Getting the plugins folder

I'm trying to access the Essentials player configs (to get ban reasons). This is the code I have currently:

Code:

public class EssConfigManager {
 
private EssBans plugin;
public EssConfigManager (EssBans plugin) {
this.plugin = plugin;
}
 
public String getEssDir(){
String pluginDir = plugin.getDataFolder().toString();
String essDir = pluginDir.replaceAll(plugin.pdfFile.getName() + File.separator, "Essentials" + File.separator);
plugin.getLogger().info("Ess Directory: " + essDir);
return essDir;
}
 
}

But it returns a NullPointer exception, the important line being:
java.lang.NullPointerException
at me.ZephireNZ.EssBans.EssConfigManager.getEssDir(EssConfigManager.java:21)

Line 21 is "String essDir = pluginDir.replaceAll(plugin.pdfFile.getName() + File.separator, "Essentials" + File.separator);", but I'm unsure as to where the Null is in there.

So 2 questions:
1) Why am I getting a NullPointerException, and
2) Is there any way to make this more compact (ie a method to call that gets the plugin directory)?

Also, how do I see the 'Code:java' I see around, not just general code?

 

I expect you can do something like this:

Code:

Plugin plugin = Bukkit.getPluginManager().getPlugin("Essentials");
File essentialsFolder = plugin.getDataFolder();

 

Ok, that seens a LOT more reasonable, as well as more smart. Thanks!

Also, the code:java bit?

EDIT: Whoops, derped my original question. What the BBCode tags to do the code:java bit?

 

ZephireNZ
Use [syntax=java obviously with a closing bracket.