save File with JFileChooser

Hi guys, I'm new here due to ... well, honestly, desperation lol
I've search Google clean and still can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.
I've got a GUI that allows users to write text into the notes are and then a JMenu that allows the user to save what is in the notes text area (or am trying).
I want JFileChooser to save the file.... but it never actually saves. I understand that you need to "save it yourself" after getting JFileChooser to get the path/location or whatever, but somehow its just not clicking in my head!

public JMenuItem saveNoteItem(){
            JMenuItem saveNote = new JMenuItem("Save");
            class MenuItemListener implements ActionListener{
                public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent saveNote) {
                    FileWriter newFile = null;
                    try {
                        int value = chooser.showSaveDialog(notes);
                        if (value == JFileChooser.APPROVE_OPTION){
                            selectedFile = chooser.getSelectedFile();
                            String fileName = chooser.getSelectedFile().getName();
                            if (selectedFile.exists()){
                                int overwrite = JOptionPane.showConfirmDialog(notes,
                                        "Overwrite " + selectedFile.getName() + "?");
                                if (overwrite == JOptionPane.NO_OPTION){
                                    return;
                                }
                                if(value == JOptionPane.YES_OPTION){
                                    String textStr = notes.getText();
                                    BufferedWriter outBuf = new BufferedWriter(new FileWriter (fileName));
                                    outBuf.write(textStr);
                                    outBuf.flush();
                                    outBuf.close();
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    } catch (IOException ex) {
                        //catches IOExeption and uses pop up to let user know
                        //what error occurred
                        JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Save Failed. \n" + ex,
                                "FILE SAVE ERROR", JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE);
                    }
                }
            }
            ActionListener listen = new MenuItemListener();
            saveNote.addActionListener(listen);
            return saveNote;
        }

(This is but one of the hundreds of attempts I've tried....)

"value" is something returned by a JFileChooser; you should not be comparing it to a constant defined in JOptionPane.

(This is but one of the hundreds of attempts I've tried....)

The basic problem solving technique is to "step through the code" using a debugger to double check the logic flow.

If you don't have a debugger, then you need to add System.out.println(...) statements to check the flow and check all the values of your variables.

You can't just guess what might be wrong.

Rob Camick wrote:

(This is but one of the hundreds of attempts I've tried....)

The basic problem solving technique is to "step through the code" using a debugger to double check the logic flow.

If you don't have a debugger, then you need to add System.out.println(...) statements to check the flow and check all the values of your variables.

You can't just guess what might be wrong.

I know.... after 15 hours at it yesterday I started messing up even more so I think I made even more of a mess of it. I finally figured it out... by simplifying it (the one thing I didn't do!) Go figure, I sign up and post a question and find the answer lol
Thank you guys for helping!
After I hand in my senior project and it gets graded I'll post what worked!