java.lang.NullPointerException at feature.StepDefinitions cucumber - selenium

Question

I'm getting a NullPointerException as follows:
Feature: Login action
Scenario:
Successful Login with Valid Credentials # C:/Users/chaitanya/workspace/cucumber2/src/feature/myfeature.feature:3
Given User is on Home Page # StepDefinitions.User_is_on_Home_Page()
When User enters UserName and Password # StepDefinitions.User_enters_UserName_and_Password()
java.lang.NullPointerException
at feature.StepDefinitions.User_enters_UserName_and_Password(StepDefinitions.java:25)
at ?.When User enters UserName and Password(C:/Users/chaitanya/workspace/cucumber2/src/feature/myfeature.feature:5)
Then Message displayed Login Successfully # StepDefinitions.Message_displayed_Login_Successfully()
Code:
package feature;
import org.openqa.selenium.By;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.firefox.FirefoxDriver;
import cucumber.api.java.en.Given;
import cucumber.api.java.en.Then;
import cucumber.api.java.en.When;
public class StepDefinitions {
public static WebDriver driver;
#Given("^User is on Home Page$")
public void User_is_on_Home_Page() throws Throwable {
WebDriver driver = new FirefoxDriver();
driver.manage().window().maximize();
driver.get("http://opensource.demo.orangehrmlive.com/");
}
#When("^User enters UserName and Password$")
public void User_enters_UserName_and_Password() throws Throwable {
driver.findElement(By.name("txtUsername")).sendKeys("admin");
driver.findElement(By.xpath("//input[#id='txtPassword']")).sendKeys("admin");
driver.findElement(By.name("Submit")).click();
Thread.sleep(3000);
}
#Then("^Message displayed Login Successfully$")
public void Message_displayed_Login_Successfully() throws Throwable {
System.out.println("login completed");
}
}

Answer 1

In User_is_on_Home_Page() you're using a local variable named driver within that method. You're not setting the static driver that your other methods are using. As a result, when they reference driver it is still null.
The solution is to change:
public static WebDriver driver;
to:
public static final WebDriver driver = new FirefoxDriver();
and remove the WebDriver driver = new FirefoxDriver(); line from User_is_on_Home_Page() so that it likewise refers to the static instance.
Alternatively, instantiate the static driver instance lazily. Replace:
WebDriver driver = new FirefoxDriver();
in User_is_on_Home_Page() with:
if (driver == null) {
driver = new FirefoxDriver();
}