New to java, need a little help with array input

Hello all,

I am new to programming. I have to take this class for my degree, and we just started getting into OOP(object oriented programming). I wrote a program which is good enough for the assignment, but my professor wanted me to clean it up and use an array of objects and loop to get input. I am having a little trouble with getting input into the array of objects. It compiles fine, but I get a NullPointer exception error when I try to put in input. Here is the program.

import java.util.Scanner; //imports the java util class

public class JonesRickieWeek6Prog2 //opens the class JonesRickieWeek6Prog
{
public static void main(String[] args)
{
Cat[] myCats;
myCats = new Cat[3];
Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in); //intializes the new Scanner object input
int c;
for(c = 0; c < 3; c++)
{
System.out.print("Enter the name of the Cat: ");
String name = input.next();
System.out.print("Enter the age of the Cat: ");
int age = input.nextInt();
System.out.print("Enter the weight of the Cat: ");
double weight = input.nextDouble();
System.out.print("Enter the breed of the Cat: ");
String breed = input.next();
System.out.print("Does the Cat have claws? True or False: ");
boolean declawed = input.nextBoolean();
myCats[c].set(name, age, weight, breed, declawed);
}
for(c = 0; c < 3; c++)
{
if(myCats[c].declawed = true && myCats[c].age > 3)
{
System.out.print("\n\nThe Cats over 3 with claws are:\n\n");
System.out.print("Name: " + myCats[c].name);
System.out.print("Age: " + myCats[c].age + " years old");
}
}


} //ends main method
} //ends class JonesRickieWeek6Prog

The line it is having the issue with is this one:
myCats[c].set(name, age, weight, breed, declawed);

Not sure if this will solve the NPE your seeing, but you do have a flaw in your program:

Code:

---

if(myCats[c].declawed [B][COLOR="Red"]=[/COLOR][/B] true && myCats[c].age > 3)

---

"=" is an assignment... you want to use the comparation sign "==".

Luck,
CJSL

And also are you sure that you have implement the correct method in the Cat class with correct number of arguments in the set method?

I have changed the assignment operator as CJSLMAN suggested. As far as the Cat class for the set method, here is what it looks like. Again, thanks for your help.

public void set(String name, int age, double weight, String breed, boolean declawed)
{
this.name = name;
this.age = age;
this.weight = weight;
this.breed = breed;
this.declawed = declawed;
}

So does this mean that you've solved your program's problems?

Sorry, I guess my last post was a little misleading. It does still throw the NPE and the same line, even after I changed the assignment operator

Well, obviously it throws a npe
You use

Code:

---

myCats[c].set(blabla)

---

before instantiating a new cat for every position in myCats.

I'm not gonna tell you what to do, you should know that. Just to help you learning ;)
If you still don't know, just post :)

Well, I have tried a few different ways to get it to work, all still throwing the NPE at line 31. I think I understand what you mean but instantiating a new position for every object in the array, but I am obviously not doing it right. When I try to get it to compile it doesn't work. I have tried it inside and outside of the for loop. Just to be sure, here is what I tried.
myCats[1] = cat1;
myCats[2] = cat2;
myCats[3] = cat3;

what cat1, cat2, cat3 are?
are they cat objects?
you should new a cat object and assign to array element

Problem solved, thanks for the help everyone

how u solved ur problem ?
can u please send the modifications done to avoid NPE.

Here is what I had to do.

Cat cat1; //instantiates cat1
Cat cat2; //instantiates cat2
Cat cat3; //instantiates cat3
cat1 = new Cat(); //creates a new cat object
cat2 = new Cat(); //creates a new cat object
cat3 = new Cat(); //creates a new cat object
Cat[] myCats = {cat1, cat2, cat3}; //creates an array of cat objects