To use the TableSorter class from Sun, referenced in the JTable tutorial
http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/uiswing/components/table.html. I
have to create a MyTableModel that houses and manipulates the Table
data. The code they have can not really work in a real world
application. That is, hard coded model data and columns. This is not
practical. What I have done, is working as designed. (Attached below)

The pattern that Sun uses for the TableSorter and MyTableModel classes
is the decorator pattern. I have to fold MyTableModel into the
TableSorter class and then set the TableSorter as the JTable model. Code
wise it is done this this way:

    TableSorter sorter = new TableSorter(new MyTableModel());
    JTable table = new JTable(sorter);
    sorter.setTableHeader(table.getTableHeader());

So in TableSorter there is a constructor defined to house the passed
MyTableModel:

  public TableSorter(TableModel tableModel) {
        this();
        setTableModel(tableModel);
  }

OK, MyTableModel works as designed. I have no problem at all with
loading data, Sorting..etc. All works the way it should. The problem I
am having is that when I have to reference the MyTableModel thru the
JTable owner I am not seeing it. Say I have to get the
table.getRowCount(), table.getColumnModel(), table.getColumnCount() or
attached any renders. And if I do table.getModel() I am not getting the
MyTableModel that has the data. The TableSorter HAS the reference to
MyTableModel else no sorting would work but it does.

Hope my question is understandable. It's like I can not reference the
MyTableModel that is in TableSorter set as the model for the JTable
owner..  MyTableModel and TableSorter both extend AbstractTableModel.

public class MyTableModel extends AbstractTableModel
{
    /**
     * Debugging switch for problem determination
     */
    private boolean    DEBUG = false;
    /**
     * Define as string Object and not Vector to maintain Columns
     */
      private String[]   columnNames;
//    private String[] columnNames = {"Index","Entry
Name","URL","Results","Coment"};
    /**
     * Define as new with one element to eliminate error
     * on intial reference from TableSorter
     */
    private Object[][] data = new Object[0][0];

    /**
     * Default Class constructor on intial refference from TableSorter
     */
    public JBookMarksTableModel() {
    }

    /**
     * Added a constructor to load in data column names.
     *
     * @param data         row data to add to row model
     * @param columnNames  columms with colummns names to add to model
     */
    protected JBookMarksTableModel(Object[][] data, String[] columnNames) {
        //
        // Copy all Columns data to instance Columns
        addColumn(columnNames);
        //
        // Redefine the instance row size
        this.data        = new Object[data.length][data[0].length];
        //
        // Copy all row data to instance row data
        copyObjects(data, this.data);
    }
    /**
     * Added a constructor to load in data column names.
     *
     * @param data         row data to add to row model
     * @param columnNames  columms with colummns names to add to model
     */
    protected void addDataObject(Object[][] data) {
        //
        // Redefine the instance row size
        this.data        = new Object[data.length][data[0].length];
        //
        // Copy all row data to instance row data
        copyObjects(data, this.data);
    }
    /**
     * Delete all data.
     */
    protected void deleteDataObject() {
        //
        // Redefine the instance row size to zero
        this.data        = new Object[0][0];
     }
    /**
     * Non-Standard Added this method to return the all the Models data
     *  @return data[][]
     */
    protected Object[][] getTableData(){
        return data;
    }
    /**
     * @see javax.swing.table.TableModel#getColumnCount()
     */
    public int getColumnCount() {
        return columnNames.length;
    }
    /**
     * @see javax.swing.table.TableModel#getRowCount()
     */
    public int getRowCount() {
        return data.length;
    }
    /**
     *  Added Method to add Columns[]. There is no equivwent method
     *  in Sun's table models.
     *  It overrides addColumn(String columnName)
     *  (Mine only works for seq column adds)
     *
     * @param columnNames All Table Column names
     */
    protected void addColumn(String[] columnNames) {
        //
        // Copy all Columns data to instance Columns
        this.columnNames = new String[columnNames.length];
        this.columnNames = columnNames;
    }
    /**
     *  I added Method to add Columns
     *  DefaultTableModel uses a addColumn(int column, String[] column)
     *  (Mine only works for seq column adds)
     *
     * @param columnName Column name
     */
    protected void addColumn(String columnName) {

        if (columnNames == null)  {
            //
            // First time
            this.columnNames = new String[1];
            this.columnNames[0] = columnName;
        } else {

