title: How to extract users input and check if it matches the pre-made username and password
body: <p>I am working on a JPanel that has a username textbox and a password textbox. I felt like the code i have should check if the input equals the preset user and pass but it keeps saying I am wrong. Could someone please help fix this. Also, do not just link another question I have searched for hours upon hours and i cannot seem to get this to work. Furthermore, i would like when the continue button is pressed and inputs are right for a new JFrame to come up and dispose of this panel(totally optional). Please consider I am new to programming so there might be stuff below that can be simplified or just unnecessary.</p>
  
  <pre><code>import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
  import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
  import javax.swing.*;
  import java.awt.*;
  import java.util.Scanner;
  
  
  
  public class EnterButtonListener implements ActionListener {
  
  
  String USERNAME = "user"; 
  String PASSWORD = "pass";
  String userText, passwordText;
  
  
  public JFrame authFrame;
  
  public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent arg0) {
      JFrame authFrame = new JFrame();
      authFrame.setSize(400, 300);
      authFrame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
      authFrame.setDefaultCloseOperation(authFrame.DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE);
  
      JPanel panel = new JPanel();
      authFrame.add(panel);
      placeComponents(panel);
  
      authFrame.setVisible(true);
  //make new JFrame appear
  
  }
  
  public void placeComponents(JPanel panel) {
  
  panel.setLayout(null);
  
  JLabel atlasIcon = new JLabel();
  atlasIcon.setIcon(new ImageIcon("/users/mfyhr/Pictures/Atlas2.png"));
  atlasIcon.setBounds(50, 5, 400, 100);
  panel.add(atlasIcon);
  
  JLabel authLabel = new JLabel("Authentication Required");
  authLabel.setBounds(90, 85, 400, 25);
  authLabel.setFont(new Font("Bank Gothic", Font.TRUETYPE_FONT, 16));
  panel.add(authLabel);
  
  JLabel infoLabel = new JLabel("Please enter your credentials to continue.");
  infoLabel.setBounds(27, 112, 400, 25);
  infoLabel.setFont(new Font("Bank Gothic", Font.TRUETYPE_FONT, 14));
  panel.add(infoLabel);
  
  JLabel userLabel = new JLabel("Username");
  userLabel.setBounds(80, 150, 100, 25);
  userLabel.setFont(new Font("Bank Gothic", Font.TRUETYPE_FONT, 12));
  panel.add(userLabel);
  
  JTextField userText = new JTextField(20);
  userText.setBounds(170, 150, 150, 25);
  userText.setFont(new Font("Bank Gothic", Font.TRUETYPE_FONT, 12));
  panel.add(userText);
  
  JLabel passwordLabel = new JLabel("Password");
  passwordLabel.setBounds(80, 180, 100, 25);
  passwordLabel.setFont(new Font("Bank Gothic", Font.TRUETYPE_FONT, 12));
  panel.add(passwordLabel);
  
  JPasswordField passwordText = new JPasswordField(20);
  passwordText.setBounds(170, 180, 150, 25);
  passwordText.setFont(new Font("Bank Gothic", Font.TRUETYPE_FONT, 12));
  panel.add(passwordText);
  
  JButton continueButton = new JButton("Continue");
  continueButton.setBounds(185, 223, 85, 33);
  continueButton.setFont(new Font("Bank Gothic", Font.TRUETYPE_FONT, 12));
  panel.add(continueButton);
  
  JButton cancelButton = new JButton("Cancel");
  cancelButton.setBounds(290, 223, 85, 33);
  cancelButton.setFont(new Font("Bank Gothic", Font.TRUETYPE_FONT, 12));
  panel.add(cancelButton);
  
  final String username = userText.getText();
  final String password = passwordText.getText();
  
  continueButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae)
    {
      if ((username == USERNAME) &amp; (password == PASSWORD))
  {
  JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null,"Access Granted");
  }
  else
  {
  JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null,"Access Denied");
  }
    }
  });
  
  
  
  
  
  
   //continueButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
   //public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae)
   //{ 
   //check user and password textboxes 
   //if both = myuser and pass
   //hide Menu and close enterbuttonlistener
   //open new JFrame
   //   }
  
   //ActionListener continueButtonListener = new ContinueButtonListener();
   //continueButton.addActionListener(continueButtonListener);
  
   //ActionListener cancelButtonListener = new CancelButtonListener();
   //cancelButton.addActionListener(cancelButtonListener);
  
  
   }
   }
  </code></pre>