ReadCategoriesSourceFile categoryFileReader = new ReadCategoriesSourceFile(); ArrayList arrayList; arrayList = categoryFileReader.getCategoriesResourceFileArray(); String[] array = new String[arrayList.size()]; for(int i = 0; i < array.length; i++) { <========================== Create array array[i] = arrayList.get(i); //System.out.println("Item = " + arrayList.get(i)); } JComboBox comboBoxCategories = new JComboBox(array); <========================== Add array to JComboBox comboBoxCategories.setBounds(20, 158, 294, 24); contentPane.add(comboBoxCategories); JButton btnComboChoice = new JButton("Execute Search on Selected Item"); btnComboChoice.addActionListener(new ActionListener() { public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) { String selectedComboItem; selectedComboItem = comboBoxCategories.getSelectedItem().toString(); lblStatus.setText("Selection from dropdown list: " + selectedComboItem); txtTokens.setText(selectedComboItem); } }); btnComboChoice.setBounds(334, 159, 223, 23); contentPane.add(btnComboChoice); } String getDriveLetter() { CurrentDriveLetter driveLetter = new CurrentDriveLetter(); return driveLetter.getPathRoot(); } }