Errors with hashmaps

I am getting an error when i try to use my hasmap.

Code:

2012-06-09 12:06:02 [SEVERE] Sat Jun 09 12:06:02 EDT 2012 Event PlayerChatEvent generated an exception.
java.lang.NullPointerException
	at net.othercraft.steelsecurity.listeners.ChatFilter.onPlayerChat(ChatFilter.java:30)
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
	at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
	at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Unknown Source)
	at org.bukkit.plugin.java.JavaPluginLoader$1.execute(JavaPluginLoader.java:302)
	at org.bukkit.plugin.RegisteredListener.callEvent(RegisteredListener.java:62)
	at org.bukkit.plugin.SimplePluginManager.callEvent(SimplePluginManager.java:459)
	at net.minecraft.server.NetServerHandler.chat(NetServerHandler.java:786)
	at net.minecraft.server.NetServerHandler.a(NetServerHandler.java:764)
	at net.minecraft.server.Packet3Chat.handle(Packet3Chat.java:34)
	at net.minecraft.server.NetworkManager.b(NetworkManager.java:229)
	at net.minecraft.server.NetServerHandler.a(NetServerHandler.java:113)
	at net.minecraft.server.NetworkListenThread.a(NetworkListenThread.java:78)
	at net.minecraft.server.MinecraftServer.w(MinecraftServer.java:567)
	at net.minecraft.server.MinecraftServer.run(MinecraftServer.java:459)
	at net.minecraft.server.ThreadServerApplication.run(SourceFile:492)
2012-06-09 12:06:02 [INFO] <Mike111177> hi [m
2012-06-09 12:06:03 [SEVERE] Sat Jun 09 12:06:03 EDT 2012 Event PlayerChatEvent generated an exception.
java.lang.NullPointerException
	at net.othercraft.steelsecurity.listeners.ChatFilter.onPlayerChat(ChatFilter.java:30)
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
	at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
	at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Unknown Source)
	at org.bukkit.plugin.java.JavaPluginLoader$1.execute(JavaPluginLoader.java:302)
	at org.bukkit.plugin.RegisteredListener.callEvent(RegisteredListener.java:62)
	at org.bukkit.plugin.SimplePluginManager.callEvent(SimplePluginManager.java:459)
	at net.minecraft.server.NetServerHandler.chat(NetServerHandler.java:786)
	at net.minecraft.server.NetServerHandler.a(NetServerHandler.java:764)
	at net.minecraft.server.Packet3Chat.handle(Packet3Chat.java:34)
	at net.minecraft.server.NetworkManager.b(NetworkManager.java:229)
	at net.minecraft.server.NetServerHandler.a(NetServerHandler.java:113)
	at net.minecraft.server.NetworkListenThread.a(NetworkListenThread.java:78)
	at net.minecraft.server.MinecraftServer.w(MinecraftServer.java:567)
	at net.minecraft.server.MinecraftServer.run(MinecraftServer.java:459)
	at net.minecraft.server.ThreadServerApplication.run(SourceFile:492)
2012-06-09 12:06:03 [SEVERE] Sat Jun 09 12:06:03 EDT 2012 Event PlayerChatEvent generated an exception.
java.lang.NullPointerException
	at net.othercraft.steelsecurity.listeners.ChatFilter.onPlayerChat(ChatFilter.java:30)
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
	at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
	at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Unknown Source)
	at org.bukkit.plugin.java.JavaPluginLoader$1.execute(JavaPluginLoader.java:302)
	at org.bukkit.plugin.RegisteredListener.callEvent(RegisteredListener.java:62)
	at org.bukkit.plugin.SimplePluginManager.callEvent(SimplePluginManager.java:459)
	at net.minecraft.server.NetServerHandler.chat(NetServerHandler.java:786)
	at net.minecraft.server.NetServerHandler.a(NetServerHandler.java:764)
	at net.minecraft.server.Packet3Chat.handle(Packet3Chat.java:34)
	at net.minecraft.server.NetworkManager.b(NetworkManager.java:229)
	at net.minecraft.server.NetServerHandler.a(NetServerHandler.java:113)
	at net.minecraft.server.NetworkListenThread.a(NetworkListenThread.java:78)
	at net.minecraft.server.MinecraftServer.w(MinecraftServer.java:567)
	at net.minecraft.server.MinecraftServer.run(MinecraftServer.java:459)
	at net.minecraft.server.ThreadServerApplication.run(SourceFile:492)
2012-06-09 12:06:03 [INFO] <Mike111177> hu [m

this is what i got

Code:

	public void onPlayerChat(PlayerChatEvent event){
		try {
			String name = event.getPlayer().getName();
			Map<String, Long> chattimes = new HashMap<String, Long>();
			long time = new Date().getTime();
/*line 30*/			long lasttime = chattimes.get(name);
			chattimes.put(name, time);

 

1. mostly the use of an map is that you dont create it every time at the funtion again, instead, place it at the instance variables
2. do this:

Code:java

 
Long lasttime = chattimes.get(name);if(lasttime == null)lasttime = Long.valueOf(0);

 

whats an instance variable? lol

 

an variable at the instance of the object