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Java Java Objects Delivering the MVP Forum

Maxwell Solesbee
Maxwell Solesbee
1,101 Points

Final exercise fourth task. Totally stumped right now.

Hello!

I have been at this exercise for hours and googling the issue, but to no avail. I re-watched the past videos to see if I missed something but, at least for me, I cannot find the reference to this dilemma.

Beginning forum example java.lang.NullPointerException at Forum.addPost(Forum.java:18) at Main.main(Main.java:16) at JavaTester.run(JavaTester.java:185) at JavaTester.main(JavaTester.java:45)

I am at the fourth step of this exercise. Hope to get some assistance on what may be causing the problem! I am assuming it has to do with the user Author variable.

Forum.java
public class Forum {
  private String topic;

  // TODO: add a constructor that accepts a topic and sets the private field topic
  public Forum(String topic)
  {
    topic = "";
  }


  public String getTopic() {
    return topic;
  }

  public void addPost(ForumPost post) {
    System.out.printf("A new post in %s topic from %s %s about %s is available",
            topic,
            post.getAuthor().getFirstName(),
            post.getAuthor().getLastName(),
            post.getTitle());
  }


}
User.java
public class User {
  // TODO: add private fields for firstName and lastName
  private String firstName;
  private String lastName;

  public User(String firstName, String lastName) {
    // TODO: set and add the private fields
    this.firstName = "";
    this.lastName = "";

  }

  public String getFirstName() {
    return firstName;
  }

  public String getLastName() {
    return lastName;
  }
  // TODO: add getters for firstName and lastName

}
ForumPost.java
public class ForumPost {
  private User author;
  private String title;
  private String description;

  public ForumPost(User author, String title, String description) {
      author = this.author;
      title = "";
      description = "";
  }
  // TODO: add a constructor that accepts the author, title and description

  public User getAuthor() {
    return this.author;
  }

  public String getTitle() {
    return this.title;
  }

  public String getDescription() {
    return this.description;
  }
}
Main.java
public class Main {

  public static void main(String[] args) {
    System.out.println("Beginning forum example");
    if (args.length < 2) {
      System.out.println("Usage: java Main <first name> <last name>");
      System.err.println("<first name> and <last name> are required");
      System.exit(1);
    }

    Forum forum = new Forum("Java");
    // TODO: pass in the first name and last name that are in the args parameter
    User author = new User(args[0], args[1]);
    // TODO: initialize the forum post with the user created above and a title and description of your choice
    ForumPost post = new ForumPost(author, "My title.", "Stuff goes here.");
    forum.addPost(post);
  }

}
Nivard Rikken
Nivard Rikken
5,377 Points

I would suggest to check some of your constructors, the goal is to set the private fields to the passed in values.

Forum.java

// TODO: add a constructor that accepts a topic and sets the private field topic
  public Forum(String topic)
  {
    topic = "";
  }

The TODO wants you to set the private field topic.

public Forum(String topic){
   this.topic = topic ;
  }

Same for the ForumPost constructor: ForumPost .java

public ForumPost(User author, String title, String description) {
      author = this.author;
      title = "";
      description = "";
  }
  // TODO: add a constructor that accepts the author, title and description

Set the private fields with the parameter values

public ForumPost(User author, String title, String description) {
      this.author = author;
      this.title = title;
      this.description = description;
  }

User.java

 public User(String firstName, String lastName) {
    // TODO: set and add the private fields
    this.firstName = "";
    this.lastName = "";

  }

Set the private fields with the parameter values

 public User(String firstName, String lastName) {
    // TODO: set and add the private fields
    this.firstName = firstName;
    this.lastName = lastName;

  }

hope it helps!

1 Answer

Maxwell Solesbee
Maxwell Solesbee
1,101 Points

hope it helps!

Thanks a bunch Nivard! It worked. Even in my researching I couldn’t fully understand how to properly use β€˜this’ variable, but your explanation helped clear things up!