Avoid Null Pointer Exception in Java

Null Pointer Exception is the most common and most annoying exception in Java. In this post I want to avoid this undesired exception.

First let’s create example that raise Null Pointer Exception

private Boolean isFinished(String status) {  
     if (status.equalsIgnoreCase("Finish")) {  
       return Boolean.TRUE;  
     } else {  
       return Boolean.FALSE;  
     }  
   }

In previous method if we pass the value of “status” variable as null it will raise Null Pointer Exception in below line

if (status.equalsIgnoreCase("Finish")) {

So we should change my code to below code to avoid Null Pointer Exception

private Boolean isFinished(String status) {
        if ("Finish".equalsIgnoreCase(status)) {
            return Boolean.TRUE;
        } else {
            return Boolean.FALSE;
        }
    }

In previous method if we path the value of “status” variable as null it will not raise Null Pointer Exception.

If you have object.equals(”literal”) you should replace with “literal”.equals(object) .

If you have object.equals(Enum.enumElement) you should replace with

Enum.enumElement.equals(object).

At general expose equals method of the object that you are sure that it doesn’t has null value.

I will continue in providing more best practice and advices.

In part 1 post I listed how to avoid NPE in equalsIgnoreCase() method and enumerator, today I will write about below cases
1- Empty Collection
2- Use some Methods
3- assert Keyword
4- Assert Class
5- Exception Handling
6- Too many dot syntax
7- StringUtils Class

1- Empty Collection

Empty collection is collection which hasn’t any elements. Some developers return null value for Collection which has no elements but this is false, you should return Collections.EMPTY_LIST, Collections.EMPTY_SET and Collections.EMPTY_MAP.

Wrong Code

  public static List getEmployees() {  
     List list = null;  
     return list;  
   }  

Correct Code

   public static List getEmployees() {  
     List list = Collections.EMPTY_LIST;  
     return list;  
   }  

2- Use some Method

Use some methods to assure that null value not exist like contains(), indexOf(), isEmpty(), containsKey(), containsValue() and hasNext().

Example

     String myName = "Mahmoud A. El-Sayed";  
       
     List list = Collections.EMPTY_LIST;  
     boolean exist = list.contains(myName);  
     int index = list.indexOf(myName);  
     boolean isEmpty =list.isEmpty();  
       
     Map map =Collections.EMPTY_MAP;  
     exist=map.containsKey(myName);  
     exist=map.containsValue(myName);  
     isEmpty=map.isEmpty();  
       
     Set set=Collections.EMPTY_SET;  
     exist=set.contains(myName);  
     isEmpty=set.isEmpty();  
       
     Iterator iterator;  
     exist = iterator.hasNext();  

3- assert Keyword

assert is keyword provided in Java 1.4 which enables you to test your assumptions about your code.

Syntax of assert keyword

 assert expression1 ;  

expression1 is boolean expression which is evaluated and if it is false system will throw AssertionError with no detail message

assert expression1 : expression2 ;  

expression1 is boolean expression which is evaluated and if it is false system will throw AssertionError and detail message is expression2

For example in my post I want to assert that expression is not null then I should write below code

   public static String getManager(String employeeId) {  
     assert (employeeId != null) : "employeeId must be not null";  
     return "Mahmoud A. El-Sayed";  
   } 

If I try to call getManager method using getManager(null);
It will raise “java.lang.AssertionError: employeeId must be not null”

Note use -enableassertion in your java option while run your code to enable assertion.

4- Assert Class

Assert class exists in com.bea.core.repackaged.springframework.util package and has a lot of methods used in assertion.

Example

   public static String getManager(String employeeId) {  
     Assert.notNull(employeeId, "employeeId must be not null");  
     Assert.hasLength(employeeId, "employeeId must has length greater than 0");  
     return "Mahmoud A. El-Sayed";  
   }  

If I try to call getManager method using getManager(null);
It will raise “java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: employeeId must be not null”

5- Exception Handling

I should take care in exception handling using try catch statement or checking of null value of variables
For example

   public static String getManager(String employeeId) {  
     return null;  
   } 

I will cal it using below code

     String managerId = getManager("A015");  
     System.out.println(managerId.toString());

It will raise “java.lang.NullPointerException” , so to handle this exception I should use try catch or checking of null values

a- try catch statement

I will change calling code to below code

     String managerId = getManager("A015");  
     try {  
       System.out.println(managerId.toString());  
     } catch (NullPointerException npe) {  
       //write your code here  
     }  

b- Checking of Null values

I will change calling code to below code

     String managerId = getManager("A015");  
     if (managerId != null) {  
       System.out.println(managerId.toString());  
     } else {  
       //write your code here  
     }  

6- Too many dot syntax

Some developers use this approach as he writes less code but in the future will not be easier for maintenance and handling exception

Wrong Code

 String attrValue = (String)findViewObject("VO_NAME").getCurrentRow().getAttribute("Attribute_NAME");

Correct Code

     ViewObject vo = findViewObject("VO_NAME");  
     Row row = vo.getCurrentRow();  
     String attrValue = (String)row.getAttribute("Attribute_NAME");

7- StringUtils Class

StringUtils class is part of org.apache.commons.lang package, I can use it to avoid NPE specially all its methods are null safe

For example StringUtils. IsEmpty(), StringUtils. IsBlank(), StringUtils.equals(), and much more.
You can read specification of this class from here

Conclusion Always take care of NullPointerException when writing code and guess how it will be thrown in your code and write //TODO in your code for solving it later if you haven’t more time.

Reference: Avoid Null Pointer Exception Part 1, Avoid Null Pointer Exception Part 2 from our JCG partner Mahmoud A. ElSayed at the Dive in Oracle blog.