Functional "JavaBank" with multiple users and stages

[Erlend Helgerud]

Hello,

Before you start reading;
This post might have a lot of text.
Bad explaining might also occur since I have just started with JavaFX, and English is not my first language.
Code might have (very) bad syntax.
Many of the questions I raise may for the experienced seem stupid.

If the above is fine by you, please go on.

To get started I used a tutorial found at: http://code.makery.ch/library/javafx-8-tutorial

I'm currently in a Java Programming course in my first year of Computer Engineering. So basically we got an assignment to make a Java Program that simulated simple bank account management. The bank account manager is to have several users and should be able to handle actions like deposits and withdrawals in the first place. Although the original assignment was to be done in regular Java, stupid as I am I started looking at JavaFX and SceneBuilder to make a decent looking UI. Several hours later I now find myself dug deep in a hole and I can't seem to climb out. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

So what I basically wanted to do was:
*Create a Main Window which included (A list of customers, a login function to access the account of a given customer, a function to add a customer)
*Dialog for the "Add Customer" action
*Have an account window with account balance and different actions (Withdraw, deposit, transfer, logout)
*Dialogs for withdraw, deposit and transfer actions

Now, the code:

Code for the Main Window:
package bankAccount.main.ui; import bankAccount.main.Main; import bankAccount.main.konto.Konto; import javafx.fxml.FXML; import javafx.scene.control.Alert; import javafx.scene.control.Label; import javafx.scene.control.TableColumn; import javafx.scene.control.TableView; import javafx.scene.control.Alert.AlertType; public class OppstartVinduController { @FXML private Label fornavnLabel; @FXML private Label etternavnLabel; @FXML private Label saldoLabel; @FXML private TableView<Konto> kontoTabell; @FXML private TableColumn<Konto, String> fornavnKolonne; @FXML private TableColumn<Konto, String> etternavnKolonne; private Main main; // Constructoren kalles før initialize() public OppstartVinduController() { } // Initialiserer kontroller klassen @FXML private void initialize() { //Initialiserer tabellen med kunder fornavnKolonne.setCellValueFactory(cellData -> cellData.getValue().fornavnProperty()); etternavnKolonne.setCellValueFactory(cellData -> cellData.getValue().etternavnProperty()); } public void setMain(Main main) { this.main = main; kontoTabell.setItems(main.getKontoData()); } // Håndterer login @FXML public void handleLogin() { Konto valgtKonto = kontoTabell.getSelectionModel().getSelectedItem(); if (valgtKonto != null) { main.showBrukerVindu(valgtKonto); } else { // Feilmelding om ingenting er valgt i tabellen Alert alert = new Alert(AlertType.WARNING); alert.initOwner(main.getPrimaryStage()); alert.setTitle("Ugyldig valg!"); alert.setHeaderText("Ingen kunde valgt!"); alert.setContentText("Vennligst velg en kunde i tabellen."); alert.showAndWait(); } } @FXML private void handleNyBruker() { Konto tempKonto = new Konto(); boolean okClicked = main.showNyKundeVindu(tempKonto); if (okClicked) { main.getKontoData().add(tempKonto); } } }



Output of the main window.

This functions properly aswell as the Ny Bruker (New user) function.

For the account window the following code applies:

package bankAccount.main.ui; import bankAccount.main.Main; import bankAccount.main.konto.Konto; import javafx.fxml.FXML; import javafx.scene.control.Label; import javafx.stage.Stage; public class BrukerVinduController { @FXML private Label fornavnLabel; @FXML private Label etternavnLabel; @FXML private Label saldoLabel; private Main main; private boolean okClicked = false; private Konto konto; // Initialiserer kontroller klassen @FXML private void initialize() { } public void setKonto(Konto konto) { fornavnLabel.setText(konto.getFornavn()); etternavnLabel.setText(konto.getEtternavn()); saldoLabel.setText(Double.toString(konto.getSaldo()) + " NOK"); } public void setMain(Main main) { this.main = main; } // Blir kalt for å åpne uttaksvindu @FXML private void handleForetaUttak() { Konto valgtKonto = this.konto; boolean okClicked = main.showForetaUttak(valgtKonto); } @FXML private void handleLogout() { main.showOppstartVindu(); } // True dersom fullført, false om ikke public boolean isOkClicked() { return okClicked; } }

Output of account window:



And this is where I seem to get stuck. I'll post the other control classes aswell before I explain my problem.

