A null pointer is just that. It means a class reference is
has a null value meaning it point to nothing eg

import java.util.Date;
....
Date a;
a.toString(); // should generate null pointer

There is no way to get 'around' a null pointer. If you have
done any C/C++ programming you will appreciate the
exception because in C/C++ and other 'lower' languages your
program just shoots itself in the foot.