Final answer:
The 'Object reference not set to an instance' error indicates that an object is being used without being properly created. The solution is to instantiate the object before using it and practice defensive programming to prevent such errors.
Step-by-step explanation:
The error 'Object reference not set to an instance' generally occurs in programming when attempting to access a member of a reference type variable that is currently null. It suggests that you haven't instantiated an object before using it.
Possible Solution:
Ensure the object is properly instantiated before calling any methods or properties on it.
Check for any conditional code paths that might skip the instantiation.
Use defensive programming techniques - such as null checking - before accessing members of an object.
For example, if you have a Scanner object in Java that is declared but not instantiated, trying to call a method like nextLine() will result in this error. To solve it, you'll need to instantiate the Scanner before using it:
Scanner myScanner; // Declaration myScanner = new Scanner(System.in); // Instantiation myScanner.nextLine(); // Usage