Java: error while outputing to server on button click event

Question

I am having a problem with Java wich is i cannot use the button click event to send any kind of data through the output stream, because it gives me a NullPointerException. This code works fine if used out of the button click event, however when i try it in this particular section it will catch that exception. Would apreciate if someone could detect my error and if possible explain what happen so i won't do the same mistake over and over again.

Code:

public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae) {
    if (ae.getSource().equals(loginButton)) {
        if(!userField.getText().isEmpty()){
            if(!passwordField.getText().isEmpty()){
                try {
                    os = new DataOutputStream(socket.getOutputStream());
                    os.writeBytes("login\n" + userField.getText() + "\n" + passwordField.getText());
                    System.out.print("Sucess data sent");
                } catch(IOException e){
                    System.out.println(e);
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Exception:

"C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_151\bin\java" "-javaagent:C:\Program Files\JetBrains\IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition 2017.3.2\lib\idea_rt.jar=51005:C:\Program Files\JetBrains\IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition 2017.3.2\bin" -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 -classpath "C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_151\jre\lib\charsets.jar;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_151\jre\lib\deploy.jar;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_151\jre\lib\ext\access-bridge-64.jar;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_151\jre\lib\ext\cldrdata.jar;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_151\jre\lib\ext\dnsns.jar;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_151\jre\lib\ext\jaccess.jar;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_151\jre\lib\ext\jfxrt.jar;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_151\jre\lib\ext\localedata.jar;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_151\jre\lib\ext\nashorn.jar;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_151\jre\lib\ext\sunec.jar;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_151\jre\lib\ext\sunjce_provider.jar;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_151\jre\lib\ext\sunmscapi.jar;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_151\jre\lib\ext\sunpkcs11.jar;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_151\jre\lib\ext\zipfs.jar;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_151\jre\lib\javaws.jar;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_151\jre\lib\jce.jar;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_151\jre\lib\jfr.jar;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_151\jre\lib\jfxswt.jar;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_151\jre\lib\jsse.jar;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_151\jre\lib\management-agent.jar;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_151\jre\lib\plugin.jar;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_151\jre\lib\resources.jar;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_151\jre\lib\rt.jar;C:\Users\vasco\IdeaProjects\Learning\out\production\Learning" sample.Main
C:\Users\vasco
Exception in thread "JavaFX Application Thread" java.lang.RuntimeException: java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
    at javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader$MethodHandler.invoke(FXMLLoader.java:1774)
    at javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader$ControllerMethodEventHandler.handle(FXMLLoader.java:1657)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.CompositeEventHandler.dispatchBubblingEvent(CompositeEventHandler.java:86)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.EventHandlerManager.dispatchBubblingEvent(EventHandlerManager.java:238)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.EventHandlerManager.dispatchBubblingEvent(EventHandlerManager.java:191)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.CompositeEventDispatcher.dispatchBubblingEvent(CompositeEventDispatcher.java:59)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.BasicEventDispatcher.dispatchEvent(BasicEventDispatcher.java:58)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.EventDispatchChainImpl.dispatchEvent(EventDispatchChainImpl.java:114)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.BasicEventDispatcher.dispatchEvent(BasicEventDispatcher.java:56)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.EventDispatchChainImpl.dispatchEvent(EventDispatchChainImpl.java:114)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.BasicEventDispatcher.dispatchEvent(BasicEventDispatcher.java:56)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.EventDispatchChainImpl.dispatchEvent(EventDispatchChainImpl.java:114)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.BasicEventDispatcher.dispatchEvent(BasicEventDispatcher.java:56)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.EventDispatchChainImpl.dispatchEvent(EventDispatchChainImpl.java:114)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.EventUtil.fireEventImpl(EventUtil.java:74)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.EventUtil.fireEvent(EventUtil.java:49)
    at javafx.event.Event.fireEvent(Event.java:198)
    at javafx.scene.Node.fireEvent(Node.java:8413)
    at javafx.scene.control.Button.fire(Button.java:185)
    at com.sun.javafx.scene.control.behavior.ButtonBehavior.mouseReleased(ButtonBehavior.java:182)
    at com.sun.javafx.scene.control.skin.BehaviorSkinBase$1.handle(BehaviorSkinBase.java:96)
    at com.sun.javafx.scene.control.skin.BehaviorSkinBase$1.handle(BehaviorSkinBase.java:89)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.CompositeEventHandler$NormalEventHandlerRecord.handleBubblingEvent(CompositeEventHandler.java:218)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.CompositeEventHandler.dispatchBubblingEvent(CompositeEventHandler.java:80)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.EventHandlerManager.dispatchBubblingEvent(EventHandlerManager.java:238)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.EventHandlerManager.dispatchBubblingEvent(EventHandlerManager.java:191)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.CompositeEventDispatcher.dispatchBubblingEvent(CompositeEventDispatcher.java:59)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.BasicEventDispatcher.dispatchEvent(BasicEventDispatcher.java:58)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.EventDispatchChainImpl.dispatchEvent(EventDispatchChainImpl.java:114)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.BasicEventDispatcher.dispatchEvent(BasicEventDispatcher.java:56)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.EventDispatchChainImpl.dispatchEvent(EventDispatchChainImpl.java:114)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.BasicEventDispatcher.dispatchEvent(BasicEventDispatcher.java:56)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.EventDispatchChainImpl.dispatchEvent(EventDispatchChainImpl.java:114)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.BasicEventDispatcher.dispatchEvent(BasicEventDispatcher.java:56)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.EventDispatchChainImpl.dispatchEvent(EventDispatchChainImpl.java:114)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.EventUtil.fireEventImpl(EventUtil.java:74)
    at com.sun.javafx.event.EventUtil.fireEvent(EventUtil.java:54)
    at javafx.event.Event.fireEvent(Event.java:198)
    at javafx.scene.Scene$MouseHandler.process(Scene.java:3757)
    at javafx.scene.Scene$MouseHandler.access$1500(Scene.java:3485)
    at javafx.scene.Scene.impl_processMouseEvent(Scene.java:1762)
    at javafx.scene.Scene$ScenePeerListener.mouseEvent(Scene.java:2494)
    at com.sun.javafx.tk.quantum.GlassViewEventHandler$MouseEventNotification.run(GlassViewEventHandler.java:381)
    at com.sun.javafx.tk.quantum.GlassViewEventHandler$MouseEventNotification.run(GlassViewEventHandler.java:295)
    at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
    at com.sun.javafx.tk.quantum.GlassViewEventHandler.lambda$handleMouseEvent$353(GlassViewEventHandler.java:417)
    at com.sun.javafx.tk.quantum.QuantumToolkit.runWithoutRenderLock(QuantumToolkit.java:389)
    at com.sun.javafx.tk.quantum.GlassViewEventHandler.handleMouseEvent(GlassViewEventHandler.java:416)
    at com.sun.glass.ui.View.handleMouseEvent(View.java:555)
    at com.sun.glass.ui.View.notifyMouse(View.java:937)
    at com.sun.glass.ui.win.WinApplication._runLoop(Native Method)
    at com.sun.glass.ui.win.WinApplication.lambda$null$147(WinApplication.java:177)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:748)
Caused by: java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:498)
    at sun.reflect.misc.Trampoline.invoke(MethodUtil.java:71)
    at sun.reflect.GeneratedMethodAccessor1.invoke(Unknown Source)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:498)
    at sun.reflect.misc.MethodUtil.invoke(MethodUtil.java:275)
    at javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader$MethodHandler.invoke(FXMLLoader.java:1769)
    ... 52 more
Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
    at sample.Main.actionPerformed(Main.java:94)
    ... 62 more

