Sorting code not working correctly

EDIT: I'll be back in an hour to answer any questions that you might have that would help you help me. :)

I'm writing a program that uses polymorphism and inheritance to sort solids from a text file based on surface area and volume. I am pretty much completely done with the project, however the code I am using to sort and display the lists aren't working correctly.

Here is the code:



This is my abstract class that defines a solid

Code:

---

import java.text.DecimalFormat;

public abstract class Solid {

        private String solidName;
        DecimalFormat roundHundreth = new DecimalFormat("#.##");
       
        //constructor for setting name to a default value
        //preconditions:none
        //postconditions:sets solidName to undefined
        public Solid(){
                solidName = "undefined";
        }
       
        //method for setting name to method argument
        //preconditions: must enter a String argument
        //postconditions: will set solidName to name
        public void setName(String name){
                solidName = name;
        }
       
        //getter method for Solid name
        //preconditions: none
        //postconditions: will return solidName
        public String getName(){
                return solidName;
        }
       
        public char charAt(int index){
                //charAt method for Solid
                //preconditions: none
                //postconditions: returns char at index
                String name = getName();
                return name.charAt(index);
        }
       
       
        //abstract method declarations
        public abstract double volume();
       
        public abstract double surface();
       
        public abstract void display();
       
        public abstract double getVolume();
       
        public abstract double getSurface();
               
       
       
       
}

---

This is the class that grabs the data from the file and sorts it into two lists, as well as sorting and displaying the information by surface area and volume

Code:

---

import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
import java.util.Scanner;


public class SolidList{

        SurfaceMeasurer surfaceArea = new SurfaceMeasurer();
        VolumeMeasurer volume = new VolumeMeasurer();
        Scanner fileReader;
        Solid[] list = new Solid[201];
        Solid[] list2 = new Solid[201];
        int count = 0;
       
       
        public void getData(){
                //method to put the data from the files into Solid arrays
                //preconditions: none
                //postconditions: will assign each value from the file on ascending array indexes
               
                try {
                        fileReader = new Scanner(new File("data.txt"));
                        }
                catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
                        e.getMessage();
                        }
               
                do{
                       
                                String inputLine = fileReader.nextLine();
                                String[] temp = inputLine.split("\t");
                               
                               
                                if(temp[0].equals("S")){
                                       
                                        double radius = Double.parseDouble(temp[1]);
                                        list[count] = new Sphere(radius);
                                        list2[count] = new Sphere(radius);
                                }       
                                else if(temp[0].equals("C")){
                                       
                                        double side = Double.parseDouble(temp[1]);
                                        list[count] = new Cube(side);
                                        list2[count] = new Cube(side);
                                }
                                else if(temp[0].equals("R")){
                                       
                                        double length = Double.parseDouble(temp[1]);
                                        double width = Double.parseDouble(temp[2]);
                                        double height = Double.parseDouble(temp[3]);
                                        list[count] = new Rectangular(length, width, height);
                                        list2[count] = new Rectangular(length, width, height);       
                                }
                                ++count;
                        }
                while(fileReader.hasNextLine());
                }
               
                                       
                       
               
       

       
       
        public void displayData(){
                //method to print out the data retrieved from the text file
                //preconditions: none
                //postconditions: prints out data
               
                getData();
               
                System.out.println("List sorted by ascending surface area: \n");
               
                for(int i = list.length - 1; i >= 0; --i){
                       
                        int highestIndex = i;                               
                       
                        for(int j = i; j >= 0; --j){
                       
                                if(surfaceArea.getMeasure(list[j]) > surfaceArea.getMeasure(list[highestIndex])){       
                                        highestIndex = j;               
                        }
                               
                                Solid temp = list[i];
                                list[i] = list[highestIndex];
                                list[highestIndex] = temp;
               
                        }
               
                        for(int x = 0; x < list.length; ++x){
                               
                                list[x].display();       
                        }
                       
                        System.out.println("\n");
                       
                        System.out.println("List sorted by ascending volume: \n");
                       
                        for(int x = list2.length - 1; x >= 0; --x){
                               
                                int highest = x;                               
                               
                                for(int j = x; j >= 0; --j){
                               
                                        if(volume.getMeasure(list2[j]) > volume.getMeasure(list2[highest])){       
                                                highest = j;               
                                }
                                       
                                        Solid temp = list2[x];
                                        list2[x] = list2[highest];
                                        list2[highest] = temp;
                       
                                }
                       
                                for(int k = 0; k < list2.length; ++k){
                                       
                                        list2[k].display();
                                       
                                }
                        }
                }
}
               
       
        //This is just a test at the moment, actual main will be in another class
        public static void main(String[] args){
               
                SolidList jaron = new SolidList();
                jaron.displayData();       
                }
               
        }

---

I have two measurer classes, one for surface area and one for volume. This is one of them

Code:

