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I keep getting NullPointerException when referencing an array index for my Deque [duplicate]

public class Test {
public int [] x;
public Test(int N)
{
int[] x = new int [N];
for (int i=0;i<x.length;i++)
{
x[i]=i;
StdOut.println(x[i]);
}
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
String path = "/Users/alekscooper/Desktop/test.txt";
In reader = new In(path);
int size=reader.readInt();
StdOut.println("Size = "+size);
Test N = new Test(size);
StdOut.println(N.x[3]);
}
/* ADD YOUR CODE HERE */
}
Hello guys. I'm learning Java through reading Robert Sedgwick's book on algorithms and I'm using his libraries such as StdOut, for example. But the question is about Java in general. I don't understand why Java here throws a NullPointerException. I do know what that means in general, but I don't know why it is here because here's what I think I'm doing:
read an integer number from the file - the size of the array
in the class Test. In my test example size=10, so no out-of-bound type of thing happens.
print it.
create the object N of type Test.
In this object I think I create an array of size that I have just
read from the file. For fun I initialize it from 0 to size-1 and
print it. So far so good.
and here where it all begins. Since my class is public and I've run
the constructor I think I have the object N which as an attribute
has the array x with size elements. However, when I'm trying
to address x, for example,
StdOut.println(N.x[3]);
Java throws NullPointerException.
Why so? Please help and thank you very much for your time.

what you did is called shadowing you shadowed your field x with local variable x. so all you need to do is avoiding this:
int[] x = new int [N]; is wrong, if you want your field to initialize instead of a local variable then you could do something like : x = new int [N]; for more information read this

change the first line in constructor from
int[] x = new int [N];
to
x = new int [N];
it should work...
Actually in constructor when you say int[] x, it is creating one more local variable instead setting data to public variable x... if you remove int[] from first line of constructor then it initizes the public variable & you will be able to print them in main() method

Inside public Test(int n):
Change
int[] x = new int [N]; // Creating a local int array x
to
x = new int [N]; // Assigning it to x

Everyone has given the code that would work. But the reason is something called as variable scoping. When you create a variable (by saying int[] x, you are declaring x as an integer array and by saying x = new int[4] you are assigning a new array to x). If you use the same variable name x everywhere and keep assigning things to it, it'll be the same across your class.
But, if you declare int[] x one more time - then you are creating one more variable with the name x - now this can result in duplicate variable error or if you're declaring in a narrower 'scope', you will be overriding your previous declaration of x.
Please read about java variable scopes to understand how scoping works.

int size=reader.readInt(); // size < 3
StdOut.println(N.x[3]); // length of x[] less than 3, so x[3] case NullPointException

How to call a static method from main class?

I got this code:
public static ArrayList<Integer> MakeSequence(int N){
ArrayList<Integer> x = new ArrayList<Integer>();
if (N<1) {
return x; // need a null display value?
}
else {
for (int j=N;j>=1;j--) {
for (int i=1;i<=j;i++) {
x.add(Integer.valueOf(j));
}
}
return x;
}
}
I am trying to call it from the main method just like this:
System.out.println(MakeSequence (int N));
but I get an error...
Any recommendations? Much appreciated, thanks!

System.out.println(MakeSequence (int N));
should be
int N = 5; // or whatever value you wish
System.out.println(MakeSequence (N));
Just pass a variable of the correct type. You don't say that it is an int again;

You define the method as follow MakeSequence (int N), this means that method expects one parameter, of type int, and it'll be called N when use inside the method.
So when you call the method, you need to pass an int like :
MakeSequence(5);
// or
int value = 5;
MakeSequence(value);
Then put all of this in a print or use the result in a variable
System.out.println(MakeSequence(5));
//or
List<Integer> res = MakeSequence(5);
System.out.println(res);
All of this code, to call the method, should be in antoher method, like the main one
Change x.add(Integer.valueOf(j)); to x.add(j); as j is already an int
to follow Java naming conventions : packages, attributes, variables, parameters, method have to start in lowerCase, while class, interface should start in UpperCase

The first issue is I think that N should be some int value not defining the variable in the method call. Like
int N = 20;
ClassName.MakeSequence(N);
The other issue you will face. As System.out.println() only prints string values and you are passing the ArrayList object to it, so use it like this System.out.println(ClassName.MakeSequence(N).toString())

Java - Define array size later

So I wanna make an array outside a method so other methods can use it:
public int x = 0;
public int[] myIntArray = new int[x];
But the x is 0, and is later defined in a method as a number entered by user:
x = input.nextInt();
But the method has already size 0, so how would I modify (redefine) the array's size? I tried to do it by defining the array in a method, but if I do that, I cannot access the array from another method. I am a beginner and I can't do ArrayList, is it possible to do this?
EDIT: Basically: How do I define the size of an array later?

