NullPointerException in Java — What It Means and How to Fix It

What Java's NullPointerException means and how to fix it.

Published November 1, 2026

NullPointerException is thrown when code attempts to use a reference that points to null, such as calling a method on it.

Key points

  • Read the full stack trace from the top — it names the exact class, method, and line where the exception originated

Example

String s = null;\ns.length();  // NullPointerException
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