Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NullPointerException

Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NullPointerException
at company.Employee.inputEmployee(Employee.java:172)
at company.Employee.main(Employee.java:267)
which I got before...
Can someone please help me.
This is where the error occures line 172
for (Employee_listing e : employees) {
String emp = e.getEmpId();

line 267
if (choice == 1) { // if 1 is select go to makePerson
emp.inputEmployee();

Expand|Select|Wrap|Line Numbers

1. Here are my 
2.  
3.  
4. /**
5.      * Constructors.
6.      */
7.  
8.     public Employee_listing(String id, String fn, String ln, String st,
9.             String ct, String zp, Double pr, Integer yw) {
10.         empid = id;
11.         fname = fn;
12.         lname = ln;
13.         street = st;
14.         city = ct;
15.         zip = zp;
16.         yearsworked = yw;
17.         payrate = pr;
18.     }// close public EmployeeClass
19.  
20.     /*
21.      * accessors make info available
22.      */
23.     public String getEmpId() {
24.         return empid;
25.     }
26.  
27.     public String getFname() {
28.         return fname;
29.     }
30.  
31.     public String getLname() {
32.         return lname;
33.     }
34.  
35.     public String getStreet() {
36.         return street;
37.     }
38.  
39.     public String getCity() {
40.         return city;
41.     }
42.  
43.     public String getZip() {
44.         return zip;
45.     }
46.  
47.     public Integer getYearsworked() {
48.         return yearsworked;
49.     }
50.  
51.     public Double getPayrate() {
52.         return payrate;
53.     }
54.  
55.  
56. public void inputEmployee() {
57.  
58.             Employee_listing MyEmployee;
59.  
60.             // prompt for data
61.  
62.             Scanner input_flag = new Scanner(System.in);
63.             System.out.println("Enter Employee Id Number AB1234==>");
64.             String empid = input_flag.next();
65.             String id_flag = "";
66.             boolean notfound = true;
67.             for (Employee_listing e : employees) {
68.                 String emp = e.getEmpId();
69.                 if (emp.equals(id_flag)) {
70.                     System.out.println("Hello" + ("e.lname"));
71.                     notfound = false;
72.                 }
73.             }
74.             if (notfound == true) {
75. .....
76. }
77.         public static void main(String[] args) {
78.             Employee emp = new Employee();
79.             Scanner kbd = new Scanner(System.in);
80.             int choice;
81.             System.out.println("Make a Section: ");
82.             System.out.println("1. Enter ");
83.             System.out.println("2. Find ");
84.             System.out.println("3. Exit ");
85.             System.out.print("\nPlease press Enter afer each response");
86.             System.out.println("Enter your chose please: ");
87.             choice = kbd.nextInt();
88.             kbd.nextLine();
89.             if (choice == 1) { // if 1 is select go to makePerson
90.                 emp.inputEmployee();
91. ....
92. }
93.  

thanks
sandyw

Where have you declared and initialized the employees collection/array?

Nowhere in your code can I see that 'employees' is defined, nor is it visible
where/if it is initialized. By guess is that it is null, hence the Exception.

kind regards,

Jos

How do I get it out of the null?

sandyw

Alright. Look at it this way. You want to go over each of the employees in the employees arraylist. Now where did you add the employees?

No sure this is right.

Expand|Select|Wrap|Line Numbers

1. public void createEmployeeDB() {
2.             employees = new ArrayList<Employee_listing>();
3.             Employee_listing temp = new Employee_listing("DW12341");
4.             employees.add(temp);
5.             temp.setFname("Damon");
6.             temp.setLname("Wong");
7.             temp.setStreet("12345 My St");
8.             temp.setCity("La Habra");
9.             temp.setZip("90631");
10.             temp.setYW(2);
11.             temp.setPR(5000.00);

sandyw

1.) You need to set the values first before you add to the emloyees list.
2.) You need to call the createEmployeeDB method first in your program before you start getting employees from the employees list.

It is generally a good idea if you are still starting to write down your program flow first before writing the code.

is this right first part right?

Expand|Select|Wrap|Line Numbers

1.         public void createEmployeeDB() {
2.             employees = new ArrayList<Employee_listing>();
3.             Employee_listing temp = new Employee_listing("DW12341");
4.             temp.setFname("Damon");
5.             temp.setLname("Wong");
6.             temp.setStreet("12345 My St");
7.             temp.setCity("La Habra");
8.             temp.setZip("90631");
9.             temp.setYW(2);
10.             temp.setPR(5000.00);
11.             employees.add(temp);
12.         }

I still need help see above