Sure, just declare it where you have it with public int[] myIntArray; and then initialize it as soon as you know how big it has to be with myIntArray = new int[x];

You could declare it but not instantiate with public int[] myIntArray;
Later, after your code x = input.nextInt();, instantiate the array with myIntArray = new int[x] within that method. You should still be able to access the array from other methods

You can just declare it without initializing like:
public int[] myIntArray;
then put the value after you got one.
x = input.nextInt();
myIntArray = new int[x];

How to initialize an array in the constructor?

Lets say we have these two different constructors.
What is the different between the first one and the second one.
How is the way to do it? Explain the difference please!
(I know you cant have these two constructors in the same class, this is just to show what i mean.
public class StackOverFlow {
private int[] x; // instance variable
StackOverFlow(int[] x) { // constructor
this.x=x;
}
StackOverFlow(int[] x) { // constructor
this.x = new int[x.length];
for(int k=0 ; k < x.length; k++) {
this.x[k]=x[k];
}
}

The first constructor assigns a reference of an existing int array to the member variable. The caller of the constructor can later change the array and the change would be reflected in the instance.
The second constructor copies the array, so later changes in the passed array wouldn't change the copy stored in the instance.
int[] intArray = new intArray {1,2,3};
StackOverFlow so1 = new StackOverFlow(intArray); // assume we are using the first constructor
intArray[1]=5; // changes the array stored in `so1` object
StackOverFlow so2 = new StackOverFlow(intArray); // assume we are using the second constructor
intArray[1]=8; // doesn't change the array stored in `so2` object

In the first case you tell your instance variable to refer to the given x, so when you change data in one of these variables, that changes also affect the second variable.
And in the second case you create a copy of an object, so your instance variable and variable you pass to constructor will need independent from each other in your further code.

This will not work since you got an ambiguity issue as both constructors receive the same type of parameters. So when you try to create an instance :
StackOverflow instance = new StackOverflow(new int[]{});
There is no way to know which constructor should be called.
You need to decide which behavior is good for you.
I would recommend using the second constructor and create a setter method if you want to set the array from an initialized one :
public class StackOverFlow {
private int[] x; // instance variable
StackOverFlow(int[] x) { // conctructor
this.x = new int[x.length];
for(int k=0 ; k < x.length; k++) {
this.x[k]=x[k];
}
}
public void setTheArray(int[] x) {
this.x = x;
}
}

Java, what is the point of creating new objects?

I am fairly new to Java and was wondering what the difference between the two is. For this example I used arrays:
class testpile {
public static void main(String[] args)
{
int[] a = {1,2,3,4,5,6}; //First array
int[] b = new int[5]; //Second Array
b[0] = 7;
b[1] = 8;
b[2] = 9;
b[3] = 10;
b[4] = 11;
print(a);
print(b);
}
public static void print(int[] a) {
for (int i = 0; i < a.length; i++)
System.out.print(a[i] + " ");
System.out.println();
}
}
I understand that using "new" creates a unique object but what are the advantages of using one over the other?

In your example there's no real difference between the two. The first is mostly just "syntactic sugar" for the latter. In both cases the array is allocated on the heap.

Both of the code creating a int array of size 5/6
In the first case the array is initialized with vale at the time of creation
In second case the value is assigned latter
that's the difference

I understand that using "new" creates a unique object but what are the advantages of using one over the other?
Both constructs do exactly the same thing (with different data, though): Creating an array and filling it with data. In particular, both these arrays are "unique objects".
You'd use the "less literal" one when you do not know the size and the initial values for the element at compile-time.

int[] a = {1,2,3,4,5,6}; //First array
int[] b = new int[5]; //Second Array
They are just two different ways of creating an array. There isn't really any OOP involved here.
The first one is better when you know the values before hand, otherwise the second is better.

The first statement is called array initialization where six int variables are created and each variable is assigned. In second statement, the new keyword create 5 int variables whose initial value is zero.
Using new keyword, you may instantiate an array whenever you require.
int []a=new int[5];
for(int i:a)
System.out.println(i);
a=new int[]{11,22,33};
for(int i:a)
System.out.println(i);

I think the result is same.
But when you create a array with "new" clause, You should assign a specify length of the array.
e.g int[] b = new int[**5**];
And in this sample, you can also assign the value for b[5]. there shouldn't produce compilation error.But the error should occur in the runtime.
In regard to the another method, the length of the array don't need specify. It depend on the element count of array.