Main class:

package bankAccount.main; import java.io.IOException; import bankAccount.main.konto.Konto; import bankAccount.main.ui.BrukerVinduController; import bankAccount.main.ui.ForetaUttakController; import bankAccount.main.ui.NyKundeVinduController; import bankAccount.main.ui.OppstartVinduController; import javafx.application.Application; import javafx.collections.FXCollections; import javafx.collections.ObservableList; import javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader; import javafx.scene.Scene; import javafx.scene.layout.AnchorPane; import javafx.scene.layout.BorderPane; import javafx.stage.Modality; import javafx.stage.Stage; public class Main extends Application { private Stage primaryStage; private BorderPane rootLayout; @Override public void start(Stage primaryStage) { this.primaryStage = primaryStage; this.primaryStage.setTitle("Bank Konto"); initRootLayout(); showOppstartVindu(); } public void initRootLayout() { try { FXMLLoader loader = new FXMLLoader(); loader.setLocation(Main.class.getResource("ui/RootLayout.fxml")); rootLayout = (BorderPane) loader.load(); Scene scene = new Scene(rootLayout); primaryStage.setScene(scene); primaryStage.show(); } catch (IOException e) { e.printStackTrace(); } } // Viser hovedvinduet i root layout public void showOppstartVindu() { try { // Laster kundeoversikt FXMLLoader loader = new FXMLLoader(); loader.setLocation(Main.class.getResource("ui/OppstartVindu.fxml")); AnchorPane oppstartVindu = (AnchorPane) loader.load(); // Sentrerer i RootLayout rootLayout.setCenter(oppstartVindu); // Gir kontrolleren tilgang til main OppstartVinduController controller = loader.getController(); controller.setMain(this); } catch (IOException e) { e.printStackTrace(); } } public boolean showBrukerVindu(Konto konto) { try { // Laster kundeoversikt FXMLLoader loader = new FXMLLoader(); loader.setLocation(Main.class.getResource("ui/BrukerVindu.fxml")); AnchorPane brukerVindu = (AnchorPane) loader.load(); // Sentrerer i RootLayout rootLayout.setCenter(brukerVindu); // Gir kontrolleren tilgang til main BrukerVinduController controller = loader.getController(); controller.setMain(this); controller.setKonto(konto); return controller.isOkClicked(); } catch (IOException e) { e.printStackTrace(); return false; } } public boolean showNyKundeVindu(Konto konto) { try { FXMLLoader loader = new FXMLLoader(); loader.setLocation(Main.class.getResource("ui/NyKunde.fxml")); AnchorPane page = (AnchorPane) loader.load(); Stage dialogStage = new Stage(); dialogStage.setTitle("Ny Kunde"); dialogStage.initModality(Modality.WINDOW_MODAL); dialogStage.initOwner(primaryStage); Scene scene = new Scene(page); dialogStage.setScene(scene); NyKundeVinduController controller = loader.getController(); controller.setDialogStage(dialogStage); controller.setKonto(konto); dialogStage.showAndWait(); return controller.isOkClicked(); } catch (IOException e) { e.printStackTrace(); return false; } } public boolean showForetaUttak(Konto konto) { try { // Laster FXML filen og lager en ny stage FXMLLoader loader = new FXMLLoader(); loader.setLocation(Main.class.getResource("view/ForetaUttak.fxml")); AnchorPane page = (AnchorPane) loader.load(); // Lager dialog stage Stage dialogStage = new Stage(); dialogStage.setTitle("Foreta Uttak"); dialogStage.initModality(Modality.WINDOW_MODAL); dialogStage.initOwner(primaryStage); Scene scene = new Scene(page); dialogStage.setScene(scene); // Setter konto i kontrolleren ForetaUttakController controller = loader.getController(); controller.setDialogStage(dialogStage); controller.setKonto(konto); dialogStage.showAndWait(); return controller.isOkClicked(); } catch (IOException e) { e.printStackTrace(); return false; } } // Returnerer hoved stage public Stage getPrimaryStage() { return primaryStage; } // Dataen som observable list private ObservableList<Konto> kontoInfo = FXCollections.observableArrayList(); public Main() { // Prøvekunder kontoInfo.add(new Konto("Herman", "Hermansen", 32223.00)); kontoInfo.add(new Konto("Ola", "Nordmann", 5234.50)); } public ObservableList<Konto> getKontoData() { return kontoInfo; } public static void main(String[] args) { launch(args); } }

