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Help with GUI!

I am making the game "Jeopardy!" as a Computer Science class project. When I run the program, the getText method doesn't work the first time. Please help me if you can. Thanks.

Here is the program:

import java.awt.*; //import statements

import java.awt.event.*;

import javax.swing.* ;

import java.io.*; //Used to import info

import javax.swing.event.* ;

public class Jeopardy extends JFrame implements ActionListener //class declaration

{

JPanel textPanel1, textPanel2, textPanel3, textPanel4, textPanel5, textPanel6, textPanel7, textPanel8, textPanel9, textPanel10, textPanel11, textPanel12;//variable declaration

int score=0;

String place1="WHO IS GEORGE WASHINGTON";

//button declaration

JButton Box1a = new JButton("$400");//1 refers to column and a refers to position of box

JButton Box1b = new JButton("$800");

JButton Box1c = new JButton("$1200");

JButton Box1d = new JButton("$1600");

JButton Box1e = new JButton("$2000");

JButton Box2a = new JButton("$400");

JButton Box2b = new JButton("$800");

JButton Box2c = new JButton("$1200");

JButton Box2d = new JButton("$1600");

JButton Box2e = new JButton("$2000");

JButton Box3a = new JButton("$400");

JButton Box3b = new JButton("$800");

JButton Box3c = new JButton("$1200");

JButton Box3d = new JButton("$1600");

JButton Box3e = new JButton("$2000");

protected CardLayout layout;

//inText field and inLabel declarations

JLabel inLabel1 = new JLabel("American History");

JLabel inLabel2 = new JLabel(" "+"Calculus");

JLabel inLabel3 = new JLabel("Computer Science");

//outText field and inLabel declarations

JLabel outLabel2 = new JLabel("What is your name?");

JTextField outText2 = new JTextField( 7 );

JLabel outLabel = new JLabel("'s score");

JTextField outText = new JTextField( 7 );

//creating questions & answer boxes

JLabel ahistQ1 = new JLabel("He was the first President of the United States.");

JTextField ahistA1 = new JTextField( 7 );

Jeopardy() //constructor

{

Box1a.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));//the changing of the font

Box1b.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box1c.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box1d.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box1e.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box2a.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box2b.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box2c.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box2d.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box2e.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box3a.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box3b.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box3c.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box3d.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box3e.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

inLabel1.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.BOLD, 14));

inLabel2.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.BOLD, 14));

inLabel3.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.BOLD, 14));

ahistQ1.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.BOLD, 14));

ahistQ2.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.BOLD, 14));

ahistQ3.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.BOLD, 14));

ahistQ4.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.BOLD, 14));

ahistQ5.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.BOLD, 14));

Box1a.addActionListener( this ); //Listeners

Box1b.addActionListener( this );

Box1c.addActionListener( this );

Box1d.addActionListener( this );

Box1e.addActionListener( this );

Box2a.addActionListener( this );

Box2b.addActionListener( this );

Box2c.addActionListener( this );

Box2d.addActionListener( this );

Box2e.addActionListener( this );

Box3a.addActionListener( this );

Box3b.addActionListener( this );

Box3c.addActionListener( this );

Box3d.addActionListener( this );

Box3e.addActionListener( this );

outText2.addActionListener( this );

ahistA1.addActionListener( this );

textPanel1 = new JPanel();

textPanel1.setLayout(new GridLayout(6, 1));

textPanel1.add( inLabel1 );

textPanel1.add( Box1a );

textPanel1.add( Box1b );

textPanel1.add( Box1c );

textPanel1.add( Box1d );

textPanel1.add( Box1e );

textPanel2 = new JPanel();

textPanel2.setLayout(new GridLayout(6, 1));

textPanel2.add( inLabel2 );

textPanel2.add( Box2a );

textPanel2.add( Box2b );

textPanel2.add( Box2c );

textPanel2.add( Box2d );

textPanel2.add( Box2e );

textPanel3 = new JPanel();

textPanel3.setLayout(new GridLayout(6, 1));

textPanel3.add( inLabel3 );

textPanel3.add( Box3a );

textPanel3.add( Box3b );

textPanel3.add( Box3c );

textPanel3.add( Box3d );

textPanel3.add( Box3e );

textPanel4 = new JPanel();

textPanel4.setLayout(new BoxLayout(textPanel4, BoxLayout.X_AXIS));

textPanel4.add( textPanel1 );

textPanel4.add( textPanel2 );

textPanel4.add( textPanel3 );

textPanel5 = new JPanel();

textPanel5.setLayout(new BoxLayout(textPanel5, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));

textPanel5.add( outLabel );

textPanel5.add( outText );

textPanel6 = new JPanel();

textPanel6.setLayout(new BoxLayout(textPanel6, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));

textPanel6.add( textPanel4 );

textPanel6.add( textPanel5 );

textPanel7 = new JPanel();

textPanel7.setLayout(new BoxLayout(textPanel7, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));

textPanel7.add( outLabel2 );

textPanel7.add( outText2 );

textPanel8 = new JPanel();

textPanel8.setLayout(new BoxLayout(textPanel8, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));

textPanel8.add( ahistQ1 );

textPanel8.add( ahistA1 );

layout = new CardLayout();

getContentPane().setLayout(layout);

getContentPane().add( textPanel7, "One" );

getContentPane().add( textPanel6, "Two" );

getContentPane().add( textPanel8, "Three" );

