DrawString from ArraryList Problem

Question

First off, I am very to this forum, so if this is not the correct forum, please advise, (continue to have issues with this one).
I'm a current Java1 student working on the final project for the year. Not looking to have answer provided but simply looking for a direction to move toward the issue I'm having.
Project involves creating a digital signature, (a crude version of the approval pads you sign with electronic pen at Home Depot, Lowes, 7-11, you get the picture). The major difference is that we are signing the pad with our mouse just to show functionality.
Problem is: When mouseReleased is invoked after signing one's first name and mousePressed is invoked at the start of the last name, a connector line is drawn from end of first name to beginning of last name. I am looking to have a new word started when mouseReleased is invoked.
Below is the code pertinent to this part of the program, if more is needed let me know.
Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.
// Main OrderPanel Class
class MainPanel extends JPanel
     //Constructor for main OrderPanel
     public MainPanel()
          sigPoints = new ArrayList<Point>();
          current = null;
          pressed = false;
          System.out.println(pressed);
          setLayout(new BorderLayout());
          northPanel = new JPanel();
          northPanel.setLayout(new GridLayout(2,1));
          logoLabel = new JLabel("Big Dog Hardware - Let's Build Something Today!", SwingConstants.CENTER);
          logoLabel.setFont(new Font("Arial", Font.BOLD, 16));
          logoLabel.setForeground(Color.BLUE);
          northPanel.add(logoLabel);
          approveAmount = (double) (Math.random() * 500);
          add(northPanel, BorderLayout.NORTH);
          southPanel = new JPanel();
          addButton("Approve");
          addButton("Clear");
          addButton("Close");
          add(southPanel, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
          //Topping Checkbox and Beverage checkbox create
          centerPanel = new JPanel();
          centerPanel.setLayout(new GridLayout(1,1));
          centerPanelComponent pad = new centerPanelComponent();
          centerPanel.add(pad);
          add(centerPanel, BorderLayout.CENTER);
      class centerPanelComponent extends JComponent implements MouseMotionListener
          public centerPanelComponent()
          addMouseListener(new MouseHandler());
          this.addMouseMotionListener(this);
          public void paintComponent(Graphics g)
               Graphics2D graphic = (Graphics2D) g;
               Rectangle2D signPad = new Rectangle2D.Double(47,50,400,75);
               graphic.setPaint(Color.BLUE);
               Font sigFont = new Font("Forte", Font.BOLD,26);
               graphic.setFont(sigFont);
               String X_Mark = "X";
               graphic.drawString(X_Mark,21,123);
               DecimalFormat dollar = new DecimalFormat("$0.00");
               Font totalFont = new Font("Arial", Font.BOLD,12);
               graphic.setFont(totalFont);
               if (select != 1001)
                    String total = "Your Approval is Required for the Total Amount of: " + dollar.format(approveAmount);
                    graphic.drawString(total, 75, 30);
               else
                    String total = "You Are Approved for the Total Amount of: " + dollar.format(approveAmount);
                    graphic.drawString(total, 100, 30);
               graphic.draw(signPad);
               if (sigPoints.size() > 1)
                    Point previousPoint = sigPoints.get(0);
                    for (int i = 1; i < sigPoints.size(); i++)
                         Point thisPoint = sigPoints.get(i);
                         graphic.drawLine(previousPoint.x, previousPoint.y, thisPoint.x, thisPoint.y);
                         previousPoint = thisPoint;
          public void mouseDragged(MouseEvent event)
               Point a = event.getPoint();
               sigPoints.add(a);
               this.repaint();
          public void mouseMoved(MouseEvent event)
               private class MouseHandler extends MouseAdapter
                    public void mousePressed(MouseEvent event)
                         if(event.getModifiersEx() == event.BUTTON1_DOWN_MASK)
                         pressed = true;
                         System.out.println(pressed);
                    public void mouseReleased(MouseEvent event)
                         if(event.getModifiersEx() != event.BUTTON1_DOWN_MASK)
                         pressed = false;
                         System.out.println(pressed);
     public void addButton(final String label)
          JButton button = new JButton(label);
          button.addActionListener(new ActionListener()
                    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent event)
                         String selection = label;
                         if (selection == "Approve")
                              if (sigPoints.size() < 1)
                              JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "You must sign the pad to authorize approval", "Approval Error", JOptionPane.PLAIN_MESSAGE);
                              select = event.getID() +1;
                              select = event.getID();
                              repaint();
                         if (selection == "Clear")
                              select = event.getID()+ 1;
                              sigPoints.clear();
                              repaint();
                         if (selection == "Close")
                              select = event.getID() + 1;
                              System.exit(0);
          southPanel.add(button);
     private ArrayList<Point> sigPoints;
     private Point current;
     private JLabel logoLabel;
     private JLabel approvalLabel;
     private JLabel approvedLabel;
     private double approveAmount;
     private JPanel northPanel;
     private JPanel southPanel;
     private JPanel centerPanel;
     private DecimalFormat dollar;
     private centerPanelComponent pad;
     private String total;
     private int select;
     private boolean pressed;
}     

Answer 1

Switch to a new array list. Or you have to have a state machine track that you are signing your last name. What is happening is that you are just adding a new point to the existing array, so you naturally draw a line from the last point to the next point--that is the logic you use all the way though to generate your signature. This seems to work for you, but you have a mouse release, you need to go to the next state, that is, to the last name, you do this with another ArrayList to hold the data for the last name. You'll have to amend your paint logic to take in:
State: 0 -- clear
State: 1 -- getting first name
State 2 -- have first name and getting second name
state 3 -- complete all is done.
Unless you want to accept signatures that have multiple breaks like mine does... I have 5 sections on my signature. In that case you need to just keep on collecting new point set data until they click done.