Java Programming

I am building a very simple intranet application (yes, that's inTRAnet), where multiple PCs over a simple local network can communicate freely via a SWF (Flash) file. I'm building the XML server in JAVA, which is meant to run as a single instance on each PC, communicating with a local SWF, and broadcasting necessary data to it's community of JAVA XML server instances.

I have the Flash to JAVA socket stuff down. I'm now working on JAVA app to JAVA app communication. The concept here is a little different from the norm, in that there is no sever-client relationship. Each instance of the JAVA app is the same, therefore everyone is a client AND a server. The idea is, when the JAVA app receives a command from the Flash app, it broadcasts the data over the network, and then ALL instances of the JAVA app (including the sender) receive the data, and pass it on to their corresponding Flash app, that decides what to do with the data. The concept is very similar to a chat room.

I've looked through enough threads to know that this can be accomplished in various ways. I've ruled out Multicasting, due to the IP address limitation (restricted to Class D). I think I'm on the right track using a Datagram Socket and sending a UDP Datagram Packet over that socket through the 'broadcast" IP (255.255.255.255). However, I've tried all sorts of things, and keep getting an error from JAVA... so I'm sort of at a dead end.

Below, is the code to the main thread class (where I last left it):

{code}

import java.io.*;
import java.net.*;
import java.util.*;

public class MyThread extends Thread
{
private int ticker = 1;
protected DatagramSocket socket = null;

public void myThread() throws IOException
{
DatagramSocket socket = new DatagramSocket(null);
socket.setBroadcast(true);
socket.bind(new InetSocketAddress(10000));
}

public void run()
{
while(ticker < 50)
{
try
{
byte[] buf = new byte[256];
String myString = Integer.toString(ticker);
buf = myString.getBytes();
InetAddress group = InetAddress.getByName("255.255.255.255");
DatagramPacket packet = new DatagramPacket(buf, buf.length, group, 10000);
socket.send(packet);
ticker ++;
try
{
sleep((long)(1000));
}
catch (InterruptedException e)
{

}
}
catch (IOException e)
{

}
}
}
}

{code}

It's a simple attempt to broadcast a ticker value every second until that ticker reaches a value of 50. I am simply trying to get the app to broadcast at this point.... with the plan to work on the receiving end afterwards. When run, it yields the following error (fails at the socket.send command):

Exception in thread "Thread-0" java.lang.NullPointerException
at MyThread.run(MyThread.java:38)

Bear in mind that this class is run from the main class of the app. Also, bear in mind that I'm new to JAVA and somewhat of a hack. Any suggestions would be very appreciated.