//Set Action Commands

Box1a.setActionCommand( "us1" );

outText.setEditable( false ); //keeps user from typing in the out panels

setTitle("This is JEOPARDY!!");//sets Title

}

public void actionPerformed( ActionEvent evt)

{

if(outText2.getText() != null)

{

layout.show(this.getContentPane(), "Two");

outLabel.setText((outText2.getText()) + "'s score");

//moves to the next panel

}

if(evt.getActionCommand().equals("us1"))

{

layout.show(this.getContentPane(), "Three");

if(ahistA1.getText().equalsIgnoreCase("Who is George Washington"))

{

score+=400;

outText.setText(score + " ");

layout.show(this.getContentPane(), "Three");

}

else

{

score-=400;

outText.setText(score + " ");

layout.show(this.getContentPane(), "Three");

}

}

}

public static void main ( String[] args )

{

Jeopardyecho = new Jeopardy() ;

WindowQuitter wquit = new WindowQuitter();

echo.addWindowListener( wquit );

echo.setSize( 450, 350 );

echo.setVisible( true );

}

}

class WindowQuitter extends WindowAdapter

{

public void windowClosing( WindowEvent e )

{

System.exit( 0 );

}

}

[7765 byte] By [newjavaa] at [2007-11-27 3:04:52]
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# 1
Your getting the text at the time the button is pushed, not at the time that enter is pressed. When the button is first pushed, there is no text in the ahistA1 text window.
petes1234a at 2007-7-12 3:49:44 > top of Java-index,Java Essentials,New To Java...
# 2

Do yourself a favor and learn how to use arrays: http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/java/nutsandbolts/arrays.html

All those lists of variables you declare with different numbers can be declared, instantiated and iterated over in much less code using arrays:

JPanel[] textPanel = new JPanel[12];

instead of

JPanel textPanel1, textPanel2, textPanel3, textPanel4, textPanel5, textPanel6, textPanel7, textPanel8, textPanel9, textPanel10, textPanel11, textPanel12;

Likewise:

for (int i=0; i<textPanel.length; i++) {

textPanel[1] = new JPanel();

}

instead of

textPanel1 = new JPanel();

textPanel2 = new JPanel();

textPanel3 = new JPanel();

textPanel4 = new JPanel();

textPanel5 = new JPanel();

....

As to why your getText call doesn't work, describe what you mean by "doesn't work". Does it return the wrong value, throw an exception, etc?>

hunter9000a at 2007-7-12 3:49:44 > top of Java-index,Java Essentials,New To Java...
# 3

Point number 2: use code tags. Otherwise your code is pretty much unreadable. Compare your code with this:

import java.awt.*; //import statements

import java.awt.event.*;

import javax.swing.*;

import java.io.*; //Used to import info

import javax.swing.event.*;

public class Jeopardy extends JFrame implements ActionListener // class

// declaration

{

JPanel textPanel1, textPanel2, textPanel3, textPanel4, textPanel5,

textPanel6, textPanel7, textPanel8, textPanel9, textPanel10,

textPanel11, textPanel12;// variable declaration

int score = 0;

String place1 = "WHO IS GEORGE WASHINGTON";

// button declaration

JButton Box1a = new JButton("$400");// 1 refers to column and a refers to

// position of box

JButton Box1b = new JButton("$800");

JButton Box1c = new JButton("$1200");

JButton Box1d = new JButton("$1600");

JButton Box1e = new JButton("$2000");

JButton Box2a = new JButton("$400");

JButton Box2b = new JButton("$800");

JButton Box2c = new JButton("$1200");

JButton Box2d = new JButton("$1600");

JButton Box2e = new JButton("$2000");

JButton Box3a = new JButton("$400");

JButton Box3b = new JButton("$800");

JButton Box3c = new JButton("$1200");

JButton Box3d = new JButton("$1600");

JButton Box3e = new JButton("$2000");

protected CardLayout layout;

// inText field and inLabel declarations

JLabel inLabel1 = new JLabel("American History");

JLabel inLabel2 = new JLabel(" " + "Calculus");

JLabel inLabel3 = new JLabel("Computer Science");

// outText field and inLabel declarations

JLabel outLabel2 = new JLabel("What is your name?");

JTextField outText2 = new JTextField(7);

JLabel outLabel = new JLabel("'s score");

JTextField outText = new JTextField(7);

