public void makeSidePanel() {
		
		JPanel sideBar = new JPanel(new GridLayout(3,1,20,20));
		
		// Buttons
		JPanel sideBarButtons = new JPanel(new GridLayout(2,1));
		JButton add = new JButton("Add");
		add.setPreferredSize( new Dimension(80, 30) );
		add.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
			public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
				String met = MetSearch.getText();
				String con = ConSearch.getText();
				String pop = PopSearch.getText();
				
				// in case of incomplete entry
				if (fieldEmpty()) {
					errorMessage.setText("Enter a value in all fields!");
				}else {
					model.add(met, con, pop);
					errorMessage.setText("");
					model.Search(met, con, pop, false, true);
				}				
				clearSearchBar();
				
				
				
			}
		});
		
		// search button
		JButton search = new JButton("Search");
		search.setPreferredSize( new Dimension(80, 30) );
		search.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
			public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
				if (fieldsEmpty()) {
					model.getDatabase();
				}else {
					String met = MetSearch.getText();
					String con = ConSearch.getText();
					String pop = PopSearch.getText();
					
					model.Search(met, con, pop, greater, exact);

				}
				clearSearchBar();
			}
		});
			
		// add buttons to sidebar
		sideBarButtons.add(add);
		sideBarButtons.add(search);
		sideBar.add(sideBarButtons);
		
		// Dropdowns
		final String[] popStrings = { "Population larger than",
				"Population smaller than or equal to"};
		final String[] searchStrings = {"Exact Search", "Partial Search"};

		//Create the dropdowns
		JPanel sideBarDropDowns = new JPanel(new GridLayout(3,1));
		
			popList = new JComboBox(popStrings);
			popList.setSelectedIndex(0);
			popList.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
				public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
					String str = popList.getSelectedItem().toString();
					if (str.equals(popStrings[0])) {
						greater = true;
					}else {
						greater = false;
					}
				}			
			});
			greater = true;
			
			
			searchList = new JComboBox(searchStrings);
			searchList.setSelectedIndex(0);
			searchList.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
				public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
					String str = searchList.getSelectedItem().toString();
					if (str.equals(searchStrings[0])) {
						exact = true;
					}else {
						exact = false;
					}
				}			
			});
			exact = true;
		
		sideBarDropDowns.add(popList, BorderLayout.NORTH);
		sideBarDropDowns.add(searchList, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
		sideBarDropDowns.setBorder(new TitledBorder("Search Options"));
		sideBar.add(sideBarDropDowns);
		
		
		// error message space
		errorMessage = new JLabel("");
		errorMessage.setPreferredSize( new Dimension(175, 30) );
		sideBar.add(errorMessage);
		
		// add our beautiful panel to GUI
		this.add(sideBar, BorderLayout.EAST);
	}