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Java: NPE calling a method on an array element

I'm having an issue when I want to set the name of an object to another class, because I keep receiving the NullPointerException, and I'm not quite sure how to fix this error.
Here is an example:
First Class:
//Just excuse the Vehicle class, it's just an example
private Vehicle[] car;
private int number = 1;
private int count = 0;
public store Display()
{
car = new Vehicle[number];
}
public void setVehicleName(String name)
{
car[count].setName(name);
}
public String getVehicleName()
{
return car[count].setName(name);
}
Second class:
//So, I have radio buttons, so I'll just skip to that code
if (addName.equals(e.getActionCommand()))
{
name = JOptionPane.showInputDialog(null, "Enter the vehicle name: "); //there is a private String name
name.toLowerCase(); //automatically converted to lower case
displayStore.setVehicleName(name); //assume an Display object called 'displayStore'
}
So, if anybody has an idea or know how's to fix it, I would be grateful. Thanks!

Arrays of objects in java come default set to null so if you do
Vehicle [] car = new Vehicle[number];
car[1].setName("Toyota");
You will get a NullPointerException because car[1] is null
You need to initialize the array. So likely you will want to do this in your constructor
public store Display()
{
car = new Vehicle[number];
for(int i=0;i<number;i++) {
car[i] = new Vehicle();
}
}

You need to instantiate car[count] before using it. So, replace your Display method with this:
public store Display()
{
car = new Vehicle[number];
for(int i = 0; i < count; i++)
car[i] = new Vehicle();
//Return some store type object here or change the type to void
// Moreover it is better to do initialization/instantiation in the constructor, rather
// than a separate method
}

Array in Method Header: error ']' expected (Java)

I'm quite new to arrays and methods, and I've been seeing this error recurring through several programs: error '[' expected.
In each occasion, it seems to correct itself as I adjust something else, but in this particular case, I am completely stumped.
By the way, I am using several methods and arrays to create a quiz (before you ask, yes, this is an assignment and I agree, a list is a better way to handle this data - but that is not an option).
It is possible that I am not passing the arrays correctly between methods, as I'm a little muddy on that process. From my understanding, in order to send/receive (i.e. import/export) an array or other variable between methods, I must declare that variable/array in the method header parameters.
import java.util.Scanner;
public class H7pseudo
{
public static void main(String[] args)
{
//call getAnswerkey method
getAnswerkey(answerkey[i]);
//call getAnswers method
getAnswers(answers[i]);
//call passed method? necessary or no?
boolean passed = passed(answerkey[i], answers[i], qMissed[i], points);
//Print results of grading
if (passed)
{
System.out.println("Congratulations! You passed.");
}
else
{
System.out.println("Try again, sucka. You FAILED.");
}
//call totalPoints
totalIncorrect(points);
//call questionsMissed
questionsMissed(qMissed[i]);
}
//get answer key (create answerkey array & export)
public static void getAnswerkey(answerkey[i])
{
//create answerkey array here
char[] answerkey;
//determine number of questions (indices)
answerkey = new char[20];
//input values (correct answers) for each index
//for our purposes today, the answer is always 'c'.
for (int i = 0; i <=20; i++)
{
answerkey[i] = 'c';
}
}
//get student answers (create answers array & export)
public static void getAnswers(answers[i])
{
//initialize scanner for user input
Scanner scan = new Scanner(System.in);
//create answer array here
char[] answers;
//determine number of questions (indices)
answers = new char[20];
//prompt for user input as values of each index
for (int i = 0; i <= 20; i++) {
answers[i] = scan.nextChar();
}
}
//grade student answers (import & compare index values of arrays:answers&answerkey
//create & export qMissed array
public static boolean passed(answerkey[i], answers[i], qMissed[i], points)
{
int points = 0;
//create new array: qMissed
boolean[] qMissed;
//determine number of questions to be graded
qMissed = new boolean[20];
//initialize values for array
for (int i = 0; i <= 20; i++) {
qMissed[i] = false;
}
//cycle through indices of answerkey[i] & answers[i];
for (int i = 0; i =< 20; i++)
{
if (answers[i] == answerkey[i])
{
correct = true;
points = points+1;
qMissed[i] = true;
}
else {
qMissed[i] = false;
}
}
//evaluate whether or not the student passed (15+ correct answers)
if (points >= 15)
{
passed = true;
}
else
{
passed = false;
}
return passed;
}
public static void totalIncorrect(points)
{
int missed = 20 - points;
System.out.println("You missed " + missed + " questions.");
}
public static void questionsMissed(qMissed[i])
{
// for each index of the array qMissed...
for (int i = 0; i < qMissed.length; i++)
{
//...print correct and false answers.
system.out.println(i + ": " + qMissed[i] + "\n");
}
}
}

You can't define array size in the method signature, in Java.

public static void getAnswerkey(answerkey[i])
You can't put anything inside the [] in a method declaration. Also, you have to mention the type:
public static void getAnswerKey(char[] answerkey)
This is not the only reason your code won't work as intended, but I'll leave the rest as part of the exercise.