Its the os = writebytes. If i remove this code and place it anywhere else that doesnt use button events it works. I tried also placing it in a void and calling the void through that event, result is the same. — Vasco Ferreira, Jan 07 '18 at 13:14

Alex Cuadrón · Answer 1 · 2018-01-07T19:00:43.087

1

First of all the NullPointerException error is being caused or could be caused from if(!userField.getText().isEmpty()) or if(!passwordField.getText().isEmpty()). That's because the isEmpty() function could return null. Instead use if(!userField.getText().equals("")) and if(!passwordField.getText().equals("")) although it's a bit slower you know it will never return a null as shown here.

Other cause of the exception could be the initiallization of the socket variable, replace os = new DataOutputStream(socket.getOutputStream()); for os = new DataOutputStream(new Socket("Your IP address", int port).getOutputStream());

As a sidenote, instead of using sendBytes(""); function, use sendUTF("") it has the next benefits:

The null byte '\u0000' is encoded in 2-byte format rather than 1-byte so that the encoded strings never have embedded nulls.
Only the 1-byte, 2-byte, and 3-byte formats are used.
Supplementary characters are represented in the form of surrogate pairs.

Select as answer if it'd helped and if you have a question or it's still not working tell me and I'll solve it.

edited Jan 07 '18 at 19:00

answered Jan 07 '18 at 13:29

Alex Cuadrón

638
12
19

Hum i don't think it is because of the isEmpty statements, otherwise it wouldnt get past that part, however i changed it because it could at some point give me an error. Also i made a mistake the line 94 is actually the os = new DataOutputStream... and that line is the one giving NullPointerException – Vasco Ferreira Jan 07 '18 at 13:33
@VascoFerreira So the problem might be in the Socket variable, could you post the initiallization and declaration of the socket variable? – Alex Cuadrón Jan 07 '18 at 13:35
I found the problem, the variables were not being declared as static. Dumb move of mine. Thank you for helping :) – Vasco Ferreira Jan 07 '18 at 13:42
@VascoFerreira check out if now it corrects your problem (although you already solved it changing the variables to static) and if it does select it as answer please. – Alex Cuadrón Jan 07 '18 at 13:45

Java: error while outputing to server on button click event

1 Answers1