Code for the withdrawal dialog controller (ForetaUttakController):
package bankAccount.main.ui; import bankAccount.main.konto.Konto; import javafx.fxml.FXML; import javafx.scene.control.Label; import javafx.scene.control.TextField; import javafx.stage.Stage; public class ForetaUttakController { @FXML private TextField saldoFelt; @FXML private Label saldoLabel; private Stage dialogStage; private boolean okClicked = false; private Konto konto; @FXML private void initialize() { } // Stage for dialogen public void setDialogStage(Stage dialogStage) { this.dialogStage = dialogStage; } // Kontoen som skal endres public void setKonto(Konto konto) { this.konto = konto; saldoLabel.setText(Double.toString(konto.getSaldo()) + " NOK"); saldoFelt.setText(""); } // True dersom fullført, false om ikke public boolean isOkClicked() { return okClicked; } // Avbryt @FXML private void handleCancel() { dialogStage.close(); } /** * TODO Errorhandling, saldo - uttak */ }

So before I started with this I created another bank account manager with JavaFX. The difference was that it only had one scene, whereas this has two (As of now I think of the main window and the account window as different scenes, please correct me if I'm wrong). The program with one scene worked as it should both with withdrawals and deposits. My main problem with this project is that I can't get the deposit/withdrawal to work. Whenever I click "Uttak" (Withdrawal) I get the following error message:

Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
at bankAccount.main.Main.showForetaUttak(Main.java:141)
at bankAccount.main.ui.BrukerVinduController.handleForetaUttak(BrukerVinduController.java:44)
... 58 more

The problem I suspect is that I'm not giving the selected Account any valid values thus the NullPointerException. I can get the dialog for withdrawal to show without errors by replacing:

public boolean showForetaUttak(Konto konto)

with:

public boolean showForetaUttak()

Naturally, the problem then is that I have no account bound to the withdrawal window.

So as i said earlier, my main problem is connecting the withdrawal dialog to the account, I want to be able to withdraw an amount from the account from that window. I really don't know how to explain this better, most likely due to my shallow knowledge of JavaFX. If anyone could point me in the right direction I would be grateful, this is tearing my brain apart..

Thanks in advance.

Again, I apologize for bad syntax and/or language. I'm new to this, I programmed my first HelloWorld six weeks ago so have mercy.

[Karthik Shiraly]

Hi Erlend,

Welcome to CodeRanch ! Long posts are not discouraged here, and your English explanation is clear (to me atleast, but then I'm not a native English speaker either ;) )

If the line numbers in exception trace match the code posted here, then "bankAccount.main.Main.showForetaUttak(Main.java:141)" would be

    public boolean showForetaUttak(Konto konto) {
            ...
            controller.setDialogStage(dialogStage); // <== check if  "controller" is null.

Debug and check that your controller variable is not null. One possible reason is that you forgot to specify controller class in FXML file.

Another problem I notice is that your "BrukerVinduController.setKonto" is not storing the account in its "konto" member. So "showForetaUttak" is always sending a null konto.

[Erlend Helgerud]

Hi and thank you for the reply

As to your suggestions, I don't believe the controller variable to be null as I can get the dialog to show without any function to the account. The controller is set in the FXML file.

public boolean showWithdrawDialog() { try { // Laster FXML filen og lager en ny stage FXMLLoader loader = new FXMLLoader(); loader.setLocation(Main.class.getResource("ui/WithdrawDialog.fxml")); AnchorPane page = (AnchorPane) loader.load(); // Lager dialog stage Stage dialogStage = new Stage(); dialogStage.setTitle("Foreta Uttak"); dialogStage.initModality(Modality.WINDOW_MODAL); dialogStage.initOwner(primaryStage); Scene scene = new Scene(page); dialogStage.setScene(scene); // Setter account i kontrolleren WithdrawDialogController controller = loader.getController(); controller.setDialogStage(dialogStage); dialogStage.showAndWait(); return controller.isOkClicked(); } catch (IOException e) { e.printStackTrace(); return false; } }

Another problem I notice is that your "BrukerVinduController.setKonto" is not storing the account in its "konto" member. So "showForetaUttak" is always sending a null konto.