Look at your method definitions:
public static void questionsMissed(qMissed[i])
This is wrong. You should define the type of the variable and it should not contain [i] like an element of an array. It should be something like this:
public static void questionsMissed(int qMissed)
Or if you want to pass the array, write it like this:
public static void questionsMissed(int[] qMissed)
Apart of this, there are other several errors in your code:
getAnswerkey(answerkey[i]); //answerkey is not defined
getAnswers(answers[i]); //answers is not defined
It would be better if you start reading a Java tutorial first.

I want to vote up Luiggi's answer, but I don't have enough reputation to do that :)
Congrats, cordivia, on getting started with Java!
Here is how an array is declared:
type[] arrayName = new type[numberOfElements]
For example, you did this right in your method definition for getAnswerkey():
char[] answerkey;
answerkey = new char[20];
The part in the method definition inside the parentheses defines the kind of data the method is willing to accept from the outside. So if you don't need to put something into the method to get something out of it, you don't need to put anything in the parentheses. Define the method like this:
getAnswerkey() {
...But that's not the whole story. If you want to get something out of the method, it needs to have a return type as well. A return type is what you're gonna get out of the method when the method's done doing it's magic. For example, if you want to get an int array out of a method you would do something like this:
public static int getTheInteger() {
Since you want an array of chars from the method, you'll want to do something like this:
public static char[] getAnswerkey() {
So that's how you get a method to give you something back. If don't want anything back, you put void:
public static void noMarshmallows() {
Now, when you use the method, you're gonna need to do something with what it gives you, or it did all that work for nothing. So you need to store the return value in a variable when you call the array (calling methods is what you've been doing in main). You know how to store something in a variable. You use the '=' operator:
int myVeryFavoriteNumber;
myVeryFavoriteNumber = 5;
So, you do the same thing when you're getting something out of an array. You assign the return value to a variable. If you want to do this with an array, do this:
int[] myFavs;
myFavs = getMyFavoriteNumbers();
Same with chars:
char[] answerKey;
answerKey = getAnswerKey();
Voila! Your answer key is now right out in the open for the rest of main to see :)
Now, if you want to put something into a method and have it do something with what you put in, you define a parameter. You know how this works. It's just like declaring a variable, and that's exactly what it is. Parameters go in the parentheses and only the method using the parameter sees that variable name (it's local). Something like this:
public static void plusOneToAll (int[] numbers) {
for (int i = 0; i < numbers.length; i++) {
numbers[i] = numbers[i] + 1;
}
}
Notice int[] numbers in the parentheses. The type being passed in is int[] or integer array. numbers is just the parameter name. It functions just like a variable, but it is declared locally (inside the parentheses) and use locally (inside the method). So, if you wanted to compare the answers from two arrays and return the number of matches (like a total score for instance), you would do something like this:
public static int getTotalScore (char[] correctAnswers, char[] userAnswers) {
int totalScore = 0;
for (int i = 0; i < correctAnswers.length; i++) {
if (userAnswers[i] == correctAnswers[i]) {
totalScore = totalScore + 1;
}
}
return totalScore;
}
Notice the return type: int (written before the method name). Inside the array I'm using the variable totalScore to keep track of the number of times the answers match. The method takes two char arrays from the outside and uses them on the inside. Finally, I return an int: totalScore. That kicks the value of totalScore back out to whatever called it (main).
If I might add one last thing: Do yourself a favor and go pick up a copy of Head First Java. It's hard to find a good tutorial online and Java textbooks are just plain boring. The Head First series are kind of like coloring books for adults.
Best of luck!

Mutator methods with an Array of Objects in Java

So i have an array of Room objects, the reason its static is because I'm doing it in main.
private static Room[] rooms = new Room[6];
So in my room class, i have a method called setStatus which sets a string to the room object
public String setStatus(String answer) {
if (answer.equalsIgnoreCase("Available") || answer.equalsIgnoreCase("Occupied")
|| answer.equalsIgnoreCase("Needs cleaning (unavailable)")
|| answer.equalsIgnoreCase("For walk-ins")
|| answer.equalsIgnoreCase("For emergencies")) {
this.status = answer;
return status;
} else {
System.out.println("Status must be set to Available, Occupied or Needs cleaning (unavailable)");
return null;
}
}//end of setStatus
Now i want to set the status for each position in the array
rooms[random.nextInt(6)].setStatus("For walk-ins");
However i get a nullpointer exception when i set the status of the array, any ideas?.

the reason [rooms] static is because I'm doing it in main.
This is not your only choice - you could have declared it as a local variable inside the main method.
However i get a null pointer exception
This is because you have initialized the array object, but you have forgotten to initialize its individual elements. You need to add a loop, and create each room individually.
If you keep rooms static, add a static initialization block, like this:
static {
for (int i = 0 ; i != rooms.length ; i++) {
rooms[i] = new Room(); // You may need to pass other parameters to the constructor
}
}
If you prefer to change rooms to a local variable, you can put the for loop in your main, immediately after the declaration / initialization of the rooms array object.

