JTextArea always null?

Question

This is my code, which is pretty simple, it is just creating a JFrame with a JTextArea in the centre.

if(!txtSource.getText().trim().equals("") && txtSource != null)

is never satisfied even when I have entered text into the JTextArea.

I only want to execute methodA() if the JTextArea has some text.

private Container content;
private JTextArea txtSource;

public Test() {
    this.setTitle("Test");
    this.setSize(600,200);
    this.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
    this.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
    content = this.getContentPane();
    content.add(getTextArea(), BorderLayout.CENTER);
    content.add(button(), BorderLayout.SOUTH);
    this.setVisible(true); 
}

private JTextArea getTextArea() {
    JTextArea txtSource = new JTextArea(20, 80);
    return txtSource;
}

private JButton button() {

    JButton btn = new JButton("Click me");

    btn.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
         public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
             if(!txtSource.getText().trim().equals("") && txtSource != null) {
                 methodA();
             } else { 
                 System.out.println("Please paste your script in.");
         }
    }
}

Please help me here...

Answer 1

You're shadowing the txtSource variable, replace

JTextArea txtSource = new JTextArea(20, 80);

with

txtSource = new JTextArea(20, 80);