title: Adding Objects to an ArrayList in java through multiple classes
body: <p>I have looked through multiple other posts on this topic, so I apologize if I am reposting previously discussed things here. Here is one of the test methods my main method calls in my testing class:</p>
  
  <pre><code>public static void test1(){
          PolynomialA p = new PolynomialA();
          //should return true
          System.out.println(p.isEmpty());
          if(p.isEmpty()){
              p.addTerm(2, 3);
              p.addTerm(3, 2);
              //should print (2)x^(3) + (3)x^(2)
              System.out.println(p.toString());
              //should return false
              System.out.println(p.isEmpty());
          }
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Now, for whatever reason, add term is not adding the terms, and the Arraylist stays empty. So, ill show you my constructor of PolynomialA:</p>
  
  <pre><code>public class PolynomialA implements Quantity{
  
     private ArrayList&lt;Term&gt; list; 
  
     PolynomialA(){
         list = new ArrayList&lt;Term&gt;();
     }//end constructor
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>And the addTerm() method where I am trying to add a Term(will show below) to the ArrayList list.</p>
  
  <pre><code>public void addTerm(int c, int e){
      Term temp;
  
      for(int i = 0; i &lt; list.size(); i++){
          //if a term with this exponent already exists in the polynomial
          if(list.get(i).exponent == e){
              //just add the passed coefficient to the existing one
              temp = new Term((list.get(i).coefficient + c), e);
              list.set(i, temp);
          }//end if
          //else: a term with this exponent does not exist
          else{
              //add the new term with the passed coeff and expo to the end
              temp = new Term(c, e);
              list.add(temp);
          }//end else
      }//end for
  }//end addTerm()
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>The entire Term Class:</p>
  
  <pre><code>public class Term{
  
      int coefficient;
      int exponent;
  
      Term(){
          coefficient = 0;
          exponent = 0;
      }
  
      Term(int c, int e){
          coefficient = c;
          exponent = e;
      }
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>So, basically, polynomial is an ArrayList of Term's, which a term has 2 integer values associated with it: coefficient, and exponent.  There are many other methods throughout the PolynomialA class, but this is the first one I need working in order for any of the others to create one. For whatever reason, i cannot append a term to the empty ArrayList. I am getting no exceptions thrown or anything, just doesnt add the term to the ArrayList. PLEASE HELP</p>
  
  <p>Also, I apologize if these snippits of code were put up here in a bass-ackwards way. </p>