Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NullPointerException ???

HI ALL ..

I'm Having this problem in my program ..

The OutPut is :

Code:

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(1) Open New File  (2) Open Existing File

Enter number of choice you want:2

Enter the name: N1
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NullPointerException
    at P.search(P.java:143)
    at P.searchName(P.java:122)
    at P.<init>(P.java:24)
    at CL.main(CL.java:26)

Process completed.

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When I open a new file,everyting is correct .. Just for open existing file Give me this ERROR =(

How To Solve it ??

This is the main Class :

Code:

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import java.util.Scanner;
public class CL
{
        public static void main(String[] args)
        {
          Scanner input=new Scanner(System.in);
       
              String name=null;
        String gender=null;
        String date=null;
               
        System.out.print("\n(1) Open New File \t(2) Open Existing File\n\n");
        System.out.print("Enter number of choice you want:");       
               
        int x=input.nextInt();
        if(x==1)
        {
          P obj1= new P (name,gender,date);         
                  System.out.printf("\n\n%s\t\t%s\t\t%s\n%s\t\t\t\t%s\t\t\t%s\n\n","Patient Name: ","Gender: ","Date: ",obj1.getPatientName(),obj1.getGender(),obj1.getDate());
        }
                 
        if (x==2)
        { 
          System.out.print("\nEnter the name: ");
          String N = input.next();
          P obj2= new P (N);
        }
        }
}

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The Second Class :

Code:

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import java.util.Scanner;
public class P
{
    private String[] patientName={null,"N1",null,null,"N2",null,"N3",null,null,"N4"};
    private String[] Gender={null,"F",null,null,"M",null,"M",null,null,"F"};
    String name;
    String gender;
    private int  Month;
    private int  Day; 
    private int  Year;

   
    Scanner input=new Scanner(System.in);
                       
    public P (String name , String gender, String date)
    {
            setPatientName(name);
            setGender (gender);
            setDate(Month,Day,Year);
    }
   
    public P (String name )
    {
            searchName (name);
   
    }
   
            public void setPatientName(String name)
                        { 
                        int i;
                    System.out.print("\nEnter the name: ");
                        name = input.next();
                    for(i=0; i<patientName.length; i++)
                                {
                                  patientName[i]=name;
                  break;
                                }       
                        }
                       
                public String getPatientName ()
                        {
                        int i=0;       
                        return patientName[i];
                        }
                       
                       
                public void setGender ( String gender)
                {
                        int i;
                        System.out.print("\nEnter the gender: ");
                        gender = input.next();
            for(i=0;i<Gender.length;i++)
                        {
                          Gender[i]=gender;
              break;
                        }       
                }
                       
                public String getGender()
                        {
                        int i=0;       
                        return Gender[i];
                        }
                       
                       
                public void setDate(int month , int day ,  int year )
                        {
                         
                        Month = checkMonth( month );
                        setYear (year);
                        Day = checkDay( day );                           
                        }
                public String  getDate()
          {
            return String.format( "%d/%d/%d", Day , Month , Year );
          }
                   
          public int checkMonth( int  month )
    {
      System.out.print("\nEnter the month: ");
      month = input.nextInt();
     
        if ( month > 0 && month <= 12 )
          return month;
        else
        {
        System.out.printf("Invalid month (%d) set to 1.", month );
        return 1;
        }
    }
                                                       
    public int  checkDay( int  day )
    {
      System.out.print("\nEnter the day: ");
      day = input.nextInt();
     
        int daysPerMonth[] = { 0, 31, 28, 31, 30, 31, 30, 31, 31, 30, 31, 30, 31 };

        if ( day > 0 && day <= daysPerMonth[ Month ] )
          return day;

        if ( Month == 2 && day == 29 && ( Year % 400 == 0 ||
            ( Year % 4 == 0 && Year % 100 != 0 ) ) )
          return day;

        System.out.printf( "Invalid day (%d) set to 1.", day );
        return  1;
    }       
   
    public void setYear (int year)
      { System.out.print("\nEnter the year: ");
        year = input.nextInt();       
        Year = year;
      }
    public int getYear()
      {
        return Year;
      }

public  void searchName(String name)
        {
        int result=search(name);
       
        if (result!=-1)
        {         
              System.out.println("Registered Patient");
              System.out.printf("\n\n%s\t\t%s\n%s\t\t\t\t%s\n\n","Patient Name: ","Gender: ",patientName[result],Gender[result]);       
              }
   
      else
      {
      System.out.println("You are not registered");
            setGender (gender);
            setDate(Month,Day,Year);
          System.out.printf("\n\n%s\t\t%s\t\t%s\n%s\t\t\t\t%s\t\t\t%s\n\n","Patient Name: ","Gender: ","Date: ",name,gender,getDate());
      }
    }
       
    public  int search(String name)
    {int a=0;
    for ( int j=0; j < patientName.length; j++ )
    {
    if ( patientName[j].equals(name)  )
      a = j ; // found
   
    else 
      a = -1 ; //not found.
    }
    return a ;
    } 
}

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Any Help is Geatly Appreciated ..

Based off of the error message, and a quick look at your code, the error appears to be thrown here:

Quote:

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if ( patientName[j].equals(name))

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In the array patientName, you have null values:

Quote:

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private String[] patientName={null,"N1",null,null,"N2",null,"N3",null,null,"N4"};

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You cannot perform the following operation:

Quote:

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if( null.equals(someObject))

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This will throw a, wait for it... a NullPointerException. You cannot try to use members of some object if the object is null. You are trying to use .equals on null and you simply can't do that.

THX ALOT ProgramThis for your explainitaion ..

I removed null values ..

but it still tell me you are not registered .. =(

Code:

---

(1) Open New File  (2) Open Existing File

Enter number of choice you want:2

Enter the name: N1
You are not registered

---

PLZ HELP .. :S

Your problem is in the search method. When you find a match you are setting 'a' to the index and then continuing with the search. The following iterations fail and set 'a' to -1. You need to break out of the loop once you have found a match. You could just code it as follows:

Code:

---

public  int search(String name)
    {
    for ( int j=0; j < patientName.length; j++ )
        {
        if ( patientName[j].equals(name)  )
            return j ; // found
        }

    return -1;
    }

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Be aware that this is cross-posted in Java Programming Forums.

Bad code isn't bad, its just misunderstood...
Anon.

Quote:

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Be aware that this is cross-posted in Java Programming Forums.

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Not another one, I'm beginning to wonder why I spend so much time replying to posts when people seem to think it's ok to cross post.