// creating questions & answer boxes

JLabel ahistQ1 = new JLabel(

"He was the first President of the United States.");

JTextField ahistA1 = new JTextField(7);

Jeopardy() // constructor

{

Box1a.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));// the

// changing

// of the

// font

Box1b.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box1c.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box1d.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box1e.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box2a.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box2b.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box2c.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box2d.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box2e.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box3a.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box3b.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box3c.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box3d.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

Box3e.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.PLAIN, 14));

inLabel1.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.BOLD, 14));

inLabel2.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.BOLD, 14));

inLabel3.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.BOLD, 14));

ahistQ1.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.BOLD, 14));

//ahistQ2.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.BOLD, 14));

//ahistQ3.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.BOLD, 14));

//ahistQ4.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.BOLD, 14));

//ahistQ5.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS", Font.BOLD, 14));

Box1a.addActionListener(this); // Listeners

Box1b.addActionListener(this);

Box1c.addActionListener(this);

Box1d.addActionListener(this);

Box1e.addActionListener(this);

Box2a.addActionListener(this);

Box2b.addActionListener(this);

Box2c.addActionListener(this);

Box2d.addActionListener(this);

Box2e.addActionListener(this);

Box3a.addActionListener(this);

Box3b.addActionListener(this);

Box3c.addActionListener(this);

Box3d.addActionListener(this);

Box3e.addActionListener(this);

outText2.addActionListener(this);

ahistA1.addActionListener(this);

textPanel1 = new JPanel();

textPanel1.setLayout(new GridLayout(6, 1));

textPanel1.add(inLabel1);

textPanel1.add(Box1a);

textPanel1.add(Box1b);

textPanel1.add(Box1c);

textPanel1.add(Box1d);

textPanel1.add(Box1e);

textPanel2 = new JPanel();

textPanel2.setLayout(new GridLayout(6, 1));

textPanel2.add(inLabel2);

textPanel2.add(Box2a);

textPanel2.add(Box2b);

textPanel2.add(Box2c);

textPanel2.add(Box2d);

textPanel2.add(Box2e);

textPanel3 = new JPanel();

textPanel3.setLayout(new GridLayout(6, 1));

textPanel3.add(inLabel3);

textPanel3.add(Box3a);

textPanel3.add(Box3b);

textPanel3.add(Box3c);

textPanel3.add(Box3d);

textPanel3.add(Box3e);

textPanel4 = new JPanel();

textPanel4.setLayout(new BoxLayout(textPanel4, BoxLayout.X_AXIS));

textPanel4.add(textPanel1);

textPanel4.add(textPanel2);

textPanel4.add(textPanel3);

textPanel5 = new JPanel();

textPanel5.setLayout(new BoxLayout(textPanel5, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));

textPanel5.add(outLabel);

textPanel5.add(outText);

textPanel6 = new JPanel();

textPanel6.setLayout(new BoxLayout(textPanel6, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));

textPanel6.add(textPanel4);

textPanel6.add(textPanel5);

textPanel7 = new JPanel();

textPanel7.setLayout(new BoxLayout(textPanel7, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));

textPanel7.add(outLabel2);

textPanel7.add(outText2);

textPanel8 = new JPanel();

textPanel8.setLayout(new BoxLayout(textPanel8, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));

textPanel8.add(ahistQ1);

textPanel8.add(ahistA1);

layout = new CardLayout();

getContentPane().setLayout(layout);

getContentPane().add(textPanel7, "One");

getContentPane().add(textPanel6, "Two");

getContentPane().add(textPanel8, "Three");

// Set Action Commands

Box1a.setActionCommand("us1");

outText.setEditable(false); // keeps user from typing in the out panels

setTitle("This is JEOPARDY!!");// sets Title

}

public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent evt)

{

if (outText2.getText() != null)

{

layout.show(this.getContentPane(), "Two");

outLabel.setText((outText2.getText()) + "'s score");

//moves to the next panel

}

if (evt.getActionCommand().equals("us1"))

{

layout.show(this.getContentPane(), "Three");

System.out.println("ahistA1.getText() is: " + ahistA1.getText());

if (ahistA1.getText().equalsIgnoreCase("Who is George Washington"))

{

score += 400;

outText.setText(score + " ");

layout.show(this.getContentPane(), "Three");

}

else

{

score -= 400;

outText.setText(score + " ");

layout.show(this.getContentPane(), "Three");

}

}

}

public static void main(String[] args)

{

Jeopardy echo = new Jeopardy();

WindowQuitter wquit = new WindowQuitter();

echo.addWindowListener(wquit);

echo.setSize(450, 350);

echo.setVisible(true);

}

}

class WindowQuitter extends WindowAdapter

{

public void windowClosing(WindowEvent e)

{

System.exit(0);

}

}

petes1234a at 2007-7-12 3:49:44 > top of Java-index,Java Essentials,New To Java...
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