title: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method 'java.io.File com.parse.ParsePlugins.getParseDir()' on a null object reference
body: <p>Trying to load a class from <code>Parse</code> , however the app crashes as soon I launch it!
  Here is the code:</p>
  
  <pre><code> ListView listview;
  List&lt;ParseObject&gt; ob;
  ProgressDialog mProgressDialog;
  ArrayAdapter&lt;String&gt; adapter;
  
  @Override
  protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
      super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
      setContentView(R.layout.activity_big_board);
      new RemoteDataTask().execute();
  
  }
  
  private class RemoteDataTask extends AsyncTask&lt;Void, Void, Void&gt; {
      @Override
      protected void onPreExecute() {
          super.onPreExecute();
          mProgressDialog = new ProgressDialog(BigBoard.this);
          mProgressDialog.setTitle("Parse.com Simple ListView Tutorial");
          mProgressDialog.setMessage("Loading...");
          mProgressDialog.setIndeterminate(false);
          mProgressDialog.show();
      }
  
      @Override
      protected Void doInBackground(Void... params) {
          // Locate the class table named "Country" in Parse.com
          ParseQuery&lt;ParseObject&gt; query = new ParseQuery&lt;ParseObject&gt;(
                  "Country");
          query.orderByDescending("_created_at");
          try {
              ob = query.find();
          } catch (ParseException e) {
              Log.e("Error", e.getMessage());
              e.printStackTrace();
          }
          return null;
      }
  
      @Override
      protected void onPostExecute(Void result) {
          // Locate the listview in listview_main.xml
          listview = (ListView) findViewById(R.id.listview);
          // Pass the results into an ArrayAdapter
          adapter = new ArrayAdapter&lt;String&gt;(BigBoard.this,
                  R.layout.listview_item);
          // Retrieve object "name" from Parse.com database
          for (ParseObject country : ob) {
              adapter.add((String) country.get("Name"));
          }
          // Binds the Adapter to the ListView
          listview.setAdapter(adapter);
          // Close the progressdialog
          mProgressDialog.dismiss();
          // Capture button clicks on ListView items
          listview.setOnItemClickListener(new AdapterView.OnItemClickListener() {
              @Override
              public void onItemClick(AdapterView&lt;?&gt; parent, View view,
                                      int position, long id) {
                  // Send single item click data to SingleItemView Class
                  Intent i = new Intent(BigBoard.this,
                          SingleItemView.class);
                  // Pass data "name" followed by the position
                  i.putExtra("name", ob.get(position).getString("name")
                          .toString());
                  // Open SingleItemView.java Activity
                  startActivity(i);
              }
          });
      }
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>And this is what I obtain in the logcat :</p>
  
  <pre><code>&gt; 10-22 20:40:18.705  12588-12872/obx.com.futurister E/AndroidRuntime﹕ FATAL EXCEPTION: AsyncTask #3
      Process: obx.com.futurister, PID: 12588
      java.lang.RuntimeException: An error occurred while executing doInBackground()
              at android.os.AsyncTask$3.done(AsyncTask.java:309)
              at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.finishCompletion(FutureTask.java:354)
              at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.setException(FutureTask.java:223)
              at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:242)
              at android.os.AsyncTask$SerialExecutor$1.run(AsyncTask.java:234)
              at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1113)
              at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:588)
              at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:818)
       Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method 'java.io.File com.parse.ParsePlugins.getParseDir()' on a null object reference
              at com.parse.Parse.getParseDir(Parse.java:315)
              at com.parse.ParseCorePlugins.getCurrentUserController(ParseCorePlugins.java:129)
              at com.parse.ParseUser.getCurrentUserController(ParseUser.java:55)
              at com.parse.ParseUser.getCurrentUserAsync(ParseUser.java:888)
              at com.parse.ParseQuery.getUserAsync(ParseQuery.java:938)
              at com.parse.ParseQuery$3.call(ParseQuery.java:1196)
              at com.parse.ParseQuery$3.call(ParseQuery.java:1193)
              at com.parse.ParseQuery.doWithRunningCheck(ParseQuery.java:1132)
              at com.parse.ParseQuery.findAsync(ParseQuery.java:1193)
              at com.parse.ParseQuery.findInBackground(ParseQuery.java:1161)
              at com.parse.ParseQuery.find(ParseQuery.java:981)
              at obx.com.futurister.BigBoard$RemoteDataTask.doInBackground(BigBoard.java:66)
              at obx.com.futurister.BigBoard$RemoteDataTask.doInBackground(BigBoard.java:44)
              at android.os.AsyncTask$2.call(AsyncTask.java:295)
              at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:237)
              at android.os.AsyncTask$SerialExecutor$1.run(AsyncTask.java:234)
              at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1113)
              at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:588)
              at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:818)
  10-22 20:40:18.857  12588-12619/obx.com.futurister E/Surface﹕ getSlotFromBufferLocked: unknown buffer: 0xb3a1fb90
  10-22 20:40:18.955  12588-12619/obx.com.futurister E/Surface﹕ getSlotFromBufferLocked: unknown buffer: 0xa96acbb0
  10-22 20:40:18.996  12588-12588/obx.com.futurister E/WindowManager﹕ android.view.WindowLeaked: Activity obx.com.futurister.BigBoard has leaked window com.android.internal.policy.PhoneWindow$DecorView{a0f50b2 V.E...... R......D 0,0-1026,538} that was originally added here
              at android.view.ViewRootImpl.&lt;init&gt;(ViewRootImpl.java:368)
              at android.view.WindowManagerGlobal.addView(WindowManagerGlobal.java:299)
              at android.view.WindowManagerImpl.addView(WindowManagerImpl.java:85)
              at android.app.Dialog.show(Dialog.java:319)
              at obx.com.futurister.BigBoard$RemoteDataTask.onPreExecute(BigBoard.java:56)
              at android.os.AsyncTask.executeOnExecutor(AsyncTask.java:604)
              at android.os.AsyncTask.execute(AsyncTask.java:551)
              at obx.com.futurister.BigBoard.onCreate(BigBoard.java:40)
              at android.app.Activity.performCreate(Activity.java:6237)
              at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1107)
              at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2369)
              at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2476)
              at android.app.ActivityThread.-wrap11(ActivityThread.java)
              at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1344)
              at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
              at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:148)
              at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5417)
              at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
              at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:726)
              at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:616)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>guess its the problem with the <code>doInBackground()</code> method? Am I missing something? Please help , Thanks</p>