Dead Simple but lengthy Java PrintWriter problem

Question

The problem is it finds the key word "dodge" creates the file but doesn't write to it. I had this problem earlier and I flushing then closing the file fixed it, but that did not work this time.

Also WriteToFile(CurrentLine[ReturnWordsIndex("using")-1]); towards the bottom errors out and says ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException: -2 I'm not sure why because "using" should never be found at position -1.

import java.io.*;    
import javax.swing.JOptionPane;

public class InputLog {
    private BufferedReader CombatLog;
    private PrintWriter CharacterFile;
    private String[] CurrentLine;

    InputLog(){
        try{
            CombatLog = new BufferedReader(new FileReader("127401175162_chatlog.txt"));
            do{
                try{
                    CurrentLine = CombatLog.readLine().split(" ");
                }
                catch(IOException e){
                    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Sorry cannot open UserSettings File");
                }
                DetermineType();
                }while(CombatLog.ready());
            CharacterFile.close();
        }
        catch(IOException e){
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Could not open next line of combatlog " + e);
        }
    }
    public void WriteToFile(String S){
        try{
            CharacterFile = new PrintWriter(new File(CurrentLine[3]));
        }
        catch(IOException e){
        JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Sorry can't write " + CurrentLine[3] +" To file");
        }
        CharacterFile.flush();
        CharacterFile.print(S+ " ");
    }

    public void WriteToFileLn(String S){
        try{
            CharacterFile = new PrintWriter(new File(CurrentLine[3]));
        }
        catch(IOException e){
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Sorry can't write " + CurrentLine[3] +" To file");
        }
        CharacterFile.flush();
        CharacterFile.println(S+ " ");
    }


    public int ReturnWordsIndex(String S){
        for(int i=0;i<CurrentLine.length;i++){
            if(CurrentLine[i].equals(S))
                return i;
        }
        return -1;
    }

    private void DetermineType(){
        for(String A: CurrentLine)
            if(A.equals("attacks")){
                JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "found dodge");
                WriteToFile(CurrentLine[2]);
                WriteToFile(CurrentLine[ReturnWordsIndex("using")-1]);
                WriteToFile("(dodge).");
                WriteToFileLn(CurrentLine[ReturnWordsIndex("attacks")-1]);
            }
    }


    public static void main(String args[]){
        new InputLog();
    }
}

Thanks, Macaire

Edit: I found out that i am simply writing one string, creating a new file, then writing another character. How can i not delete the file, and just rewrite to it?

Answer 1

How can i not delete the file, and just rewrite to it?

I assume that you mean append to it. (What you are currently doing is rewriting it.)

If so, just use FileWriter(file, true) to create a Writer that will start writing at the current end of the file; e.g.

CharacterFile = new PrintWriter(new FileWriter(new File(CurrentLine[3])));

---

Note: it is bad style for a Java variable or method name to start with an upper-case letter.

Answer 2

WriteToFile(CurrentLine[ReturnWordsIndex("using")-1]); causes an ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException: -2 because the word "using" is not found (so ReturnWordsIndex("using") returns -1).

You need an if/then statement so that you don't try to index CurrentLine if the word wasn't found.

Answer 3

In response to your edit, open the file outside of the WriteToFile and WriteToFileLn functions.