UPDATED: I am so close to getting it working, Problem description and Code

Question

Hello to the SDN community, I am a new member and I am very inexperienced with Java. I am writing a simple photo album application that will compile and run, but not really run how I would like it to. I am sure the code is not as pretty as more experienced Java folks are used to, but I am learning.
What I would like it to do is scroll the albumName and caption Strings to the left. When those two Strings reach the left edge I would like the current photo to begin scrolling left and out of the screen while the new image simultaneously begins to scroll left into the screen from just outside the right edge towards the left edge. When the new photo begins entering the screen the new albumName and caption strings appear at the original position at HCENTER and then begin scrolling left.
The main help that I need is with the myPaint() method I think, I can't figure out how to make it work the way I just described. I can post some other versions of the method if anyone would like to see what I have tried.
Am I in need of adding more methods to the code below, or is there a way to alter this code to get the desired results? Also, if this code is written badly, please let me know (maybe suggest improvements). I am new to programming in Java and j2me. Any advice and insight will be greatly appreciated
Best Regards,
Jason
I have all kinds of versions of the myPaint() method, I can't get any that will perform the way I am trying to make it work.
The code below is very close to performing as stated. The problem with it is the next image to be displayed does not scroll in from the right as the previous image scrolls out to the left, it just pops up in the middle of the screen.
import javax.microedition.lcdui.*;
import javax.microedition.lcdui.game.GameCanvas;
public class PhotoCanvas extends GameCanvas
        implements CommandListener, Runnable {
     /******* Variable declarations removed to save space/time *******/
     * constructor
    public PhotoCanvas() {
        super(true);
        exitCommand = new Command("Exit", Command.EXIT, 0);
        addCommand(exitCommand);
        setCommandListener(this);
        initPhotos();
        initParam();
        start();
    public void initPhotos() {
     /******* Loads the images into the Image[] photo array and the captions into the String[] captions array. *******/
    public void initParam() {
        if (curSlide > 2) {
            curSlide = 0;
        nextStrX = getWidth() / 2;
        nextImgX = getWidth() + (photo[curSlide].getWidth() / 2);
        if (firstRun == true) {
            strX = getWidth() / 2;
            imgX = getWidth() / 2;
        } else if (firstRun == false) {
            strX = getWidth() / 2;
            imgX = getWidth() / 2 + (photo[curSlide].getWidth());
        aniImage = false;
        nextString = false;
        change = false;
    public void start() {
        if (animation == null) {
            animation = new Thread(this);
        animation.start();
    public void run() {
        Graphics g = getGraphics();
        try {
            while (exitFlag == false) {
                changeStrX();
                if (aniImage) {
                    changeImgX();
                myPaint(g);
                Thread.sleep(30);
        } catch (Exception ex) {
            System.out.println("Error in run()");
            ex.printStackTrace();
     * paint
    public void myPaint(Graphics g) {
        //Clear Display
        g.setColor(255, 255, 255);
        g.fillRect(0, 0, getWidth(), getHeight());
        //Draw current Image according to index
        g.drawImage(photo[curSlide], imgX, getHeight() / 2,
                Graphics.VCENTER | Graphics.HCENTER);
        //Set the caption font
        Font f = Font.getFont(Font.FACE_PROPORTIONAL, Font.STYLE_BOLD,
                Font.SIZE_MEDIUM);
        g.setFont(f);
        //Draw the current caption according to the index
        g.setColor(255, 0, 0);
        g.drawString(caption[curSlide], strX, 300,
                Graphics.HCENTER | Graphics.BOTTOM);
        g.drawString(albumName, strX, 0, Graphics.HCENTER |
                Graphics.TOP);
        if (nextString == true) {
            g.drawString(albumName, nextStrX, 0, Graphics.HCENTER |
                    Graphics.TOP);
            g.drawString(caption[curSlide], nextStrX, 300, Graphics.HCENTER |
                    Graphics.BOTTOM);
        if (nextImage == true) {
            g.drawImage(photo[curSlide], imgX, getHeight() / 2,
                    Graphics.VCENTER | Graphics.HCENTER);
        flushGraphics();
    public void changeStrX() {
        strX -= 2;
        if (strX <= 0) {
            imgX -= 2;
            aniImage = true;
            nextString = true;
    public void changeImgX() {
        imgX -= 2;
         * If the left side of the image has reached
         * the left edge of the screen
        if (imgX + photo[curSlide].getWidth() / 2 <= 0) {
            nextStrX -= 2;
            curSlide += 1;
            nextImage = true;
            initParam();
}Please offer constructive criticism and suggestions as I am trying to learn.
Thanks
Edited by: newbie_dev on Oct 9, 2009 8:17 AM
Changed code

Answer 1

Anyone?: