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How to I add a single object into an array

For my project I need to add a Creature into an array of creatures thats created in a room
public class Room
{
String name;
String description;
String state;
Creature [] creatures = new Creature[10];
public Room(String roomName)
{
name = roomName;
}
public String toString()
{
String retValue = "";
for (int i = 0; i < creatures.length; i++) {
retValue = retValue + creatures[i].toString();
}
return retValue;
}
public void addCreature(String creatureName)
{
for (int i = 0; i < creatures.length; i++)
{
if(creatures[i] == null)
{
creatures[i] = new Creature(creatureName);
}
}
}
}
when I do this, it overwrites the entire array, what can I do to add a single creature to the array?

Use break statement.
if(creatures[i] == null)
{
creatures[i] = new Creature(creatureName);
break;
}

Arrays have only a fixed size. When you write new Creatures[10], it means that your creatures array has at maximum 10 elements inside of it.
You can add items in two different ways:
You can copy the array and make it bigger, and then add the item
You can use ArrayList, which is a class which automatically does #1 for you
I would recommend ArrayList:
ArrayList:
List<Creature> creatures = new ArrayList<>();
public void addCreature(String creatureName) {
creatures.add(new Creature(creatureName));
}

Seems you miss one condition in if clause. I guess it should be
if(current == null || current.getCreatureName() == null) {
creatures[i] = new Creature(creatureName);
}

Hangman game errors

Here is my program so far:
import java.util.Arrays;
public class HangmanWord {
private String[] possibleWords = {"laptop", "college", "programing"};
private String word;
private char[] progress;
private int wrongCount = 0;
public HangmanWord() {
int randomPossibleWord = (int) (Math.random() * possibleWords.length-1);
String word = possibleWords[randomPossibleWord];
char[] progress = new char[word.length()];
Arrays.fill(progress,'-');
}
public void display() {
System.out.print(progress);
System.out.println();
}
public boolean guess(char c) {
boolean matchFound = false;
for (int i = 0; i < word.length(); i++ ) {
if (word.charAt(i) == c ) {
progress[i] = c;
matchFound = true;
}
}
return false;
}
public boolean isSolved() {
for (int i = 0; i < progress.length; i++ ) {
if(progress[i] == '-'){
return false;
}
}
return true;
}
public int getWrongCount() {
return wrongCount;
}
public String getWord() {
return word;
}
}
public class Hangman {
public static void main(String[] args) {
int MAX_INCORRECT = 5;
System.out.println("Welcome to Hangman.");
HangmanWord wordObj = new HangmanWord();
System.out.print("Here is your word: ");
wordObj.display();
}
}
My output should look something like this:
Welcome to Hangman.
Here is your word: ------
However, I am getting the following errors:
Welcome to Hangman.
Here is your word: Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NullPointerException
at java.io.Writer.write(Writer.java:127)
at java.io.PrintStream.write(PrintStream.java:503)
at java.io.PrintStream.print(PrintStream.java:653)
at HangmanWord.display(HangmanWord.java:16)
at Hangman.main(Hangman.java:9)

You are redefining the variable word and progress in your constructor. You should simply use them without declaring them as a new variables because they're already defined. Currently you are defining them locally, the constructor works but uses those local defined variables and not your object's word and progress variables, therefore when you leave scope and call display() it will use your object's progress array which was never actually initialized.
Change it to the following so you aren't redefining the variables word and progress like so
public HangmanWord() {
int randomPossibleWord = (int) (Math.random() * possibleWords.length-1);
word = possibleWords[randomPossibleWord];
progress = new char[word.length()];
Arrays.fill(progress,'-');
}

The infamous object bug

I discovered what i think is a bug whilst using netbeans. When i call up my method to sort an array containing names(ob.sort) in alphabetical order it automatically sorts another array which contains the original names when it isn't supposed to as the original names is not assigned to anything after it has been populated with input at the beginning(ob.input).
I experienced this problem whilst writing larger programs(encountered more than once), but i made a simpler one to demonstrate this problem. It looks like much as i copied the class methods an pasted it below the main class making it easier for you to trace the variables in the program.
public static void main(String args[]){
ObjectTest ob = new ObjectTest();
ob.input();
String x[] = ob.getNames();
System.out.println(x[0]);
ob = new ObjectTest(x);
System.out.println(x[0]);
ob.sort();
System.out.println(x[0]);
String y[] = ob.getNamesrt();
System.out.println(x[0]);
}
}
/*import java.io.*;
import javax.swing.*;
public class ObjectTest {
String name[];
String namesrt[];
public ObjectTest(){
name = new String[3];
namesrt = new String[3];
}
public ObjectTest(String j[]){
namesrt = j;
}
public void input(){
for(int i = 0; i < name.length; i++){
name[i] = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Enter name");
}
}
public void sort(){
if(!(namesrt == null)){
for(int i = 0; i < namesrt.length; i++){
for(int c = i + 1; c < namesrt.length; c++){
if(namesrt[i].compareToIgnoreCase(namesrt[c]) > 0){
String n = namesrt[i];
namesrt[i] = namesrt[c];
namesrt[c] = n;
}
}
}
}
else{JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null,"Names not received");}
}
public String[] getNames(){
return name;
}
public String[] getNamesrt(){
return namesrt;
}
public void setNames(String j[]){
name = j;
}
public void setNamesrt(String j[]){
namesrt = j;
}
}*/

I discovered what i think is a bug whilst using netbeans.
Well, it may be a bug in your code. It's not a bug in Java or in Netbeans. It's just demonstrating the fact that arrays are reference types in Java, and the way that objects work.
Here's a short but complete program demonstrating the same effect:
public class Test {
public static void main(String[] args) {
String[] x = { "hello" };
// Copy the *reference*
String[] y = x;
System.out.println(y[0]); // Prints "hello"
x[0] = "new value";
System.out.println(y[0]); // Prints "new value"
}
}
The values of x and y here are references to the same array object... so if the array is changed "through" x, that change is still visible as y[0].
If you want to make your code create independent objects, you'll want to change this:
public ObjectTest(String j[]){
namesrt = j;
}
to:
public ObjectTest(String j[]){
namesrt = j.clone();
}
(Ideally change it to declare the parameter as String[] j, or better yet fix all your variable names to be more meaningful, but that's a different matter.)

implementing a method from one class to another?

I am making a program for airplane seating arrangements for a class and i ended up making two toString methods but when I run the program the toString method in my airplane class is making something not work specifically:
str= str + seats[i][j].toString();
I believe that simply deleting the toString method in the seat class and somehow putting it back into the airplane class toString method would fix the problem or make it simpler. What's wrong?
Airplane class:
public class Airplane
{
private Seat [ ] [ ] seats;
public static final int FIRST_CLASS = 1;
public static final int ECONOMY = 2;
private static final int FC_ROWS = 5;
private static final int FC_COLS = 4;
private static final int ECONOMY_ROWS = 5;
private static final int ECONOMY_COLS = 6;
public Airplane()
{
seats = new Seat[FC_ROWS][ECONOMY_COLS];
}
public String toString()
{
String str = "";
for (int i=0; i<FC_ROWS; i++) {
for (int j=0; j<ECONOMY_COLS; j++)
{
str= str + seats[i][j].toString();
}
str = str + "\n";
}
return str;
}
}
Seat Class:
public class Seat
{
private int seatType;
private boolean isReserved;
public static final int WINDOW = 1;
public static final int AISLE = 2;
public static final int CENTER = 3;
public Seat(int inSeatType)
{
seatType = inSeatType;
isReserved = false;
}
public int getSeatType()
{
return seatType;
}
public void reserveSeat()
{
isReserved = true;
}
public boolean isAvailable()
{
if (!isReserved)
{
return true;
}
else return false;
}
public String toString()
{
if(isReserved == false)
{
return "*";
}
else return "";
}
}

