Question

i created a layout for my dialog and inflate the layout in OnCreateDialog

/**
 * Object to hold the reference to ListName EditText from Alert_Dialog
 */
private EditText mListNameEditText;

protected Dialog onCreateDialog(int id) {
    switch(id) {            
    case DIALOG_TEXT_ENTRY:

        Log.w(TAG, "In onCreateDialog");

        LayoutInflater factory = LayoutInflater.from(this);
        final View alertDialogView = factory.inflate(R.layout.alert_dialog, null);
        mListNameEditText = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.listNameText);
        .../...
        .../...
        .../...

Under onPrepareDialog, i’m trying to get the text that i typed inside the EditText, and this throws a null pointer exception. Please help figuring out the issue

@Override
protected void onPrepareDialog(int id, Dialog dialog) {
    switch(id) {            
    case DIALOG_TEXT_ENTRY:

        Log.w(TAG, "In onPrepareDialog");
        mListNameEditText = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.listNameText);

        if(mListNameEditText == null)
            Log.w(TAG, "ListName EditText is null"); // This text is printed !!

        mListNameEditText.setOnKeyListener(new OnKeyListener() { // Exception here because mListNameEditText is NULL

Answer 1

Change

mListNameEditText = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.listNameText);

to

mListNameEditText = (EditText) dialog.findViewById(R.id.listNameText);

The line you have is trying to find the EditText in the main layout (the one you set using setContentView(R.layout.whatever); ). By changing it to the line I posted, you are searching within that dialog for the EditText

Additionally, in your onCreateDialog you are doing the same thing. You need to use dialog.findViewById(…) there as well