Java: Copy Constructor not going as planned

I have a bit of a problem. I'm making a Finite Automata checker.
Given an input, and the DFA, does it end on a accepting state.
My problem is creating a new DFA_State from another's target.
DFA_State state0, state1, curr_state, init_state, temp; //fine, I think
state0 = new DFA_State();
state1 = new DFA_State();
state0 = new DFA_State("State 0",true, state0, state1); //fine, I think
init_state = new DFA_State(state0); //fine, I think
but, this bit is throwing up problems.
temp = new DFA_State(curr_state.nextState(arr1[i]));
*
*
curr_state = new DFA_State(temp);
Thanks for any help,
Dave
Edit:
God I was retarded when I did this, AFAIK, I just wasn't thinking straight, added methods to set the values to the DFA_State object.
//in DFA_State class
public void set(DFA_State on_0, DFA_State on_1, Boolean is_accepting, String name){
this.on_0 = on_0;
this.on_1 = on_1;
this.is_accepting = is_accepting;
this.name = name;
}
//in main
DFA_State state0, state1, curr_state;
state0 = new DFA_State();
state1 = new DFA_State();
state0.set(state0, state1, false, "State 0");
state1.set(state1, state0, true, "State 1");
curr_state = state0;//initial state
//iterate across string input changing curr_state depending on char c
curr_state = getNextState(c);
//at end
if(curr_state.isAccepting())
System.out.println("Valid, " + curr_state.getName() + " is accepting);
else
System.out.println("Invalid, " + curr_state.getName() + " is not accepting);

In that first line, you declare the variables state0, state1, curr_state, init_state and temp as being variables of type DFA_State. However, that only declares them, they are not yet initialized. The next few lines are all okay. Second line creates a state without anything in it and assigns it to state0, so does the third line for state1. Fourth line overwrites your previous state0 assignment with a new DFA_State that has actual contents. Fifth line creates a DFA_State as a copy of state0 and assigns it to init_state.
Assuming there's nothing in between this and the first line of your second code block, now you'll get a problem. You're assigning temp with a new DFA_State that uses a copy-constructor with an argument relying on curr_state. But at that point, that variable hasn't been initialized yet. Just because it was declared doesn't mean it has somehow already been structured in memory. When you call nextState on it, there's simply no variable to resolve this to. Don't expect to get something like a pointer that will eventually point to a part of what you put in curr_state.
I'm just guessing, but from your code style I'd say you have a background in C or C++. Look into the differences between those languages and Java. If possible, I'd also advise you to make your DFA_State class immutable, since this is more reliable and will avoid mistakes. That means getting rid of the no-args constructor. Here's a reworking of it (not actually compiled, might contain errors):
package foundations.of.computing;
/**
*
* #author Kayotic
*/
class DFA_State {
private final String state;
private final DFA_State on_0;
private final DFA_State on_1;
private final boolean isAccepting;
//private DFA_State dummy;
public DFA_State(DFA_State arg) {
//this(arg.is_accepting(), arg.on0(), arg.on1());
state = arg.get_name();
isAccepting = arg.is_accepting();
on_0 = arg.on0();
on_1 = arg.on1();
}
public DFA_State(String name, Boolean accepting, DFA_State on0, DFA_State on1) {
state = name;
isAccepting = accepting;
on_0 = on0;
on_1 = on1;
}
public String get_name(){
return state;
}
public Boolean is_accepting() {
return isAccepting;
}
public DFA_State on0() {
return on_0;
}
public DFA_State on1() {
return on_1;
}
public DFA_State nextState(char i) {
if (i == '0') {
return on0();
} else if (i == '1') {
return on1();
} else {
System.out.println("Error with input");
return null;
}
}
}
Even if you can't make the instance variables final, it's best to at least make them private, since you already have methods for getting them.

