javal.lang.NullPointException whenever I attempt to start Processing

Avalonien2

Hello ! I have decided to get into Processing recently, but whenever I attempt to launch processing.exe, I get the following error message : I have already loked on the forums, but I couldn't find any satisfactory answer. Please know that I am on Windows 7 64 bits, and that I have already tried using the 32 bit version. Attached are my launch4j logs.

Thank you for taking the time to answer.

Launch4j logs :

Version:    3.9
CmdLine:    D:\Games\processing-3.2.2\processing.exe processing.exe --l4j-debug
WOW64:      yes
Working dir:    D:\Games\processing-3.2.2\.
Bundled JRE:    java
Check launcher: D:\Games\processing-3.2.2\java\bin\javaw.exe (OK)
Heap -Xmx:  Requested 256 MB / 0%, Available: 1330 MB, Heap size: 256 MB
Substitute: EXEDIR = D:\Games\processing-3.2.2
Add classpath:  lib\pde.jar
Add classpath:  core\library\core.jar
Add classpath:  lib\jna.jar
Add classpath:  lib\jna-platform.jar
Add classpath:  lib\antlr.jar
Add classpath:  lib\ant.jar
Add classpath:  lib\ant-launcher.jar
Launcher:   D:\Games\processing-3.2.2\java\bin\javaw.exe
Launcher args:  -Xmx256m -Djava.ext.dirs="D:\Games\processing-3.2.2\\java\\lib\\ext" -Djna.nosys=true -Djna.boot.library.path=lib -Djna.nounpack=true -classpath "lib;lib\pde.jar;core\library\core.jar;lib\jna.jar;lib\jna-platform.jar;lib\antlr.jar;lib\ant.jar;lib\ant-launcher.jar" processing.app.Base processing.exe 
Args length:    300/32768 chars
Exit code:  259
`

Lord_of_the_Galaxy

Try reinstalling Processing.

koogs

we've seen this before. the ContributionManager is the thing that handles libraries (and modes and tools and examples)

delete (or move to a backup) the libraries folder within your sketchbook folder and restart, see if that helps. you'll need to reinstall any libraries (or maybe just copy them back over from your backup, one at a time, checking as you go)

i also have a contribs.txt file in my processing configuration area (~/.processing on linux). check yours to see if it is corrupt or missing.

Lord_of_the_Galaxy

So you say that the libraries folder causes the trouble?
Interesting. It seems that the way the Processing IDE handles external libraries does cause multiple problems....

Avalonien2

Thank you for your quick answers. I have already tried reinstalling Processing a few times, and it did not work. I cannot manage to find a contribs.txt file anywhere on my computer, be it in the configuration area (%appdata%\Roaming\Processing) or anywhere else. As for the libs, I do not know what you are calling my "sketchbook folder".

Avalonien2

I have finally managed to solve my problem. Turns out that a "Processing" folder is automatically created in "My Documents", but, because of the way that Windows 7 handles authorizations, I wasn't the owner of this folder, and as such Processing couldn't access it. I just had to appropriate that folder to my user account and everything worked fine ! Thank you again for your help.

jeremydouglass

@Avalonien2 -- thank you for sharing your solution!

Lord_of_the_Galaxy

That problem shouldn't occur if you are the administrator of the Windows computer.

Avalonien2

Well, I happen to be on the only account that exists on my computer, and it is an administrator account (and if it weren't I wouldn't have been able to solve the problem), it's just that the way that permissions work on Windows 7 is very weird.