Creating an array of children while excluding grandchildren.

[xcallmejudasx]

I am trying to create a new Array to be placed into a combo box but I cannot pull just 1 generation. My tree is set-up like this.

ServerGroup (has children)
+Servers (has children)
+Targets ( doesn't have children)


These are the relevant parts of each class

//NewDeploymentView.Java
	    Server[] servers = ServerGroup.getChildren();
	    String[] names = null;
	    for(int i = 0; i < servers.length; i++){
	    	names[i] = servers[i].getName(); 
	    	System.out.println("Server "+i+" "+names[i]);
	    }
	    c.setItems(names);

//ServerGroup.Java
	public static Server[] getChildren() {
		return (Server[]) serverGroupChildren.toArray(new Server[serverGroupChildren.size()]);
	}

	public static boolean hasChildren() {
		return serverGroupChildren.size()>0;
	}

//Server.Java
public boolean hasChildren() {
		return serverChildren.size()>0;
	}
	public Target[] getChildren() {
		return (Target[]) serverChildren.toArray(new Target[serverChildren.size()]);
	}

//Target.Java
	public Server getServerParent(){
		return serverParent;
	}
	public boolean hasChildren(){
		return false;
	}

I receive this warning

java.lang.NullPointerException
	at groups.ServerGroup.getChildren(ServerGroup.java:55)
	at views.NewDeploymentView.createPartControl(NewDeploymentView.java:61)

I believe what is happening is when I call ServerGroup.getChildren() it digs down and tries to return the great grandchildren(which do not exist) because it doesn't know to stop and just return its own children. I think that serverChildren.size() within Server.Java is where null is but don't know how to work around this or stop it from going this deep. Any help?

[Norm]

"at groups.ServerGroup.getChildren(ServerGroup.java:55 )"
What object is at line 55 in ServerGroup's getChildren method that is null? Then why is it null? Can you test if its null and not call a method/reference a variable if it is null?

What is the value of serverGroupChildren when getChildren is called?

[xcallmejudasx]

return serverGroupChildren.size()>0; is line 55. It shouldn't be null because Server objects are the children.

I changed it to return true and now get

java.lang.NullPointerException
	at views.NewDeploymentView.createPartControl(NewDeploymentView.java:65)

line 65 is names[i] = servers[i].getName();

[xcallmejudasx]

fixed it. Just redefined String[] names = new String[servers.length);

Thanks for the insight