In Seat.toString you should print a " " not "".
You're array is FC_ROWS by ECONOMY_COLS, so you're not creating all the seats. You should probably have two arrays (one for FC, one for Economy), since FC_ROWS != ECONOMY_ROWS.
You aren't actually creating Seats in your constructor. Use a nested loop to create them, otherwise you will get a NullPointerException. Creating an array doesn't create the objects contained in the array.
When you're creating the seats in the Airplane constructor, use if statements to figure out if the seat is supposed to be a Window, Aisle, etc.

seats seems to does not have Seat's instance.
Add this code :
for (int i=0; i<FC_ROWS; i++) {
for (int j=0; j<ECONOMY_COLS; j++)
{
seats[i][j] = new Seat();
}
}
below this :
seats = new Seat[FC_ROWS][ECONOMY_COLS];

I think that in Seat::toString, you mean to return " " (a space) if it isn't reserved.

Null pointer exception for Array of Objects

I am new to using arrays of objects but can't figure out what I am doing wrong and why I keep getting a Null pointer exception. I am trying to create an Theatre class with an array of spotlight objects that are either set to on or off. But - whenever I call on this array I get a null pointer exception.
package theatreLights;
public class TheatreSpotlightApp {
public static void main(String[] args) {
Theatre theTheatre = new Theatre(8);
System.out.println("element 5 " + theTheatre.arrayOfSpotlights[5].toString());
}
}
package theatreLights;
public class Theatre {
spotlight[] arrayOfSpotlights;
public Theatre(int N){
arrayOfSpotlights = new spotlight[N];
for (int i = 0; i < arrayOfSpotlights.length; i++) {
arrayOfSpotlights[i].turnOn();
}
}
}
package theatreLights;
public class spotlight {
int state;
public spotlight(){
state = 0;
}
public void turnOn(){
state = 1;
}
void turnOff(){
state = 0;
}
public String toString(){
String stringState = "";
if(state == 0){
stringState = "is off";
}
else if(state==1){
stringState = "is on";
}
return stringState;
}
}
I must be doing something basic wrong in creating the array but can't figure it out.

replace
arrayOfSpotlights[i].turnOn();
with
arrayOfSpotLights[i] = new Spotlight();
arrayOfSpotlights[i].turnOn();
The line
arrayOfSpotlights = new spotlight[N];
will create an array of spotlights. It will however not populate this array with spotlights.

When you do "arrayOfSpotlights = new spotlight[N];" you init an array of length N, what you need to do is also init each object in it:
for i=0; i<N; i++
arrayOfSpotlights[i] = new spotlight();
arrayOfSpotlights[i].turnOn();
Hope I'm correct :)

You are not creating an spotlight objects.
arrayOfSpotlights = new spotlight[N];
This just creates an array of references to spotlights, not the objects which are referenced.
The simple solution is
for (int i = 0; i < arrayOfSpotlights.length; i++) {
arrayOfSpotlights[i] = new spotlight();
arrayOfSpotlights[i].turnOn();
}
BTW You should use TitleCase for class names.
You could write your class like this, without using cryptic code like 0 and 1
public class Spotlight {
private String state;
public Spotlight() {
turnOff();
}
public void turnOn() {
state = "on";
}
void turnOff() {
state = "off";
}
public String toString() {
return "is " + state;
}
}

You declared the array arrayOfSpotlights, but didn't initialize the members of the array (so they are null - and you get the exception).
Change it to:
public class Theatre {
spotlight[] arrayOfSpotlights;
public Theatre(int N){
arrayOfSpotlights = new spotlight[N];
for (int i = 0; i < arrayOfSpotlights.length; i++) {
arrayOfSpotlights[i]=new spotlight();
arrayOfSpotlights[i].turnOn();
}
}
}
and it should work.