import java.applet.Applet;
import java.awt.*;

class BlinkingCharacter extends ScreenCharacter implements Blinkable {

  Applet applet;
  float blinkingRate = MAXRATE;
  int laptime = (int) (1/blinkingRate);
  private Thread blinker = null;
  private boolean isVisibleQ = true;

  BlinkingCharacter(Applet applet) {   
    // constructor for default initialization
    this("a", 12, 0, 0, applet);
  }

  BlinkingCharacter(String name, int fontsize, int x, int y, Applet applet) { 
    // constructor to initialize letter and position
    super(name, fontsize, x, y);
    this.applet = applet;
  }
 
  void randomize() {
    laptime = randomNumber(500,2000);
    setBlinkingRate((float) 1/laptime);
    laptime = (int) (1/blinkingRate);
    super.randomize();
  }

  public void draw(Graphics g) {
    if (isVisibleQ) {
      super.draw(g);
    }
  }

  public void run () {
    while (blinker != null) {
      applet.repaint();
      try {
        Thread.sleep(laptime/2);
      }
      catch (InterruptedException e) {
        break;
      }
      isVisibleQ = !isVisibleQ;
    }
  }

  public void startBlinking () {
    if ( blinker == null) {
      blinker = new Thread(this);
      blinker.start();
    }
  }

  public void stopBlinking () {
    if (blinker != null) {
      blinker.stop();
    }
    blinker = null;
  }

  public float getBlinkingRate () {
    return blinkingRate;
  }

  public void setBlinkingRate (float r) {
    blinkingRate = Math.max(MINRATE, Math.min(r, MAXRATE));
  }
}