Edit JPanel Text During Runtime...from another class

[bdn1404]

I am very new to Java and am having trouble changing text at runtime in a JLabel. My main class is set up to handle the computation and displays the UI frame when necessary. I am reading in data real-time so i need to be able to constantly change the label in my frame as the data changes.

I have been testing to see if I could make the runtime changes by putting the code directly into the UIFrame's main. I created the label using the Netbeans design editor and then used this code:

JLabel jLabel1 = null;
jLabel1.setText("text");

which gave me no errors, but had no effect on the label. How do I link my code-created instance with the Netbeans-created label?

Then, if I can get that to work, how do I access that same label from my (seperate) Main class?

Thanks

[nspils]

how are you re-painting the label when you update the content?

[bdn1404]

I have tried validate() and repaint() but neither of them work.

Basically, my frame shows up when I run. If I create the label before running with NetBeans, it's there but it won't change. If I try to create a new label at runtime, it never shows up.

I really think my problem is related to how my instance is(not) linked to the preexisting label. Of course, I am very new so I'm open to all suggestions.

[bdn1404]

In case anybody else has a similar problem, I discovered that I couldn't see my label was because it wasn't on the root pane. I had to add a panel and set the default pane.