There are better memory representations of DFAs than the object-oriented.
You should use a simple lookuptable:
int[] table = new int[vocabularyCount][stateCount];
Every State and every word gets a number, starting with 0.
Fill the table with the state transitions, or -1, if there is no transition. Now you just need the translation methods for the states and the words.
Heres a generic DFA algorithm:
public boolean checkSentence(String s, int[] finishes) {
// fill table
int state = 0; // assuming S0 is the start state
for (int i = 0; i < s.length(); i++) {
state = table[translate(s.charAt(i))][s];
}
for (int i = 0; i < finishes.length; i++) {
if (finishes[i] == state) {
return true;
}
}
return false;
}

The program is quite poorly written. Look at this in your FoundationsOfComputing.java:
state0 = new DFA_State();
state1 = new DFA_State();
state0 = new DFA_State("State 0",true, state0, state1);
You essentially created 3 instances of state - two instances which are not initialized (first two lines in your code) - all their instance variables are null.
Then you create the third instance, which you point to the first two uninitialized ones, and assign it to state0 variable. Please note, at this point, it is only the value of the variable that changes, not the values you passed in the DFA-State constructor!!! So, what you now have in state0 is a state that points to two uninitialized states.
Now let's look at the code further down in the FoundationsOfComputing.java:
while (i < arr1.length) {//loops through array
System.out.println(i + ". scan shows " + arr1[i]);
temp = new DFA_State(curr_state.nextState(arr1[i]));
System.out.println(" "+curr_state.get_name()+ " moves onto " + temp.get_name());
curr_state = new DFA_State(temp);
i++;
}
I am guessing this throws NullPointerException - that code moves to the on_0 state of state0 - which is a state that has not been initialized (all it's instance variables are null), so in the following pass of the loop, when it calls curr_state.nextState(whatever), it would return null and you are trying to pass that to the copy-constructor which would result in NPE.

Ok so we know this is homework. Let's do this instead of telling you the answer let's try and work through it on your own. If you are seeing a NullPointerException (NPE). Grab the second line of the exception:
java.lang.NullPointerException: null
at com.blah.blah.SomeObject.someMethod(SomeArgumentType):1234 <<< here
....
That 1234 is the line number in the file that contains SomeObject. If you goto that line number you can see exactly where the NPE is being generated from. For example if line 1234 was:
this.foo = bar.indexOf("caramel");
You can easily deduce what was null. No clue? Well this can never be null so this.foo isn't the problem. If this could be null you couldn't be inside that method because this points to the instance you are currently within. Therefore, the only other statement where a variable is being dereferenced is bar so bar must be null. Let's look at your code:
temp = new DFA_State(curr_state.nextState(arr1[i]));
Say you find out the line above is tossing an exception. Well there could be several things that could be null. curr_state could be null, or arr1 could be null in which case this line would blow up. However, if arr1[i] is null or curr_state.nextState() is returning null then you won't see the NPE pointing at this line, but would be coming out of the constructor should someone try to call methods on that method parameter.
Hopefully, this will give you the tools you need to track down problems in your application by understanding exception stack traces.

How many dimensions in an array with no value

I'm a little lost (still working with Ron Jeffries's book). Here's a simple class:
public class Model{
private String[] lines;
public void myMethod(){
String[] newLines = new String[lines.length + 2];
for (i = 0, i <= lines.length, i++) {
newLines[i] = lines[i];
}
}
}
I have another class that initializes Model, and an empty array, by setting myModel = new String[0]. When I invoke myModel.myMethod(), I get a subscript out of range error. Looking at the debugger, what I see is that myModel.lines has zero dimensions and zero length. Shouldn't it have a dimension and length of 1? Granted the value of lines[0] is null, but the array itself shouldn't be, should it?
Any thoughts truly appreciated.
Randy

I think your example is probably not the same as your actual code based on your description. I think the problem is that arrays are zero-based and thus an array initialized as:
string[] lines = new string[0];
has no elements.
You need to change your loop so that you check that the index is strictly less than the length of the array. As others have indicated you also need to make sure that the array itself is not null before trying to reference it.
My take on your code:
public class Model{
private String[] lines = new string[0];
public Model( string[] lines ) {
this.lines = lines;
}
public void myMethod(){
int len = 2;
if (lines != null) {
len = len + lines.length;
}
String[] newLines = new String[len];
for (i = 0, i < lines.length, i++) {
newLines[i] = lines[i];
}
}
}

lines will be null, so lines.length will throw an exception.
I believe your other class initializing "Model" won't help since Lines itself is private. In fact, whatever you are doing to Model is probably illegal in at least 30 states.

lines is initalized to null, check for null or initialize it in this way :
private String[] lines = new String[0];

You cannot initialize an instance of Model by setting it equal to a String array. I'm actually surprised that the compiler will let you even try.
If you really want Model to be initializable with an external array, you should make a Constructor for the Model class that will take as an argument the array. Then in the body of your constructor, set the value of lines to that value.
Example:
public class Model {
private String []lines;
public Model(String [] inLines)
{
lines = inLines;
}
}
Usage:
myStringArray = new String[0];
myModel = new Model(myStringArray);

Take a look at my answer here - I think this will get you the background you are looking for on the differences between array initialization in Java and C/C++.