            // Create temp Object to hold current columns data plus one new
            // empty element
            Object temp[] = new Object[columnNames.length + 1];

            //
            // Copy all current Column data to temp
            System.arraycopy(columnNames, 0, temp, 0, columnNames.length);

            //
            // Added the new column name to the temp Object
            temp[temp.length - 1] = columnName;

            //
            // Rebuild the Instance Column object with all of the new data
            this.columnNames = new String[temp.length];
            System.arraycopy(temp, 0, columnNames, 0, columnNames.length);
        }
    }

    /**
     * Overrides javax.swing.table.AbstractTableModel.getColumnName(int)
     * @see javax.swing.table.AbstractTableModel#getColumnName(int)
     */
    public String getColumnName(int col) {
        return columnNames[col];
    }

    /**
     * @see javax.swing.table.TableModel#getValueAt(int, int)
     */
    public Object getValueAt(int row, int col) {
        return data[row][col];
    }

    /**
     * JTable uses this method to determine the default renderer/
editor for
     * each cell. If we didn't implement this method, then the last
column would
     * contain text ("true"/"false"), rather than a check box.
     *
     * @see javax.swing.table.AbstractTableModel#getColumnClass(int)
     */
    public Class getColumnClass(int c) {

        Class value = null;
        try  {
            value = getValueAt(0, c).getClass();
        } catch (Exception e) {
            // TODO: handle exception
        }
        return  value;
    }

    /**
     * Don't need to implement this method unless your table's editable.
     *
     * @see javax.swing.table.AbstractTableModel#isCellEditable(int, int)
     */
    public boolean isCellEditable(int row, int col) {
        // Note that the data/cell address is constant,
        // no matter where the cell appears onscreen.
        if (col < 2) {
            return false;
        }
        return true;
    }

    /**
     * Don't need to implement this method unless your table's data can
change.
     * Overrides javax.swing.table.AbstractTableModel.setValueAt(Object
value, int row, int col)
     * @see
javax.swing.table.AbstractTableModel#setValueAt(java.lang.Object, int, int)
     */
    public void setValueAt(Object value, int row, int col) {

        if (DEBUG){
            out.println("Setting value at " + row + "," + col + " to "
                    + value + " (an instance of " + value.getClass() +
")");
        }
        data[row][col] = value;
        fireTableCellUpdated(row, col);

        if (DEBUG) printDebugData(this.data);
    }

    /**
     * I added Methods to add row data conforms to DefaultTableModel.
     * DefaultTableModel uses a addRow(int row, Object[] data)
     * (I only append the row data)
     *
     * @param data  a one dimension row element
     */
    protected void addRow(Object[] data) {

        if (this.data == null) {
            this.data = new Object[1][data.length];
            //
            // loop and add the new first data row elements
            for (int j = 0; j < data.length; j++) {
                this.data[0][j] = data[j];
            }
        } else {
            //
            // Create temp Object to hold current columns data plus one new
            // empty element
            Object temp[][] = new Object[this.data.length +
1][data.length];

            //
            // Copy all current Column data to temp
            copyObjects(this.data, temp);

            //
            // Add the new column data elements
            for (int outer = 0; outer < data.length; outer++){
                temp[temp.length - 1][outer] = data[outer];
            }
            //
            // Rebuild the Instance data object with all of the new data
            this.data = new Object[temp.length][data.length];
            copyObjects(temp, this.data);

            //
            // Display the data if un debug mode
            if (DEBUG) printDebugData(this.data);

            //
            // Update the JTable display with new data
            fireTableDataChanged();
        }
    }

    /**
     * I added this Method as a helper to manage the data[][] expansion
     *
     * @param fromdata    the data[]][] object to copy from
     * @param todata      the data[]][] object build target
     *
     * @return Object[][] return the build data[][] object
     */
    protected Object[][] copyObjects(Object[][] fromdata, Object[][]
todata) {

        for (int outer = 0; outer < fromdata.length; outer++) {
            for (int inner = 0; inner < fromdata[outer].length; inner++){
                todata[outer][inner] = fromdata[outer][inner];
            }
        }
        return todata;
    }

    private void printDebugData(Object[][] data) {

        int numRows = data.length;
        int numCols = data[0].length;

        out.println();

        for (int i = 0; i < numRows; i++) {
            out.print("    row " + i + ":");
            for (int j = 0; j < numCols; j++) {
                out.print("  " + data[i][j]);
            }
            out.println();
        }
    }
 }