# Can't use debug, getting a nullponter exception on empty sketches

**URL:** https://discourse.processing.org/t/cant-use-debug-getting-a-nullponter-exception-on-empty-sketches/31837
**Category:** Processing
**Created:** [August 22, 2021, 12:20am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/cant-use-debug-getting-a-nullponter-exception-on-empty-sketches/31837 "2021-08-22T00:20:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![starplayer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@starplayer](https://discourse.processing.org/u/starplayer)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2021, 12:20am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/cant-use-debug-getting-a-nullponter-exception-on-empty-sketches/31837/1 "2021-08-22T00:20:24Z")

</div>

Hey guys.  
I’ve just installed processing 4.0b1. I can run sketches and all, but with debug turned on, I get the following error, even on an empty sketch:

```auto
Exception in thread "AWT-EventQueue-0" java.lang.NullPointerException
	at processing.mode.java.JavaToolbar.activateContinue(JavaToolbar.java:168)
	at processing.mode.java.JavaEditor.activateContinue(JavaEditor.java:1735)
	at processing.mode.java.debug.Debugger.continueDebug(Debugger.java:405)
	at processing.mode.java.JavaEditor.handleRun(JavaEditor.java:981)
	at processing.mode.java.JavaToolbar.handleRun(JavaToolbar.java:156)
	at processing.mode.java.JavaToolbar$1.actionPerformed(JavaToolbar.java:77)
	at processing.app.ui.EditorButton.mousePressed(EditorButton.java:152)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.Component.processMouseEvent(Component.java:6632)
	at java.desktop/javax.swing.JComponent.processMouseEvent(JComponent.java:3342)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.Component.processEvent(Component.java:6400)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.Container.processEvent(Container.java:2263)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.Component.dispatchEventImpl(Component.java:5011)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Container.java:2321)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Component.java:4843)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.retargetMouseEvent(Container.java:4918)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.processMouseEvent(Container.java:4544)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.dispatchEvent(Container.java:4488)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Container.java:2307)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.Window.dispatchEventImpl(Window.java:2772)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Component.java:4843)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEventImpl(EventQueue.java:772)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(EventQueue.java:721)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(EventQueue.java:715)
	at java.base/java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
	at java.base/java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:85)
	at java.base/java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:95)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue$5.run(EventQueue.java:745)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue$5.run(EventQueue.java:743)
	at java.base/java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
	at java.base/java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:85)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(EventQueue.java:742)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters(EventDispatchThread.java:203)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(EventDispatchThread.java:124)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(EventDispatchThread.java:113)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:109)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:101)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(EventDispatchThread.java:90)

```

What could be causing this?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![micuat](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/micuat/32/19407_2.png) [@micuat](https://discourse.processing.org/u/micuat)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2021, 5:58pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/cant-use-debug-getting-a-nullponter-exception-on-empty-sketches/31837/2 "2021-08-23T17:58:59Z")

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I cannot help you but it would be great if you could open an issue on github to see if the developers can figure it out (especially if it is a bug)

> **[Issues · processing/processing](https://github.com/processing/processing/issues/)**
>
> Source code for the Processing Core and Development Environment (PDE) - Issues · processing/processing