Android - converting string to long value
===

I am creating a fairly simple android application which is basically a timer, I am trying to make it so that you can set the timer length in the settings and then using preferences retrieve the value and set it as the timer length. I can retrieve the value from the preferences and simply display it.

But when I try to convert the string value (i.e. 1) to a long value using either Long.parseLong(string) or Long.valueOf(String) and Long.valueOf(Int), I don't receive any errors in the code but when I try and start the application, it force closes and the error log says it is caused by NumberFormatException, Here is the the section of code I am using, also if I remove the line that says Long.ParseLong... everything else works fine.

	        private long interval =    1000 ;
	        private long startTime = 30000;
	        
	        
	        
	        /** Called when the activity is first created. */
	        public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState)
	            {
	                super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
	                setContentView(R.layout.activity_countdown_timer);
	                
	   	        	 SharedPreferences prefs = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(this);
	   	        	 
	   	        	 StringBuilder builder = new StringBuilder();
	   	        	 builder.append("\n"+ prefs.getString("timerLength","NULL"));
	   	        	 startTime = Long.parseLong(builder.toString());
	   	        	 
	   	        	 
	   	        	
	   	        	 
	   	        	 TextView view = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.showTimer);
	   	        	 view.setText(builder.toString());
	   	        	 