driver is getting null for utility classes

Question

I'm getting null pointer exception for driver object.

Here is the flow:

1. BaseClass initializes the driver (WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();)
2. I create a test class and extend it with BaseClass. Now I am able to use all methods present in BaseClass example navigate, openBrowser, click , type, isLogin etc
3. Then I create a utility class.
4. There is if I am using navigate it is giving me null pointer exception though util class also extends BaseClass, because Util also uses methods present in BaseClass.

Flow is for Test Class is:

openBrowser("Chrome"); // driver present
method from BaseClass;driver present
method from BaseClass;driver present
method from BaseClass;driver present
method from util class;driver=null

What am I doing wrong?

Edit: I checked Thiago Fioravante's answer here WebDriver instantiation in Selenium framework but didn't quite get it, what he is saying. However, problem same i.e. I want to use same driver instance across the project.

Edit2: This navigate method is working in test Classes but not in Util Classes. It is giving driver = null

public void navigate(String url) {
        driver.get(url);
        logger("Navigating to " + url);
    }

Answer 1

With the little understanding I am replying to this question. As far as I understood UtilClass extends BaseClass and also Test Class extends BaseClass. But there is no where a UtilClass is extending your TestClass. Try creating an instance of the UtilClass in TestClass something like below in your code.

UtilClass uc = new UtilClass();
uc.requiredMethod();

Answer 2

I have a different idea on creating the Utility methods. They should be common to all all classes in the architecture. So you can achieve this by making the methods inside the util class as public static. Then you can just call the method by class name.