Java - NullPointerException in Graph.java

Question

I am trying to create an undirected graph that is read from a text file. However I keep getting a NullPointerException. This is my Graph class:

Graph.java:

    package testalgo;

    import java.io.File;
    import java.util.ArrayList;
    import java.util.HashMap;
    import java.util.LinkedList;
    import java.util.List;
    import java.util.Scanner;


    public class Graph

    {   


            ArrayList<Integer> vertices = new ArrayList<Integer>();
           HashMap<Integer, LinkedList<Integer>> adj;
           static Scanner sc;
            public Graph(ArrayList<Integer> verts ){

                   adj =new HashMap<Integer, LinkedList<Integer>>();
            }

            public static void main(String[] args) {

                try{
                sc = new Scanner(new File("graph1.txt"));
                }
                catch(Exception e){

                    System.out.println(e);
                }

                while(sc.hasNext()){

                    int a = Integer.parseInt(sc.next());
                    int b = Integer.parseInt(sc.next());
                    Graph g = new Graph(new ArrayList<Integer>());
                    g.addVertex(a);
                    g.addeEgde(a, b); // this is line 46
                    g.addeEgde(b, a);


                }

                 sc.close();
            }

            public void addVertex(int v){


                for (int i = 1; i < vertices.size(); ++i) {
                adj.put(i, new LinkedList<Integer>());}

            }

            public  void addeEgde(int v1, int v2) {

                adj.get(v1).add(v2); // this is line 68
            }

            public List<Integer> getNeighbors(int v) {
                return adj.get(v);
         }
  }

And this is the error message that I am getting:

Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NullPointerException
    at testalgo.Graph.addeEgde(Graph.java:68)
    at testalgo.Graph.main(Graph.java:46)

Thank you for all your help!

Answer 1

I don't see anywhere in your code where you're populating the the adj map with v as a key. Hence adj.get(v1) will return null. You've only declared adj; you need to populate it as well.

All I see is:

for (int i = 1; i < vertices.size(); ++i) {
    adj.put(i, new LinkedList<Integer>());
}

Since vertices is empty to begin with, you won't be inserting anything into your map.

Did you mean:

adj.put(v, new LinkedList<Integer>());

instead?

In response to your comment: you need to add another entry for b in your adjacency list:

g.addVertex(a);
g.addVertex(b); // <--- you need this as well
g.addeEgde(a, b);
g.addeEgde(b, a); // <--- otherwise you'll get a NPE here

Answer 2

You probably have invoked addeEdge without having added any vertex, as

for (int i = 1; i < vertices.size(); ++i)
{
  adj.put(i, new LinkedList<Integer>());
}

Will not put any LinkedList instance in adj (vertices.size() is 0).

Therefore,

adj.get(v1).add(v2);

Will throw a NullPointerException, as adj.get(v1) will return null and you are invoking add on null.

Try declaring:

private static int count = 0;

In class body, and then, in addVertex:

adj.put(count++, new LinkedList<Integer>());

This one will put a new LinkedList in your Map every time addVertex is invoked.

Alternatively, for the map index:

public void addVertex(int vertexIndex)
{
  adj.put(vertexIndex, new LinkedList<Integer>());
}

In addition, ensure that adj.get(v1) will not be null by making a null check comparison before calling add on it:

LinkedList<Integer> vertex = adj.get(v1);
if(vertex != null)
{
  vertex.add(v2);
}

Also, cosider that g.addeEgde(b, a); applies to a vertex that does not exist and will be a source of NullPointerException too.

UPDATE: In the case you are attempting to insert values in a sequence (sequential index), using a Map for your vertexes is not the mostly efficient way of doing this (takes O(logn) complexity time of indexing). I suggest that you use an ArrayList instead:

ArrayList<LinkedList<Integer>> adj;

And in your addVertex:

adj.add(new LinkedList<Integer>());

And when indexing:

adj.get(yourIndex);

This one will be much more efficient (takes O(1) complexity time in indexing).

UPDATE 2: If your case is an adjacency list, which probably is, the Map is better to use than the ArrayList, as you do not have a sequential indexing. Take in mind you must add vertices by adjacency value and NOT sequential indexing, as Vivin Paliath mentioned.