Null pointer exception when trying assign values to hashmap

Question

package com.assignment;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.HashMap;



public class Interview {

private HashMap<String,Integer> stateCounts = null;
private HashMap<String,String> stateNames;
private ArrayList<InputData> inputList = null;


public void loadStateNames(String stateKey,String stateName)
{
    stateNames.put(stateKey, stateName);
}


public static void main(String Args[])
{
    Interview interview = new Interview();
    interview.loadStateNames("NY", "New York");
}
}

When I try to pass to strings to loadStateNames. I get a null pointer exception. Can't figure out whats causing this error.

Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NullPointerException
at com.assignment.Interview.loadStateNames(Interview.java:41)
at com.assignment.Interview.main(Interview.java:57)

Kick · Accepted Answer · 2014-01-30 18:00:43Z

3

You have not initialised the Map ,change it to ::

private HashMap<String,String> stateNames = new HashMap<String,String>();

answered Jan 30, 2014 at 18:00

Kick

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Comments

Nir Alfasi · Accepted Answer · 2014-01-30 18:00:50Z

3

You forgot to initialize your HashMap, change:

private HashMap<String,String> stateNames;

to:

private HashMap<String,String> stateNames = new HashMap<String,String>();

answered Jan 30, 2014 at 18:00

Nir Alfasi

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Comments

Christian Tapia · Accepted Answer · 2014-01-30 18:01:25Z

2

You are not initializing them. You should do this in the constructor:

public Inteview() {
    stateNames = new HashMap<>();
}

Also, I doubt you want to give a null reference to stateCounts and inputList. They should also be initialized in the constructor:

public Inteview() {
    stateNames = new HashMap<>();
    stateCounts = new HasMap<>();
    inputList = new ArrayList<>();
}

answered Jan 30, 2014 at 18:01

Christian Tapia

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Comments

peter.petrov · Accepted Answer · 2014-01-30 18:03:00Z

2

When you declare a class variable like this:

private HashMap<String,String> stateNames;

or like this:

private HashMap<String,String> stateNames = null;

it is initialized with null.

You cannot add keys/values to it when it is null.

Either initialize it in a constructor or at declaration time.

private HashMap<String,String> stateNames = new HashMap<String,String>()

answered Jan 30, 2014 at 18:03

peter.petrov

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Comments

Ashot Karakhanyan · Accepted Answer · 2014-01-30 18:07:19Z

2

You should create an instance:

private HashMap<String,String> stateNames = new HashMap<String, String>();

And for others too. BTW use interface in left side for polymorphism and in Java 7+ you don't need provide types in right side:

 private Map<String,String> stateNames = new HashMap<>();

edited Jan 30, 2014 at 18:07

answered Jan 30, 2014 at 18:01

Ashot Karakhanyan

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