This is the main problem, I can't for the life of me figure out how to store the selected account to be used in withdrawals/deposits. In the StartupStage I use this code to set the account to be shown in the AccountStage:

@FXML public void handleLogin() { Account valgtAccount = kontoTabell.getSelectionModel().getSelectedItem(); if (valgtAccount != null) { main.showAccountStage(valgtAccount); } else { // Feilmelding om ingenting er valgt i tabellen Alert alert = new Alert(AlertType.WARNING); alert.initOwner(main.getPrimaryStage()); alert.setTitle("Ugyldig valg!"); alert.setHeaderText("Ingen kunde valgt!"); alert.setContentText("Vennligst velg en kunde i tabellen."); alert.showAndWait(); } }

Here I get the data directly from the user table, but how can I store this data for further use in the dialogs opened from the AccountStage? Basically;

	@FXML
	private void handleDepositDialog() {

		//What code goes here??

	}

Everything I've tried has thrown a NullPointerException, so I'm guessing I'm not getting the accountInfo through.

[Paul Clapham]

Erlend Helgerud wrote:The controller is set in the FXML file.

Was that supposed to refer to this line of code?

WithdrawDialogController controller = loader.getController();

Because that creates a local variable, assigns a controller object to it, and then throws the variable away when the method returns. If you intended that controller to be preserved for later use in other methods then don't assign it to a local variable, assign it to an instance variable.

[Karthik Shiraly]

Paul Clapham wrote:

Erlend Helgerud wrote:The controller is set in the FXML file.

Was that supposed to refer to this line of code?

WithdrawDialogController controller = loader.getController();

Because that creates a local variable, assigns a controller object to it, and then throws the variable away when the method returns. If you intended that controller to be preserved for later use in other methods then don't assign it to a local variable, assign it to an instance variable.

In this program, it's not necessary because each of the show...() methods shows respective view and waits till it's dismissed. A controller instance is not required outside the scope of its show...() method.

[Karthik Shiraly]

Erlend, do you spot the problem?

public class BrukerVinduController {
    ... 
    private Konto konto;
 
    /* Method called by Main window controller to pass on account information */
    public void setKonto(Konto konto) {
        // Bug: Not storing account information for later on 
        ...
    }
 
    private void handleForetaUttak() {
        Konto valgtKonto = this.konto; // <== If "this.konto" is not set, the next window in chain - the withdrawal window - won't receive it either.
        boolean okClicked = main.showForetaUttak(valgtKonto);
    }

[Erlend Helgerud]

What I meant was that the controller is set in the show .. () method and also assigned in SceneBuilder. As said earlier, I can get the dialog to show I just can't seem to get the account info through aswell, thus the NullPointerException.

I do realize I might be out of my depth here and you might have answered what I'm asking for. I'm thinking of maybe just using the accountStage to handle the deposits/withdrawals without dialogs, that way I can use the account info I already have there, since I can't seem to understand how to pass them on :P ..

[Erlend Helgerud]

Thank you Karthik, I didn't see your post before replying. I think I can figure out what you mean, just need to work on it. Thanks alot!

[John Damien Smith]

You may find these resources useful:
* Oracle JavaFX Forum: Calling a function from another class (JavaFX) (actually deals with abstracting model classes from the UI).
* Passing Parameters JavaFX FXML (how to pass data, such as model classes between UI elements, such as scenes and stages).
* Simple MVP style dependency injection framework for Java (an automated method of passing model data around which removes some boiler-plate wiring code from your application).

If you decide to handle navigation within the context of a single window rather than multiple pop-up dialogs (for example as a web page works), then you could review Loading new fxml in the same scene and it's related mini-framework. However, it looks like you have gone the separate dialog box route (which is probably fine too), so that info is probably not relevant to your current project.

This info on hyper-linked menus in JavaFX, that modify a panel on a scene might also be helpful.

BTW, your app looks nice :-)
I guess you have discovered that it is probably more work than you expected.
If you can make it work well, that's a definite win for your project over a straight console based app.

[Erlend Helgerud]

Thanks for all replies.

I've solved the problem and my javabank is working like a charm. Long story short I had to find a way to trace what account that was currently in use. To do this I added "IntegerProperty index" to the public class Account. This is then used to track the current account by index in my list with the help of getters/setters where needed. I realized I had all the methods needed for the operation, just had to get the hang of all the getters/setters and where to put them.