swing - Very odd NullPointerException -

so in process of making atm system have ask user if wish create new account. meant title of atm (located @ top) have change "login" "account creation" or somesuch. on button press text of jlabel title needs change. problem when press button new account, happens terminal window pops indicating nullpointerexception @ following line:

title.settext("create new account"); 

from remember, means object "title" null. problem shouldn't null, absolutely sure established , can't think of reason why returning error me.

here related code:

public class accountsystem extends jframe implements actionlistener {     public static account currentuser = new account(); //this methods know account logged in can perform operations on it.     public static int count=0;     public static account acc[] = new account[1000];     public static string parts[] = new string[3];     private jbutton login, logout, createacc, deposit1, deposit2, withdraw1, withdraw2, transfer1, transfer2, nevermind;     private jpanel optionson, optionsoff, loginarea, mainarea, titlecard, depositscreen, withdrawscreen, transferscreen, newaccountscreen;     private jtextfield username, password, transfer, depositarea, withdrawarea, retypearea;     private jlabel userprompt, depositprompt, withdrawpromt, balancedisp, passwordprompt, mainmessage, title;     private string newuser, newpass, newpassconfirm;     borderlayout borderlayout;     gridlayout gridlayout;     public accountsystem()     {         borderlayout = new borderlayout();         borderlayout.sethgap(5);         borderlayout.setvgap(5);         //establishing our buttons here.         jbutton login = new jbutton("login");         login.addactionlistener(this);         jbutton createacc = new jbutton("new account");         createacc.addactionlistener(this);         jbutton withdraw2 = new jbutton("withdraw");         jbutton transfer2 = new jbutton("transfer");         //establishing our panels here.         jpanel optionson = new jpanel();         jpanel optionsoff = new jpanel();         jpanel loginarea = new jpanel();         jpanel titlecard = new jpanel();         //establishing our jlabel here.         jlabel userprompt = new jlabel("username: ");         jlabel passwordprompt = new jlabel("password: ");         jlabel title = new jlabel("login");         //establishing our textfields here.         jtextfield username = new jtextfield(20);         jtextfield password = new jtextfield(20);         jtextfield transfer = new jtextfield(20);         jtextfield withdrawarea = new jtextfield(20);         mainscreen(getcontentpane());         //building gui here.         titlecard.setsize(500,50);         titlecard.setlocation (0,0);         loginarea.setsize(300,450);         loginarea.setlocation(0,50);         optionsoff.setsize(150,450);         optionsoff.setlocation(300,50);         titlecard.add(title);         loginarea.add(userprompt);         loginarea.add(username);         loginarea.add(passwordprompt);         loginarea.add(password);         loginarea.add(login);         loginarea.add(createacc);         getcontentpane().setlayout(null);         getcontentpane().add(titlecard);         getcontentpane().add(loginarea);         getcontentpane().add(optionsoff);     }   public void actionperformed (actionevent e)  {     if ((e.getactioncommand()).equals("login"))     {         login();     }     else if ((e.getactioncommand()).equals("new account"))     {         title.settext("create new account");     } } 

you define title variable class variable:

private jlabel userprompt, ....,  title; 

and local variable:

jlabel title = new jlabel("login"); 

the title.settext() method access class variable null. change:

//jlabel title = new jlabel("login");     title = new jlabel("login"); 

you need variable want treat class variable.