java - Sorting arrays...can't seem to get it -

i need write program have user enter list of tutor names. 10 peer tutors may hired. then, program present each name, based on list alphabetized last name. have far. i've been figuring out how sort array hours , cant seem figure out. if can explain me in easy terms i'm doing wrong, won't make same mistakes again, appreciate it.

here errors i'm getting:

 errors: peertutorreport.java:11: error: method tutornames in class peertutorreport cannot applied       given types;     int[] numtutors = tutornames();                       ^ required: int found: no arguments reason: actual , formal argument lists differ in length peertutorreport.java:46: error: cannot find symbol     string[] listnames = new string[numtutor];                                     ^  symbol:   variable numtutor  location: class peertutorreport   peertutorreport.java:48: error: cannot find symbol     (x = 0; x <= listnames.length; x++) {          ^   symbol:   variable x  location: class peertutorreport   peertutorreport.java:48: error: cannot find symbol     (x = 0; x <= listnames.length; x++) {                 ^  symbol:   variable x  location: class peertutorreport  peertutorreport.java:48: error: cannot find symbol     (x = 0; x <= listnames.length; x++) {                                        ^  symbol:   variable x   location: class peertutorreport  peertutorreport.java:49: error: cannot find symbol     numtutors[x] = joptionpane.showmessagedialog(" tutor last name , first name listed in              alphabetically order"+(x+1)+ " " + "for example: 'smith, john'");               ^ 

here's code. first method works no problem, second method... i'm having trouble with.

import javax.swing.joptionpane; import java.util.arrays;   public class peertutorreport {     public static void main(string[] args) {         string[] listnames = gettutornames();         int[] numtutors = tutornames();     }      public static string[] gettutornames() {         string firstname;         string lastname;         string[] listnames = new string[10];          (int x = 0; x < listnames.length; x++) {             firstname = joptionpane.showinputdialog(null, "enter tutor's first name: ");             lastname = joptionpane.showinputdialog(null, "enter tutor's last name: ");             listnames[x] = lastname + ", " + firstname;         }         return listnames;     }      public static string[] tutornames(int numtutors) {         string[] listnames = new string[numtutor];          (x = 0; x <= listnames.length; x++) {             numtutors[x] = joptionpane.showmessagedialog(                     "tutor last name , first  name listed in alphabetically order"                             + (x + 1) + " " + "for example: 'smith, john'");             arrays.sort(listnames);         }         return listnames;     } } 

edit: let's @ main method too:

public static void main(string[] args) {     string[] listnames = gettutornames();     int[] numtutors = tutornames(); } 

• you're not using names you've fetched in gettutornames. why ask them if you're not going pass them else?
• the tutornames method has int parameter, you're not passing arguments
• the tutornames method declared return string[], you're trying assign result int[] variable.

note none of these problems sorting - they're more basic that. suggest stop , very closely @ of code.

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edit: okay, let's @ other method:

public static string[] tutornames(int numtutors) {     string[] listnames = new string[numtutor];      (x = 0; x <= listnames.length; x++) {         numtutors[x] = joptionpane.showmessagedialog("...");             arrays.sort(listnames);     }     return listnames;  }    

you're trying assign numtutors[x] despite fact numtutors int. that's not going work. neither new string[numtutor] numtutor variable doesn't exist.

you're sorting array (which never populated) on every iteration... why?

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edit: wrote answer before question corrected...

well, here's first problem:

for (int x = 0; x < listnames.length; x++) {     firstname = joptionpane.showinputdialog(null, "enter tutor's first name: ");     lastname = joptionpane.showinputdialog(null, "enter tutor's last name: "); } 

you're asking 10 pairs of names... storing them in firstname , lastname variable each time. listnames variable never touched. want like:

for (int x = 0; x < listnames.length; x++) {     string firstname = joptionpane.showinputdialog(null, "enter tutor's first name: ");     string lastname = joptionpane.showinputdialog(null, "enter tutor's last name: ");     listnames[x] = lastname + ", " + firstname; } 

note how i've moved variable declarations firstname , lastname inside loop - you're not using them outside loop anyway, there's no benefit in declaring them earlier. in general, prefer restrict scope of local variables far can.

or ask single name per tutor:

for (int x = 0; x < listnames.length; x++) {     listnames[x] = joptionpane.showinputdialog(null, "enter tutor's name: "); }