Constructor nullpointerexception

[vaironl]

Even after I set a for loop in my constructor I receive a null pointer exception any ideas why?

here is a bit of the code

private String[] ingredientName,units = new String [40];
private double[] ingredientAmount = new double [40];

public Recipe() // Recipe Constructor example
	{
			for(int setVals =0; setVals<40;setVals++)
		{
			ingredientName[setVals] = new String("");
			units[setVals] = new String("");
			ingredientAmount[setVals] = new Double(0.0);
		}
}

[Ezzaral]

You have not initialized all of your arrays.

Also, you don't need to use String constructor directly like this new String("") . Just use the literal ""

[vaironl]

You have not initialized all of your arrays.

Also, you don't need to use String constructor directly like this new String("") . Just use the literal ""

Really? But inst the for loop doing that?

[Ezzaral]

'ingredientName' is still null when you get to that loop.

[vaironl]

'ingredientName' is still null when you get to that loop.

is it because its a whitespace?
Because I'm writing to a file and if its null or a whitespace I want the writer to skip over it.

[Ezzaral]

whitespace? I'm saying you have a variable that you declared but never initialized at all. You've written private String[] ingredientName , but you never sized it. The "," you've used does not make all of your variables share that = new String[40]; (which is one more reason why it's just not a good idea to declare multiple variables on a single line)

You're attempting to access elements of something that is completely null.

[hfx642]

You can think of it this way...
Lines #1 & #2 says... I'm GOING to create these variables [40 of them].
Lines #8, #9, & #10, you start using them, without actually CREATING them.
At least... That's the way that I think of it.

[vaironl]

You can think of it this way...
Lines #1 & #2 says... I'm GOING to create these variables [40 of them].
Lines #8, #9, & #10, you start using them, without actually CREATING them.
At least... That's the way that I think of it.

So if its creating them in line 1 and 2 that means I don't need to initialize them again?

[hfx642]

No.
Line #1 and #2 does NOT create (initialize) them.
It just tells Java that you are GOING to create them.
(ie. Give me some "room" in memory, so I CAN create them.)
You still have to create (initialize) them BEFORE you use them.

[vaironl]

No.
Line #1 and #2 does NOT create (initialize) them.
It just tells Java that you are GOING to create them.
(ie. Give me some "room" in memory, so I CAN create them.)
You still have to create (initialize) them BEFORE you use them.

But that is why I'm using

ingredientName[setVals] = "";
			units[setVals] = "";
			ingredientAmount[setVals] = 0.0;

and I still receive this error.. Sorry for all of the questions.

Exception in thread "AWT-EventQueue-0" java.lang.NullPointerException
at Recipe.<init>(Recipe.java:22)
at Panel$Save.actionPerformed(Panel.java:252)
at javax.swing.AbstractButton.fireActionPerformed(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.AbstractButton$Handler.actionPerformed(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.fireActionPerformed(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.setPressed(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.AbstractButton.doClick(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicMenuItemUI.doClick(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicMenuItemUI$Handler.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$3.run(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventQueue$3.run(Unknown Source)
at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
at java.security.ProtectionDomain$1.doIntersectionPrivilege(Unknown Source)
at java.security.ProtectionDomain$1.doIntersectionPrivilege(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(Unknown Source)
at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
at java.security.ProtectionDomain$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)

[Ezzaral]

There are two pieces to consider with an array: the array object itself and the contents of the array.

Let's look at the one that is just fine:
You declared a variable of type String[] called 'units'

String[] units

and you create it to hold 40 elements

units = new String[40]

and then you initialize the elements themselves to empty strings

units[i] = ""

That is fine and good. One of those steps is missing however for your ingredientName array. That is what I described above in my previous post.

[JamesCherrill]

Just for clarity - because you may be misunderstanding what happens with the comma here:

private String[] ingredientName,units = new String [40];

is equivalent to

private String[] ingredientName;
private String[] units = new String [40];

[hfx642]

We can't help you if you don't give us the correct information.
The error listing says that you've got a problem on line #22.
However, the only code that I've seen, only has 12 lines!

[vaironl]

We can't help you if you don't give us the correct information.
The error listing says that you've got a problem on line #22.
However, the only code that I've seen, only has 12 lines!

Well I got help with the program what you said was right I did not initialize the ingredientName variable.
Sorry for not providing the code but since it's a project with many disorganize lines I thought it might confuse you guys.. and that would be embarrassing.

[hfx642]

No problem.
We are glad to help, but we can only go by what you give us.
Please mark this thread as "solved".