How to increment a field member in a java class each time a new one is instantiated

Question

VERY new to Java, so I am feeling like a child right now. The joys of learning a new language I guess.

Here is my Invoice Class:

public class Invoice {
//member inits
private int numberOfInvoices = 0;
private String companyName;
private double amountDue;
private String chargeDate;
private static int invoiceNumber = 0;


//constructor
public Invoice(String _companyName, double _amountDue, String _chargeDate)
{
    numberOfInvoices++;
    companyName = _companyName;
    amountDue = _amountDue;
    chargeDate = _chargeDate;
    invoiceNumber = numberOfInvoices;
}

//getters
public String getCompanyName()
{
    return companyName;
}

public double getAmountDue()
{
    return amountDue;
}

public String getChargeDate()
{
    return chargeDate;
}

public int getInvoiceNumber()
{
    invoiceNumber = numberOfInvoices + 1;
    return invoiceNumber;
}

//setters
public void setCompanyName(String _companyName)
{
    companyName = _companyName;
}

public void setAmountDue(double _amountDue)
{
    amountDue = _amountDue;
}

public void setChargeDate(String _chargeDate)
{
    chargeDate = _chargeDate;
}
//helpers
public int incrementInvoices()
{
    return numberOfInvoices++;
}
}

And here is the main method where I am trying to create three of these invoices, but increment the invoice number each time a new one is created.

public class InvoiceCreator {

/**
 * @param args the command line arguments
 */
public static void main(String[] args) {
    Invoice invoice1 = new Invoice("Amazing Software", 5000.00, "January 18, 2009");
    System.out.println(invoice1);

    Invoice invoice2 = new Invoice("Best Programs", 4000.00, "February 18, 2009");
    System.out.println(invoice2);

    Invoice invoice3 = new Invoice("Champion Code", 3000.00, "March 18, 2009");
    System.out.println(invoice3);
}
}

I'm also new to the IDE (netbeans), but through debugging and looking at each of the classes I created, all the fields are being initialized correctly, but the invoiceNumber = 1 on every one of them.

What am I doing incorrectly here?

Answer 1

You need to use a static field to generate incremental invoice numbers, not store the individual invoice numbers.

Try this:

public class Invoice {
//member inits
private static int nextInvoiceNumber = 0;
private String companyName;
private double amountDue;
private String chargeDate;
private int invoiceNumber = 0;


//constructor
public Invoice(String _companyName, double _amountDue, String _chargeDate)
{
    invoiceNumber = nextInvoiceNumber;
    nextInvoiceNumber++;
    companyName = _companyName;
    amountDue = _amountDue;
    chargeDate = _chargeDate;

}
....

Answer 2

Declare numberOfInvoices to be static, so that there is a single value for the entire class, rather than a separate value for each instance.

 private static int numberOfInvoices = 0;