How to get a random value in an array

[hardwired]

Why is the "dictionary" array null in the getNextWord method?
Consider the code in your class constructor:

    public HangmanPanel2() {
        buildGUI();
        setVisible(true);
        // Here you are calling [i]getNextWord[/i] before
        // you call [i]setUpDictionary[/i]. So the
        // reference/variable "dictionary" will still be null.
        secretWord = getNextWord();
        setUpStars();

When you do call setUpDictionary before the getNextWord method the field/reference "dictionary" will still be null.
Why?

public class HangmanPanel2 extends
    ...
    // Member variable declaration in class scope.
    public String dictionary[];
    ...
    public void setUpDictionary() {
        // Local variable declared in this methods scope,
        // ie, within curley braces (body) of this method.
        // This declaration "shadows"/"hides" the member
        // variable declared in class scope. The member
        // variable remains null, ie, it has not been
        // initialized/instantiated. To fix this,
        // comment-out the local variable declaration:
//        String dictionary[];
        // Now this line will instantiate the member variable.
        dictionary = new String[20];

About the getNextWord method. I may have contributed to the confusion here. If the purpose of the method is to get an element from the "dictionary" array and send it back to the caller, ie, return it, then you would return the element at the random index "n":

    public String getNextWord() {
        int n = rand.nextInt(dictionary.length);
        return dictionary[n];
    }

The caller would likely want to save the return value in a variable:

String nextWord = getNextWord();

If the purpose of the method is to set a value for the "secretWord" field then you do not have to return a value:

    public void setNextWord() {
        // Pick a random index in the array.
        int n = rand.nextInt(dictionary.length);
        // Assign the word at this random index to
        // the "secretWord" field.
        secretWord = dictionary[n];
    }

The caller of this method will not expect a return value because the method signature specifies a "void" return type, ie, it doesn't return anything to the caller. The caller would simply do:

setNextWord();

You could do both if you wanted:

    public String getNextWord() {
        int n = rand.nextInt(dictionary.length);
        // Assign value to member_variable/field.
        secretWord = dictionary[n];
        // Return value to caller.
        return dictionary[n];
    }

[Franneldort]

Thanks so much for helping! It's working now :) When I run it, it selects a random word from the dictionary array and sets it to the JTextField that I wanted.