A Custom Class says my class is Null

Question

Hi,
I have a class (Math2) with misc functions for my project. It
has a function called CheckRelations() which basically checks a
static array in another class (relation). But the Math2 class acts
as if the Relation class is non-existent, even though I have
imported it and I also have all files in the same folder. When I
try to relate to the class in any way i get a Runtime-Error 1009
(Cannot access a property or method of a null object reference.)
I tried tracing the class along with two other classes (one
imported, but another is not) the two classes trace fine: [class
Human] [class relationship]. The Relation class when traced in the
Math2 class results in a 'null'
Code for the CheckRelations function in math2 class: (takes
in String value, and returns the index at which the input =
relation.Type ( i.e. if (String_Input == Relation.Relations
.Type) --> return i ) Return -1 if not found)
import Human;
import Relation; //notice that Relationship is not imported
yet traces out fine
//......REST OF CLASS (other static functions
public static function
CheckRelations(relationType:String):int {
///////Variables
trace(Human,Relation,Relationship); //Human and Relationship
are classes I used to test problem
//Output: [class Human] null [class Relationship]
var relationType:String;
//relationType: the relation to look for in the relations
array
var array:Array = Relation.Relations; //Relations is a
public static var (array)
//array: the array to look inside
var relation:Relation;
//relation: used to hold temp values of relations to compare
var ReturnValue:int = -1;
//ReturnValue: the value to return
var i:uint;
//i: used in for..loops
///////Function
//SOURCE OF ERROR: any reference to Relation class
RelationCheck:for (i = 0; i < array.length; i++) {
relation = array as Relation;
if (relation.Type == relationType) { //relation.Type is a
string value
ReturnValue = i;
break RelationCheck;
return ReturnValue;
Code for getRelation function in Relation class:
public static function getRelation(relation:String):Relation
var val:int = Math2.CheckRelations(relation); // SOURCE OF
ERROR
if (val == -1) {
GameError.InvalidRelation(relation); //throws error when an
invalid relation is specified {this is NOT the problem I'm having}
}return Relations[relation];
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------

Answer 1

OK, I believe I have got the problem. When I tried to call
the Relation class from another class, I couldn't do that before I
cut any references to the Math2 class. So i ported the
checkRelations function into the Relation class itself in order to
cut any reference to the Math2 class. But to my surprise, when I
did that, I could trace out the Relation class normally from not
only another class, but the Math2 class itself! So after a long
time fiddling with the program I figured out that the reason Math2
was unable to relate to the Relation class was because the Relation
class was still not fully initiated. And since Relation class used
the Math2 class as part of the initiation, and the Math2 class
needed to use the Relation class itself in order to initiate the
Relation class there was practically no existence of the Relation
class as it was still in the initialization process (if that makes
any sense). So instead i called the defineRelations function in my
main fla file, to make sure the Relation class is all set before
hand, and it worked like a charm.
Anyways, thanks a lot Jamesabth
for taking the time to look at my code and help me
out, it was your advice that lead me to this discovery after all .
And also thanks to anyone who has took the time to look through my
problem even though they may have not been able to help me with
it.