Reading files into an array

Question

so im new to this and having problems.
we have to read a .txt file into an array so when a user types a word in a text box it will search the file and reutrn found if the word is there and not found it the word is not there. but it is not reading the text file here is the code so far
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.io.*;
public class Checker
// Declares Values in the array
     static String [] anArray = new String[1000];
     // declares variables needed in code later
     int i;
     String s;
     static int count = 0;
     static String b;
     static JTextArea j = new JTextArea();
     public void readFile() throws IOException{
     File inFile = new File("words.txt");
     FileReader fileReader = new FileReader(inFile);
BufferedReader bufReader = new BufferedReader(fileReader);
while (true){
b = bufReader.readLine();
anArray[count] = b;
count++;
if(b==null) throw new EOFException("Hello, end of file reached");
j.append(b);
j.append("\n");
     // public static void main(String args[]){
     // File outFile = new File("words.txt");
     //FileOutputStream outFileStream = new FileOutputStream(outFile);
     // PrintWriter outStream = new PrintWriter(outFileStream);
     // outStream.println("help");
// File inFile = new File("words.txt");
// FileReader fileReader = new FileReader(inFile);
// BufferedReader bufReader = new BufferedReader(fileReader);
/* while (true){
b = bufReader.readLine();
anArray[count] = b;
count++;
if(b==null) throw new EOFException("Hello, end of file reached");
j.append(b);
j.append("\n");
public String checkword(String Word ) {
// Tries the code, runs through until an exception is found.
try {
for ( i = 0; i < anArray.length; i++)
if (Word.equals(anArray))
// If exception is found, throws a new exception
if (Word.equals(anArray[i])) throw new Exception(); // end if
} // end if
} // end for
} // end try
catch (Exception ae ) {
// if the word is found return a message found and its position in array.
return "Found, at position "+i;
}// end catch
// if its not in the array return a not found message
return "Not found";
     } // end
} // end
and the gui class :
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.io.*;
public class CountDown extends JFrame implements ActionListener
// Defines the GUI components
private JTextField Word = new JTextField(9);
private JButton Guess = new JButton("Enter String");
     private JLabel Message = new JLabel("not found");
     // Creates a new instance of the Checker class.
Checker ch = new Checker();
public CountDown() // constructor
setTitle("Count Down");
setSize(300,200);
setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
setVisible(true);
Container c = getContentPane();
c.setBackground(Color.white);
c.setLayout(new GridLayout(3,1));
// Add the components
c.add(Word);
c.add(Guess);
c.add(Message);
c.add(ch.j);
// Add action Listener for Button to work
Guess.addActionListener(this);
pack();
setContentPane(c);
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
// When the button is pressed do this code
if(e.getSource() == Guess)
// Looks in the checker class to compare the word user enters, to the words in the array.
// Returns a message if the word exists with its position in the list or
// Returns a message if the word does not exisit.
Message.setText( ch.checkword(Word.getText()));
public class CountDownA
public void main(String[] args)
CountDown Game = new CountDown();
any help is appriciated asap

Answer 1

Yuck! I echo jverd's sentiment. Please only post the specific pieces of code that you are having trouble with, and use the forum 'code' tags.
But to answer your question, I don't see where you're calling the readFile() method from. If you're not calling readFile, that might explain why nothing is being read.
As for the design of the readFile method, another 'yuck'. heh Don't use exceptions to break out of a loop. If you MUST break out of a loop, use break. But a loop like this doesn't need break. Try something like this:while( (b = bufReader.readLine()) != null)
     anArray[count++] = b;
     j.append(b+"\n");
}Also, in stead of creating an array of some arbitrary fixed length, I recommend using a collection class such as ArrayList.
In stead of this:static String [] anArray = new String[1000];
anArray[count++] = b;it would be better to use something like this:static ArrayList<String> arrayList = new ArrayList<String>();
arrayList.add(b);