---

public class SurfaceMeasurer implements Measurer {

       
        public double getMeasure(Object x) {
                Solid s = null;
               
                if (x instanceof Cube){
                        s = (Cube) x;
                        double surface = s.surface();
                        return surface;
                }
                else if(x instanceof Sphere){
                        s = (Sphere) x;
                        double surface = s.surface();
                        return surface;
                }
                else if (x instanceof Rectangular){
                        s = (Rectangular) x;
                        double surface = s.surface();
                        return surface;
                }
                else return 0;
               
        }

}

---

Here is one of my child classes of solid, they all look the same but for different shapes (Rectangular, Sphere, Cube)

Code:

---

public class Rectangular extends Solid {
       
        private double length;
        private double width;
        private double height;
       
        public Rectangular(){
                setName("undefined");
        }
       
        public Rectangular(double len, double wid, double hei){
               
                setName("Rectangular");
                length = len;
                width = wid;
                height = hei;
        }
       

        public double volume() {
                //method to return volume of a rectangular prism
                //preconditions: must use defined constructor while instantiating Rectangular
                //postconditions: computes and returns volume
               
                double vol = length*width*height;
                return vol;
        }

       
        public double surface() {
                //method to return surface area of a rectangular prism
                //preconditions: must use defined constructor while instantiating Rectangular
                //postconditions: computes and returns surface area
               
                double surfaceArea = 2*length*height + 2*height*width + 2*length*width;
                return surfaceArea;
        }

       
        public void display() {
                //method to display info on a rectangular prism
                //postconditions: none
                //postconditions: displays information related to a rectangular prism
               
                System.out.printf("Rectangular Prism -- Length: %s  ||  Width: %s  ||  Height: %s  ||  Volume: %s  ||  Surface Area: %s\n", roundHundreth.format(length), roundHundreth.format(width), roundHundreth.format(height), roundHundreth.format(volume()), roundHundreth.format(surface()));
               
        }

        @Override
        public double getVolume() {
                // TODO Auto-generated method stub
                return volume();
        }

        @Override
        public double getSurface() {
                // TODO Auto-generated method stub
                return surface();
        }
}

---

The text in the text file is

S 0.5
C 0.75
R 1.5 5.2 3.75
R 40.0 1.0 1.0
C 7.5
C 75.0
S 37.5
S 1.0
S 1.25
R 74.0 76.0 11.5
C 3.14
C 1.77


Whenever I run the code, I get the output

Quote:

---

List sorted by ascending surface area:

Sphere -- Radius: 0.5 || Volume: 0.39 || Surface Area: 3.14
Cube -- Side: 0.75 || Volume: 0.42 || Surface Area: 3.38
Rectangular Prism -- Length: 1.5 || Width: 5.2 || Height: 3.75 || Volume: 29.25 || Surface Area: 65.85
Rectangular Prism -- Length: 40 || Width: 1 || Height: 1 || Volume: 40 || Surface Area: 162
Cube -- Side: 7.5 || Volume: 421.88 || Surface Area: 337.5
Cube -- Side: 75 || Volume: 421875 || Surface Area: 33750
Rectangular Prism -- Length: 74 || Width: 76 || Height: 11.5 || Volume: 64676 || Surface Area: 14698
Sphere -- Radius: 1 || Volume: 3.14 || Surface Area: 12.57
Sphere -- Radius: 1.25 || Volume: 6.14 || Surface Area: 19.63
Cube -- Side: 3.14 || Volume: 30.96 || Surface Area: 59.16
Cube -- Side: 1.77 || Volume: 5.55 || Surface Area: 18.8
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NullPointerException
at SolidList.displayData(SolidList.java:93)
at SolidList.main(SolidList.java:130)

---

First of all, why is it not sorting correctly, and second, why in the world is

Quote:

---

for(int x = 0; x < list.length; ++x){

list[x].display();
}

---

throwing a null pointer exception?

Help is direly needed.

Quote:

---

throwing a null pointer exception?

---

Please post the full text of the error message. If you can, find the line where it occurred and the variable that was null. The backtrace in the code to see why that variable does not have a valid non-null value.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Norm

Please post the full text of the error message. If you can, find the line where it occurred and the variable that was null. The backtrace in the code to see why that variable does not have a valid non-null value.

---

I posted the full error text. It occurs at line 93, which is my "list[x].display();" line in my for loop after I sort everything.(NEVERMIND)

While I was typing out that sentence I realized what the issue was. Now all I have to do is simply figure out why my sorting code:

Code:

---

System.out.println("List sorted by ascending surface area: \n");
       
        for(int i = list.length - 1; i >= 0; --i){
           
            int highestIndex = i;             
           
            for(int j = i; j >= 0; --j){
           
                if(surfaceArea.getMeasure(list[j]) > surfaceArea.getMeasure(list[highestIndex])){ 
                    highestIndex = j;     
            }
               
                Solid temp = list[i];
                list[i] = list[highestIndex];
                list[highestIndex] = temp;
}
       
            for(int x = 0; x < list.length; ++x){
               
                list[x].display();
            }

---

isn't sorting correctly. It should sort the list array from smallest surface area to largest surface area. Any help in that respect?

Try debugging the code by adding lots of println statements that show the values of variables as they are used and changed.
The print out will show what the computer sees and help you understand what the code is doing.