Binary Search Tree Visualisation In Java

Hi I am currently doing the testing phase of my project(Algorithm Visualization Tool). I am getting a problem with the delete method of my BST.

 public boolean delete(String key) {
boolean deleted = true;
boolean finished=false;
BNode current = root;
BNode prev = null;
while (!finished) {
  if (key.compareTo(current.key) > 0) {
    prev = current;
    current = current.right;
    this.repaint();
  }
  else if (key.compareTo(current.key) < 0) {
    prev = current;
    current = current.left;
    this.repaint();
  }
  else if (key.compareTo(current.key) == 0) {
      finished=true;
      this.repaint();
  }

}

if (check(current) == 0) {
    if(current==root)
    {
        root=null;
        xPos=400;
        yPos=60;
        this.repaint();
    }
    else
    {
        if (current.key.compareTo(prev.key) > 0) {
            prev.right = null;
            this.repaint();
        }
        else if(current.key.compareTo(prev.key) < 0) {
            prev.left = null;
            this.repaint();
        }
    }

}
else if (check(current) == 1) {
    if(current==root)
    {
        prev=current;
        if (current.left != null) {
            current=current.left;
            prev.key=current.key;
            prev.left = current.left;
            this.repaint();
        }
        else {
            current=current.right;
            prev.key=current.key;
            prev.right = current.right;
            this.repaint();
        }
    }
    else
    {

    if (current.key.compareTo(prev.key) > 0) {
    if (current.left != null) {
      prev.right = current.left;
      this.repai开发者_StackOverflownt();
    }
    else {
      prev.right = current.right;
      this.repaint();
    }
  }
  else if(current.key.compareTo(prev.key) < 0) {
    if (current.left != null) {
      prev.left = current.left;
      this.repaint();
    }
    else {
      prev.left = current.right;
      this.repaint();
    }
  }
    }
}
else if (check(current) == 2) {
  BNode temp = inord(current);
  if(current==root)
  {
      root.key=temp.key;
      this.repaint();
  }
  else
  {

      if (current.key.compareTo(prev.key) > 0) {
      prev.right.key = temp.key;
      this.repaint();
    }
    else {
      prev.left.key = temp.key;
      this.repaint(0);
    }
    }
}

return deleted;}

The code for the BST class itself is much longer. Everything is working fine except that when I try to delete a node with no child, I get a nullpointer exception when I use for example 9 and 10 as input(try to del 10) or 5 and 12(try to del 12) but never if I user for example 4 and 8(try to del 8) or 9, 6 and 5. I think the problem is with compareTo.

int check(BNode a) {
int ret;
if ( (a.left != null) && (a.right != null)) {
  ret = 2;
}
else if ( (a.left == null) && (a.right == null)) {
  ret = 0;
}
else {
  ret = 1;
}
return ret;}

I really need help with this.I can post the whole class if need be.. Thank You!

---

Just a few notes:

1. If you pass null to check, you'd get an NPE there.
2. if( check(current) == 0) etc. -> you should check once and then execute the if (or even a switch)

Example for 2.:

 int result = check(current);
 switch(result) {
  case 0:
    //do whatever is appropriate
    break;
  case 1:
    //do whatever is appropriate
    break;
  case 2:
    //do whatever is appropriate
    break;
  default:
    //should never happen, either leave it or throw an exception if it ever happens
}

Edit: //Actually, forget this edit, just saw this should not happen, but it's still not a good style

You also have things like this in your code:

if (current.left != null) {
    current=current.left;
    prev.key=current.key;
    prev.left = current.left;
    this.repaint();
}
else {
    current=current.right; //this might be null
 ...
}

If current.left is null and current.right is null, current will be null afterwards.