FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.6.0-rc-b69)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.6.0-rc-b69, mixed mode, sharing)

ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Linux 2.4.31 #8 Sun Jun 5 19:08:07 PDT 2005 i686 unknown unknown GNU/Linux

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
the help dialog invocation from menu throws null pointer exception
subsequent invocation working ok


STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
 start demo: java -jar Metalworks.jar
 open a message, file open dialog, select sandstone, than open help dialog


ERROR MESSAGES/STACK TRACES THAT OCCUR :
jdk1.6.0/bin/java -jar Metalworks.jar
Exception in thread "AWT-EventQueue-0" java.lang.NullPointerException
        at javax.swing.text.html.HTMLEditorKit$HTMLFactory.create(HTMLEditorKit.java:1072)
        at javax.swing.text.CompositeView.loadChildren(CompositeView.java:95)
        at javax.swing.text.CompositeView.setParent(CompositeView.java:122)
        at javax.swing.text.html.BlockView.setParent(BlockView.java:55)
        at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicTextUI$RootView.setView(BasicTextUI.java:1252)
        at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicTextUI.setView(BasicTextUI.java:605)
        at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicTextUI.modelChanged(BasicTextUI.java:594)
        at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicTextUI$UpdateHandler.propertyChange(BasicTextUI.java:1728)
        at java.beans.PropertyChangeSupport.firePropertyChange(PropertyChangeSupport.java:338)
        at java.beans.PropertyChangeSupport.firePropertyChange(PropertyChangeSupport.java:275)
        at java.awt.Component.firePropertyChange(Component.java:7691)
        at javax.swing.text.JTextComponent.setEditable(JTextComponent.java:1787)
        at HtmlPane.<init>(MetalworksHelp.java:74)
        at MetalworksHelp.<init>(MetalworksHelp.java:60)
        at MetalworksFrame.openHelpWindow(MetalworksFrame.java:282)
        at MetalworksFrame$11.actionPerformed(MetalworksFrame.java:249)
        at javax.swing.AbstractButton.fireActionPerformed(AbstractButton.java:1957)
        at javax.swing.AbstractButton$Handler.actionPerformed(AbstractButton.java:2280)
        at javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.fireActionPerformed(DefaultButtonModel.java:377)
        at javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.setPressed(DefaultButtonModel.java:232)
        at javax.swing.AbstractButton.doClick(AbstractButton.java:357)
        at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicMenuItemUI.doClick(BasicMenuItemUI.java:1137)
        at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicMenuItemUI$Handler.mouseReleased(BasicMenuItemUI.java:1178)
        at java.awt.Component.processMouseEvent(Component.java:5957)
        at javax.swing.JComponent.processMouseEvent(JComponent.java:3280)
        at java.awt.Component.processEvent(Component.java:5722)
        at java.awt.Container.processEvent(Container.java:1966)
        at java.awt.Component.dispatchEventImpl(Component.java:4365)
        at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Container.java:2024)
        at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Component.java:4195)
        at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.retargetMouseEvent(Container.java:4228)
        at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.processMouseEvent(Container.java:3892)
        at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.dispatchEvent(Container.java:3822)
        at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Container.java:2010)
        at java.awt.Window.dispatchEventImpl(Window.java:2300)
        at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Component.java:4195)
        at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(EventQueue.java:599)
        at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters(EventDispatchThread.java:273)
        at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(EventDispatchThread.java:183)
        at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(EventDispatchThread.java:173)
        at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:168)
        at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:160)
        at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(EventDispatchThread.java:121)


REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced occasionally.