Hello - I am getting the following error when attempting to Save a record using a VisualForce Page (VisualForcExtension) and a Controller Extension (positionExtension):

System.NullPointerException: Attempt to de-reference a null object

Class.positionExtension.Save: line 54, column 16 External entry point (line 54 column 16 is underlined in the following code fragment "return theController.save()";)

public class positionExtension { public string positionTypeID {get; set;} public positionExtension(ApexPages.StandardController positionController) { this.position = (Position__c)positionController.getRecord(); } public List<selectOption> PositionTypeOptions {get { List<selectOption> positionTypes = new List<selectOption>(); for (Position_Type__c ptr : [select name from Position_Type__c pt where pt.Department__c = :position.Department__c order by Name ]) positionTypes.add(new selectOption(ptr.id, ptr.name)); if (position.Department__c != null) { positionTypes.add(new selectOption('other', 'Other')); } else { positionTypes.add(new selectOption('', 'Please select a department', true)); } return positionTypes; } private set;} public Position_Type__c newPositionType{ get{ if (newPositionType == null) { newPositionType = new Position_Type__c();} return newPositionType; } private set; } public void resetPositionType() { positionTypeID = null; } public PageReference Save() { if (positionTypeID == 'other') { try{ newPositionType.Department__c = position.Department__c; insert newPositionType; position.Position_Type__c = newPositionType.ID; } catch (DmlException e) { ApexPages.addMessages(e); } } else { position.Position_Type__c = positionTypeID; } return theController.save(); } private final Position__c position; private final ApexPages.StandardController theController; }

The markup from the Visualforce Page that calls the Apex Class:

<apex:page standardController="Position__c" extensions="positionExtension" > <apex:form > <apex:sectionHeader title="Add New Position"/> <apex:pageBlock mode="edit" id="thePageBlock"> <apex:pageMessages /> <apex:pageBlockButtons > <apex:commandButton value="Save" action="{!save}"/> <apex:commandButton value="Cancel" action="{!cancel}"/> </apex:pageBlockButtons> <apex:pageBlocksection title="Information"> <apex:inputField value="{!Position__c.Location__c}"/> <apex:inputField value="{!Position__c.Hiring_Manager__c}"/> <apex:inputField value="{!Position__c.Status__c}"/> <apex:inputField value="{!Position__c.Notification__c}"/> <apex:inputField value="{!Position__c.Start_Date__c}"/> </apex:pageBlocksection> <apex:actionRegion > <apex:pageblocksection columns="1" title="Department"> <apex:inputField value="{!Position__c.Department__c}"> <apex:actionSupport event="onchange" rerender="dependentPositionType" action="{!resetPositionType}" status="departmentStatus"/> <apex:actionStatus id="departmentStatus" startText="Fetching position types..."/> </apex:inputField> </apex:pageblockSection> </apex:actionRegion> <apex:pageblockSection id="dependentPositionType" columns="1"> <apex:pageBlockSectionItem > <apex:outputLabel value="Position Type" for="pt"/> <apex:panelGrid columns="2"> <apex:actionRegion > <apex:outputText value="{!Position__c.Position_Type__c}" rendered="false"/> <apex:selectList id="pt" value="{!positionTypeID}" size="1" disabled="{!ISNULL(Position__c.Department__c)}"> <apex:selectOptions value="{!PositionTypeOptions}"/> <apex:actionSupport event="onchange" rerender="dependentPositionType" status="typeStatus"/> </apex:selectList> </apex:actionRegion> <apex:actionStatus id="typeStatus" startText="updating form..."> <apex:facet name="stop"> <apex:inputField value="{!newPositionType.Name}" rendered="{!positionTypeId == 'other'}" required="true"/> </apex:facet> </apex:actionStatus> </apex:panelGrid> </apex:pageBlockSectionItem> </apex:pageBlockSection> <apex:pageBlockSection title="Position Details"> <apex:inputField value="{!Position__c.Job_Description__c}"/> <apex:inputField value="{!Position__c.Responsibilities__c}"/> <apex:inputField value="{!Position__c.Programming_Languages__c}"/> <apex:inputField value="{!Position__c.Educational_Requirements__c}"/> </apex:pageBlockSection> </apex:pageBlock> </apex:form> </apex:page>

I would appreciate any ideas for resolving this problem.  Please go easy on newbie learning VF and Apex.

Thanks,

SCR