Ggtcf

1. textSeventh is a JTextField


2. I am using a submit button with an action listener

Code:

String amountInput = textSeventh.getText();
System.out.println(amountInput);

import java.awt.GridBagLayout;
import java.awt.GridLayout;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;

import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.JTextField;

public class UI2 implements ActionListener 

 public static void main(String[] args) 
 // Dont use the static context. Make an instance variable and call your method.
 UI ui = new UI();
 ui.makeUI();
 

 static String questionFirst = "What is your first name?";
 static String questionSecond = "What is your last name?";
 static String questionThird = "What month were you born? Enter one number.";
 static String questionFourth = "What year were you born?";
 static String questionFifth = "What day were you born?";
 static String questionSixth = "What is your bank account number";
 static String questionSeventh = "How much is in your bank account? Include decimals.";

 public void makeUI() 
 makeBox(questionFirst, questionSecond, questionThird, questionFourth, questionFifth, questionSixth, questionSeventh);
 

 static JFrame frame = new JFrame("FortuneTeller");
 static JPanel panel = new JPanel(new GridBagLayout());

 static JLabel labelFirst = new JLabel();
 static JTextField textFirst = new JTextField(50);

 static JLabel labelSecond = new JLabel();
 static JTextField textSecond = new JTextField(50);

 static JLabel labelThird = new JLabel();
 static JTextField textThird = new JTextField(50);

 static JLabel labelFourth = new JLabel();
 static JTextField textFourth = new JTextField(50);

 static JLabel labelFifth = new JLabel();
 static JTextField textFifth = new JTextField(50);

 static JLabel labelSixth = new JLabel();
 static JTextField textSixth = new JTextField(50);

 static JLabel labelSeventh = new JLabel();
 static JTextField textSeventh = new JTextField(50);

 static JButton submitButton = new JButton("Submit");

 static String firstName;
 static String lastName;
 static String month;
 static String year;
 static String day;
 static String bankNum;
 static String amount;

 static char favoriteLetter;
 static String both;
 static String reverse;
 static String favoritePalindrome;
 static String favoriteColor; // red or blue
 static String favoriteAnimal; // cat or dog
 static String favoriteCar; // F150 or Minivan
 static String favoriteNum;
 static int intDollars;
 static String math;

 public void makeBox(String questionFirst, String questionSecond, String questionThird, String questionFourth, String questionFifth, String questionSixth,
 String questionSeventh) 
 frame.add(panel);
 frame.setVisible(true);
 frame.setSize(700, 200);
 frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
 panel.setLayout(new GridLayout(8, 1));
 // Now I am only trying to get input from the first box
 panel.add(labelFirst);
 labelFirst.setText(questionFirst);
 panel.add(textFirst);

 // This is the advice from my school's computer science teacher when we thought
 // that
 // the program was printing the initial value inside the textfield, nothing.
 // Enter text
 // Wait for submit button
 // Then getText();
 // I was still unable to get it to work

 panel.add(labelSecond);
 labelSecond.setText(questionSecond);
 panel.add(textSecond);

 // get text will be empty here. You should be calling this after the user enters text and clicks submit.
 lastName = textSecond.getText();

 panel.add(labelThird);
 labelThird.setText(questionThird);
 panel.add(textThird);

 // get text will be empty here. You should be calling this after the user enters text and clicks submit.
 month = textThird.getText();

 panel.add(labelFourth);
 labelFourth.setText(questionFourth);
 panel.add(textFourth);

 // get text will be empty here. You should be calling this after the user enters text and clicks submit.
 year = textFourth.getText();

 panel.add(labelFifth);
 labelFifth.setText(questionFifth);
 panel.add(textFifth);

 // get text will be empty here. You should be calling this after the user enters text and clicks submit.
 day = textFifth.getText();

 panel.add(labelSixth);
 labelSixth.setText(questionSixth);
 panel.add(textSixth);
 // get text will be empty here. You should be calling this after the user enters text and clicks submit.
 bankNum = textSixth.getText();

 panel.add(labelSeventh);
 labelSeventh.setText(questionSeventh);
 panel.add(textSeventh);
 // get text will be empty here. You should be calling this after the user enters text and clicks submit.
 amount = textSeventh.getText();

 // need to add an actionListener to the button
 submitButton.addActionListener(this);

 panel.add(submitButton);
 frame.pack();
 

 @Override
 public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) 

 // TODO Auto-generated method stub

 // You need to get the source of the button. (JButton) e.getSource();
 JButton buttonPressed = (JButton) e.getSource();
 if (buttonPressed == submitButton) 
 String firstNameInput = textFirst.getText();
 System.out.println(firstNameInput);
 
 

If you're getting a NumberFormatException then java can't parse whatever it is as a number.

Other things to check for would be empty strings "" or null strings (in which case it may throw a null pointer exception).

Maybe also check if there is spurious whitespace - get rid of it with a trim e.g.

//get favorite number
String amountInput = textSeventh.getText();

if (amountInput == null) 
 System.err.println("amountInput was null, no point continuing");
 return;


// make it a bit more obvious if there's whitespace
System.out.println("amountInput = +++" + amountInput + "+++");

amountInput = amountInput.trim();

if (amountInput.equalsIgnoreCase("")) 
 System.err.println("There's nothing there!!");


int dollars = -1337;
try 
 dollars = Integer.parseInt(amountInput);
 catch (Exception e) 
 System.err.println("Error when parsing value.n" + e);
 // optional
 // e.printStackTrace();

System.out.println(dollars);