so for a test i have a small array set as a jlist which is the contents of my jscrollpane, and it appears as if nothing is there until i adjust the window size by dragging it out or in... whats going on?
here is the full code
I think that's because you called "setVisible(true)" too early in the setup process. After you call it (at line 37 in your posted code) you go on to modify the UI by adding more components. Usually when you add more components to a GUI which is already visible you have to do something to adjust the GUI to account for them. But in this case I'd say it's sufficient to move the call to setVisible down to the end of the constructor.
Agree with PC. Always call setVisible last. Otherwise you would have to call revalidate() or similar on your Frame. There is a section about scroll panes in the Java Tutorials.