Java FX Text array not Initalized

Question

I'm working with Java FX and I'm making and array of Text objects to display a text in different points on my GUI. I declare the array as follows:

public Text[] texts = new Text[10];

At the very beginning of my start() method I try to make all of the Texts be blank like so:

for (Text text : texts) 
    text.setText("");

but when I run this I get the following error:

Exception in Application start method
java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
    at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
    at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
    at java.base/java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:564)
    at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.LauncherImpl.launchApplicationWithArgs(LauncherImpl.java:473)
    at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.LauncherImpl.launchApplication(LauncherImpl.java:372)
    at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
    at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
    at java.base/java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:564)
    at java.base/sun.launcher.LauncherHelper$FXHelper.main(LauncherHelper.java:941)
Caused by: java.lang.RuntimeException: Exception in Application start method
    at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.LauncherImpl.launchApplication1(LauncherImpl.java:973)
    at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.LauncherImpl.lambda$launchApplication$2(LauncherImpl.java:198)
    at java.base/java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:844)
Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
    at sample.Main.start(Main.java:93)
    at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.LauncherImpl.lambda$launchApplication1$9(LauncherImpl.java:919)
    at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl.lambda$runAndWait$11(PlatformImpl.java:449)
    at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl.lambda$runLater$9(PlatformImpl.java:418)
    at java.base/java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
    at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl.lambda$runLater$10(PlatformImpl.java:417)
    at javafx.graphics/com.sun.glass.ui.InvokeLaterDispatcher$Future.run(InvokeLaterDispatcher.java:96)
    at javafx.graphics/com.sun.glass.ui.win.WinApplication._runLoop(Native Method)
    at javafx.graphics/com.sun.glass.ui.win.WinApplication.lambda$runLoop$3(WinApplication.java:175)
    ... 1 more
Exception running application sample.Main

The for loop above where I reference the Text array is on line 93. I think the compiler thinks the array is empty (Hence the nullpointer exception). Is there an easy way around this?

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

It's because your array contains only null values. You need to populate the array with Text objects.

public Text[] texts = new Text[10];
for(int i=0; i<texts.length; i++){
  texts[i] = new Text();
  texts[i].setText("");
}

Below will cause the array to be initialized before used.

    public Text[] texts = { new Text(""), new Text(""),
                            new Text(""), new Text(""), 
                            new Text(""), new Text(""), 
                            new Text(""), new Text(""), 
                            new Text(""), new Text(""), };