Null Pointer Exception after checking with 'if' statement

Question

I'm getting a really annoying error, saying I'm getting a null pointer exception but there's an if statement to check to see if the text is null before proceeding:

    public String[] getFileData() throws IOException
{
    String file_name = "C:/Users/Liloka/Source/textfiles/Lines.txt";

    try {
        ReadFile file = new ReadFile(file_name);
        aryLines = file.OpenFile();

        for(int i =0; i<aryLines.length; i++)
        {
            System.out.println(aryLines[i]);
        }
    }

    catch(IOException e)
    {   
        System.out.println(e.getMessage());
    }
    return aryLines;
}

public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent evt)
{
    if(evt.getSource() == enterBtn)
    {
        String Text = textToAdd.getText();
        if(!(Text.equals(null)))
        {
            RF.addNewElement(Text);
            System.out.println(Text);

            try
            {
                RF.writeToFile();
                getFileData();
            }
        catch(Exception e)
            {

            }
        }
        else    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Please enter a word!");
    }

}

The only time it even considered the 'else' was through this:

    if(Text.equals(null));

I've also tried doing:

   if(Text != null));

which has worked for me in the past but not now! Other classes are:

public String[] OpenFile() throws IOException
{
    FileReader fr = new FileReader(path);
    BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(fr);

    int numberOfLines = readLines();
    textData = new String[numberOfLines];
    int i;
        for(i=0; i<numberOfLines; i++)
        {
                textData[i] = br.readLine();
        }

    br.close();
    return textData;
}

int readLines() throws IOException
{
    FileReader file_to_read = new FileReader(path);
    BufferedReader bf = new BufferedReader(file_to_read);

    String aLine;
    numberOfLines=0;

    while((aLine = bf.readLine()) != null)
    {
        numberOfLines++;
    }
    //numberOfLines++;
    bf.close();
    return numberOfLines;
}

public void addNewElement(String newElement)
{   
    String texticles = newElement;
    numberOfLines = numberOfLines++;
    textData[numberOfLines] = texticles;
    //numberOfLines++; //Increments numberOfLines for the next element to be added
}

public void writeToFile() throws IOException
{
    FileWriter fstream = new FileWriter(path);
    BufferedWriter outFile = new BufferedWriter(fstream);
    //numberOfLines++;

        outFile.write(textData[numberOfLines]);
        //outFile.write(",");

        outFile.write("\r\n");

    outFile.close();
}

Thank you, again!

Error:

Exception in thread "AWT-EventQueue-0" java.lang.NullPointerException
at textfiles.JListExample.actionPerformed(JListExample.java:115)
at javax.swing.AbstractButton.fireActionPerformed(Unknown Source)

I get the error when I've typed or not typed something and pressed the enter button.

This is the error for

if(Text != null)

Exception in thread "AWT-EventQueue-0" java.lang.NullPointerException
at textfiles.JListExample.actionPerformed(JListExample.java:115)
at javax.swing.AbstractButton.fireActionPerformed(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.AbstractButton$Handler.actionPerformed(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.fireActionPerformed(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.setPressed(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicButtonListener.mouseReleased(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.processMouseEvent(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.JComponent.processMouseEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.processEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Container.processEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.retargetMouseEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.processMouseEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Window.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventQueue.access$000(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventQueue$1.run(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventQueue$1.run(Unknown Source)
at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
at java.security.AccessControlContext$1.doIntersectionPrivilege(Unknown Source)
at java.security.AccessControlContext$1.doIntersectionPrivilege(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventQueue$2.run(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventQueue$2.run(Unknown Source)
at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
at java.security.AccessControlContext$1.doIntersectionPrivilege(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(Unknown Source)

In what like do you get the exception? Maybe it's not related to the Text variable... — Jordão
– Jordão, Commented Sep 13, 2011 at 17:25
two things. Text should start with a lower case. Then you are invoking an equal method on the String object. If the string is null, you will get a Null pointer exception. If(text != null ) should work, unless if you have some logical mistake. I believe you could have a double negation. if(!(text != null)) or some other simple error like that. — billygoat
– billygoat, Commented Sep 13, 2011 at 17:29
And what is at line: at textfiles.JListExample.actionPerformed(JListExample.java:115) — John B
– John B, Commented Sep 13, 2011 at 17:34
a different variable is null. Answer John B's question to find out which. The key is to look carefully at the error message as it's not a meaningless bunch of garbage, but usually contains the information that would allow you to solve this yourself. — Hovercraft Full Of Eels
– Hovercraft Full Of Eels, Commented Sep 13, 2011 at 17:38

John B · Accepted Answer · 2011-09-13 17:26:12Z

16

 if(Text.equals(null));

The above will throw a NullPointerException each time Text is null. Anytime you use the "." operator on null you get a NullPointerException.

If you are getting a NPE after if(Text != null), please post the stack trace.

answered Sep 13, 2011 at 17:26

John B

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10 Comments

Peter Over a year ago

+1. Very good point. Also, the comparison of Text.equals(null) is kind of pointless, since it will either throw the NPE or return false. The comparison of null == Text should instead be used. Also, as a style guideline, variables in Java should be lower case.

Jason S Over a year ago

don't you wish there were an Objects.equal(a, b) that handles null correctly?

John B Over a year ago

There is, Guava's Objects.equal(a,b). [link](docs.guava-libraries.googlecode.com/git-history/v9.0/javadoc/…, java.lang.Object))

liloka Over a year ago

@Peter, I just tried the different ways of comparing Strings as I was told in college you can't compare two strings like this: String a == String b;

John B Over a year ago

@liloka: Per String a == String b. It is true that you should never do this for two Strings but it is appropriate when comparing against null. null is not a String it is a blank reference and where you compare it against a String you are checking to see if the String is also a blank reference.

|

Paul Grime · Accepted Answer · 2011-09-13 17:45:17Z

0

My guess is either textToAdd or RF is null.

If textToAdd is a JTextComponent (or subclass, but I'm guessing here), then its getText() method CANNOT return null. Therefore, Text CANNOT be null, as this test shows.

package test;

import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JTextField;

public class TextComponentTest extends JFrame {
    JTextField tf;

    public TextComponentTest() {
        super();
        tf = new JTextField();
        getContentPane().add(tf);
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        TextComponentTest test = new TextComponentTest();
        test.setVisible(true);

        String s = test.tf.getText();
        System.out.println(">" + s + "<");
        System.out.println(">" + s.length() + "<");

        test.tf.setText(null);
        s = test.tf.getText();
        System.out.println(">" + s + "<");
        System.out.println(">" + s.length() + "<");
    }
}

Output is:

><
>0<
><
>0<

answered Sep 13, 2011 at 17:45

Paul Grime

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3 Comments

liloka Over a year ago

textToAdd is a JTextField.. (I know I need to work on my variable names but I'm just practising atm! - before I get told off) In my previous programs it has worked and considering the line it's throwing a wobbly on in 115 and that's the line for RF.addNewElement(); it's that..

John B Over a year ago

So that means RF is null.

Paul Grime Over a year ago

Excellent! Glad my logic was sound - not glad that your app isn't working yet!

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