Question about reading a sequential file and using in an array

Question

I seem to be having some trouble reading data from a simple text file, and then calling that information to populate a text field. I think I have the reader class set up properly, but when a menu selection is made that calls for the data, I am not sure how to receive the data. Below is the reader class, and then the code from my last program that I need to modify to call on the reader class.
public void getRates(){
          try{
             ArrayList<String> InterestRates = new ArrayList<String>();
             BufferedReader inputfile = new BufferedReader(new FileReader("rates.txt"));
             String data;
             while ((data = inputfile.readLine()) != null){
             //System.out.println(data);
             InterestRates.add(data);
             rates = new double[InterestRates.size()];
             for (int x = 0; x < rates.length; ++x){
                 rates[x] = Double.parseDouble(InterestRates.get(x));
       inputfile.close();
       catch(Exception ec)
//here is the old code that I need to change
//I need to modify the rateLbl.setText("" + rates[1]); to call from the reader class
private void mnu15yrsActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {
        termLbl.setText("" + iTerms[1]);
          rateLbl.setText("" + rates[1]);

Answer 1

from the getRates function your InterestRates ArrayList is declared within that function, so it will not be accesible from outside of it, if you declare it outside then you can modify in the function and have it accessible from another function.
private ArrayList<String> InterestRates = new ArrayList<String>();
public void getRates(){
          try{
             BufferedReader inputfile = new BufferedReader(new FileReader("rates.txt"));
             String data;
             while ((data = inputfile.readLine()) != null){
             //System.out.println(data);
             InterestRates.add(data);
             rates = new double[InterestRates.size()];
             for (int x = 0; x < rates.length; ++x){
                 rates[x] = Double.parseDouble(InterestRates.get(x));
       inputfile.close();
       catch(Exception ec)
     }