Thread: User Input File Name

I'm optimizing a java program and one of the aspects I would really like to integrate into my program is an message box which prompts the user to input the name of an excel file the program writes. I've been using the JOptionPane to easily construct my message box but I'm unsure of how to return this string and then assign this as the name to the created .xls file. I've been playing around with BufferedReader and readLine() but I was just wondering if I'm on the right track or if I should be going at this another way?

using the JOptionPane to easily construct my message box but I'm unsure of how to return this string

The JOptionPane class has several methods that return a String.

Originally Posted by Norm

The JOptionPane class has several methods that return a String.

I can easily return the string to the system but i'd like to return this string to the system and then assign this string as the name of a .xls file.

i'd like to return this string to the system and then assign this string as the name of a .xls file.

Sorry, I don't understand your problem.
If you get the filename into a String variable, you can use it in your program.

What is "the system" that you talk about?

By system I just meant visible in the console of Eclipse when I run the application. I know how to enter a string variable but I don't know how to actually have the program use that "user defined" name for the purpose of saving an exported excel file of data. For example if I enter the string TrialTGFB in a message box I would then like the program to create and name an excel file, TrialTGFB.xls.

don't know how to actually have the program use that

Sorry, I can't understand your problem here. Once you get the user enter data into a String variable, then you can use that variable in a file class's constructor.
If the problem is concatenating the extension: ".xls" to the data in the String:
String fName = userEnterData + ".xls"; // add the file extension to user's data

I guess my question is I am creating an excel spreadsheet from exported data. I need to create a message box that allows the user to name the file and then once this name has been indicated I need my program to write this file. How should I go about this?

Sorry, I still can't see the problem you are having.
You get the name of the file from the user.
You create an object of a class to write to that file using the name given above in the class's constructor.
(I don't know what class you should use here.)
You call methods on this class to write the data to a file.

Thanks Copeg I think the Save Dialog of JChooser is exactly what I'd like to implement however I'm a little confused on how to integrate the JChooser into the portion of my code where I use FileOutputStream to write the excel file. Do I want to actually write the file with FileOutput and then pass it to the JChooser or will the JChooser actually end up writing the file?

I'd suggest you write a small simple program to use JFileChooser and print out what its various methods return. Use it several ways such as selecting an existing file or entering the name of a new file.

The file chooser just lets the user tell you where the file should go. You use this information to create and write a file at that location.