problem with console.readLine()

[thatguy]

I am trying to write a simple program to keep track of the time I spend taking a C++ class and here is the begginings of the program

import java.io.Console;
public class Main {

    /**
     * @param args the command line arguments
     */
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Console console = System.console();                                 // declare console
        int counter, x = 0;                                                 //variables for while loop
        String inputTime, inputClassSec;                                    //variable for input
        System.out.println("C class calculator");
        System.out.println("********************************");
        String counterS = console.readLine("Completed sections since last entry: ");
        counter = Integer.parseInt(counterS);
        while (x < counter) {

        inputClassSec = console.readLine("class section name: ");            //get input on the name of the class
        

        inputTime = console.readLine("time spent: ");                        //get input on time spent on the section
        
        }
    }

}

the error message i recieve is :

run:
C class calculator
********************************
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NullPointerException
        at timeonc.Main.main(Main.java:19)
Java Result: 1
BUILD SUCCESSFUL (total time: 2 seconds)

but i cant find what the problem is

any hep would be greatly appreciated

[CJSLMAN]

Compiled the code(Java SE 6, command line), ran it, worked fine.

Suggestions:

• You're going to need to save the values... probably in an array list.
• Would be nice if you had a graceful way of exiting the while loop. Maybe when inputClassSec equals "0" (or something like that), print values and exit program.

Luck,
CJSL