Android - null object reference when iterating List

Question

I'm trying to copy a List 'usrs' which is created in an Inner class to a different list 'team_memebers'. After copying I try to iterate 'team_memebers' in the FOR loop, but I get a 'null object reference' error. The 'users' list contains the returned objects, tested via debug prints.

public class ListNodeActivity extends AppCompatActivity
{
    private ParseObject parse_task=null;
    private List<String> team_memebers=null;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState)
    {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_list_node);
        Toolbar toolbar = (Toolbar) findViewById(R.id.toolbar);
        setSupportActionBar(toolbar);

    query.findInBackground(new FindCallback<ParseObject>() {
        public void done(List<ParseObject> usrs, ParseException e) {
            if (e == null) {

                team_memebers = new ArrayList<String>(usrs.size());
                for (ParseObject prso:usrs) {
                    team_memebers.add(new String(prso.getString("Username")));
                }
            } else {//handle the error
            }
        }
    });

    for (String str:team_memebers)
    {
        empolyeeSpinnerAdapter.add(str);
    }
}

Stack trace

 FATAL EXCEPTION: main
 Process: il.ac.shenkar.david.todolistex2, PID: 14490
 java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start activity ComponentInfo{il.ac.shenkar.david.todolistex2/il.ac.shenkar.david.todolistex2.ListNodeActivity}: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke interface method 'java.util.Iterator java.util.List.iterator()' on a null object reference
     at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2416)
     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)
  Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke interface method 'java.util.Iterator java.util.List.iterator()' on a null object reference
     at il.ac.shenkar.david.todolistex2.ListNodeActivity.onCreate(ListNodeActivity.java:116)
     at android.app.Activity.performCreate(Activity.java:6251)
     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) 

Answer 1

Your problem is that you aren't iterating after copying list. query.findInBackground() is an async callback and therefore, isn't executed immediately. Because your iteration loop is PLACED below that callback, doesn't mean it will be executed after callback executes. Just put your loop inside callback like this:

query.findInBackground(new FindCallback<ParseObject>() {
        public void done(List<ParseObject> usrs, ParseException e) {
            if (e == null) {

            team_memebers = new ArrayList<String>(usrs.size());
            for (ParseObject prso:usrs) {
                team_memebers.add(new String(prso.getString("Username")));
            }
            for (String str:team_memebers)
            {
                empolyeeSpinnerAdapter.add(str);
            }
        } else {//handle the error
        }
    }
});