Java beginners if / else if there is a problem

There seems to be a problem with the code block trying to set the string variable, because no matter what I do when I run the program, the dialog box always shows Otto Who knows what I did wrong here?

Thank you, hunting

import java.awt.FlowLayout;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import javax.swing.JOptionPane;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.JPasswordField;
import javax.swing.JTextField;

public class SmallTingz extends JFrame {
    private JLabel item1;
    private JTextField tf;
    private JTextField tf2;
    private JTextField tf3;
    private JPasswordField pf;

    public SmallTingz() {
        super("The Title");
        setLayout(new FlowLayout());
        JTextField tf = new JTextField("Cool Beans");
        JTextField tf2 = new JTextField("UnCool Beans");
        JTextField tf3 = new JTextField("Hot Beans");
        JPasswordField pf = new JPasswordField("password");

        add(tf);
        add(tf2);
        add(tf3);
        add(pf);

        thehandler handler = new thehandler();
        tf.addActionListener(handler);
        tf2.addActionListener(handler);
        tf3.addActionListener(handler);
        pf.addActionListener(handler);
    }

    private class thehandler implements ActionListener {

        public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent event) {
            String string;          
            if (event.getSource() == tf)
                string=String.format("field1: %s",event.getActionCommand());
            else if (event.getSource() == tf2)
                string=String.format("field2: %s",event.getActionCommand());
            else if (event.getSource() == tf3)
                string=String.format("field3: %s",event.getActionCommand());
            else if (event.getSource() == pf)
                string=String.format("passfield: %s",event.getActionCommand());
            else
                string="otto";

            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null,string);        
        }
    }
}

Solution

In the smalltingz () constructor, delete all variable declarations Your declaration is a hiding member variable

change

JTextField tf = new JTextField("Cool Beans");
JTextField tf2 = new JTextField("UnCool Beans");
JTextField tf3 = new JTextField("Hot Beans");
JPasswordField pf = new JPasswordField("password");

to

tf = new JTextField("Cool Beans");
tf2 = new JTextField("UnCool Beans");
tf3 = new JTextField("Hot Beans");
pf = new JPasswordField("password");