Java utilizing ArrayList to write and read contacts(object) to file with GUI -

i'm writing pretty simple program gui program emulates cell phone. "cell phone" has 4 main buttons: phone, contacts, message, , apps. i've coded gui , hit snag while working on contact class, backbone of entire program!

the contact class straightforward, has 2 instance variables of type string 'name' , 'number'. want build arraylist of type contact, allow contacts added, , create methods append , read in serialized file.

at point i'm stuck on how create methods add objects arraylist, , create methods append , read in serialized file.

here contact class:

public class contact {     public string name, number;  contact() {}  contact (string thename, string thenumber) {     this.name = thename;     this.number = thenumber; }  public void setname(string aname) {     this.name = aname; }  public void setnumber(string anumber) {     this.number =anumber; }  public string getname() {     return name; }  public string getnumber() {     return number; }  public string tostring() {     return name + ": " + number; }  public boolean equals(contact other) {    if (name.equals(other.getname())  && number.equals(other.getnumber()))    {       return( true );    }    else    {       return( false );    } } } 

thanks quick responses. i've corrected equals method , moved arraylist it's own class. cleared error on read method (java 7 issue). current issue i'm running on these lines:

out.writeobject(contact); 

and

contact contact = (contact)in.readobject(); 

since i'm trying write , read arraylist, shouldn't methods reflect that?

import java.util.*; import java.io.*;  class contactscollection implements serializable {     public static final long serialversionuid = 42l;  arraylist <contact> contactlist = new arraylist<contact>();  public void write() {     try      {         objectoutputstream out = new objectoutputstream(new fileoutputstream("contactlist.dat"));         out.writeobject(contact);     }      catch(ioexception e)     {         e.printstacktrace();     } }  public void read() {     try     {          objectinputstream in = new objectinputstream(new fileinputstream("contactlist.dat"));          contact contact = (contact)in.readobject();     }      catch (ioexception e)     {         e.printstacktrace();     }     catch (classnotfoundexception e)     {         e.printstacktrace();     } } } 

i afraid understand trying achieve can see 2 problems in code:

1. you have created contact class static attributes, means objects share same value of name & number. seems problematic , advice create non-static attributes when there seems no need share them.

public static string name, number;

second problem in class have put arraylist of contacts in it. , have made class seriablizable. means everytime serialize contact object, arraylist serialized along it, assume not desired. should create class , name such contactscollection , create arraylist in it, may chose have static arraylist here.

in gui, if creating , object, create instance of contact. , add contactscollection.contactlist(). may add methods serialize in contactscolleciton class. may chose have single method in contactscollection argument contact object. first add object in list , serialize it.