So I know I have to repaint the screen when the button is clicked the second time and draw the first string in the same color as the background color to make it invisible.
My problem is I am not sure how I can code to apply different settings each time the button is clicked. Can anyone help? Please let me know if my explanation sucks. I will try to explain better. However here is the code I have so far. I added a counter for the button just for testing purposes.
I just need some hints on what to do and if there is a easier way than using that if statement please let me know. I probably make it harder than it is.
Thanks in advance and Merry Christmas.
import javax.swing.*;
   import java.awt.*;
   import java.awt.event.*;
    public class DisplayMyName extends JApplet
    implements ActionListener
      String myName = "DOG";
      String myName1 = "DOG";
      JButton moveButton = new JButton("Move It");
      Font smallFont = new Font("Arial", Font.BOLD, 12);
      Font largeFont = new Font("Lucida Sans", Font.ITALIC, 20);
      int numClicks = 0;
      JLabel label = new JLabel("Number of button clicks:" + numClicks);
       public void init()
         Container con = getContentPane();
         con.setBackground(Color.RED);
         con.setLayout( new FlowLayout() );
         con.add(moveButton);
         con.add(label);
         moveButton.addActionListener(this);
       public void paint(Graphics g)
         numClicks++;
         label.setText("Number of button clicks: " + numClicks);
         if (numClicks == 2)
         { g.setFont(smallFont);
            g.setColor(Color.BLUE);
            g.drawString(myName, 50, 100);
               else
         if (numClicks == 3)
         { g.setFont(largeFont);
            g.setColor(Color.YELLOW);
            g.drawString(myName, 100, 200);
       public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent move)
         repaint();
   }

Answer 1

You're putting your program logic in the paint method, something you should not do. For instance, try resizing your applet and see what effect that has on number of button clicks displayed. This is all a side effect of the logic being in the paint method.
1) Don't override paint, override paintComponent.
2) Don't draw/paint directly in the JApplet. Do this in a JPanel or JComponent, and then add this to the JApplet. In fact I'd add the button, the and the label to the JPanel and add the label to the JApplet's contentPane (which usually uses BorderLayout, so it should fill the applet).
3) Logic needs to be outside of paint/paintComponent. the only code in the paintComponent should be the drawing/painting itself. The if statements can remain within the paintComponent method though.
4) When calling repaint() make sure you do so on the JPanel rather than the applet itself.
For instance where should numClicks++ go? Where should the code to change the label go? in the paint/paintComponent method? or in the button's actionlistener? which makes more sense?
Edited by: Encephalopathic on Dec 24, 2008 9:37 AM