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Posted to dev@commons.apache.org by Stephen Colebourne <sc...@btopenworld.com> on 2003/07/16 02:30:32 UTC
[lang] NPEs in StringUtils
All this debate has reminded me that we have not sorted the position on null
handling in StringUtils.
Most of [lang] is quiet with respect to nulls wherever possible. I would
like to extend that to StringUtils. Are there any objections to making this
change? I feel a consistent position would be good.
Now is the time to do this of course (pre 2.0). (Its amazing what you find
when you want to do a release...)
Stephen
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Re: [lang] NPEs in StringUtils
Posted by Jerry Cattell <je...@yahoo.com>.
Quiet null handling can cause problems if it is not
properly documented. I believe it is essential for
StringUtils. In my case, I only started using
StringUtils BECAUSE it handled nulls quietly. If I
have to check if the string is null before I pass it
in, I might as well use the equals method on the
string.
Jerry
--- __matthewHawthorne <mh...@alumni.pitt.edu>
wrote:
> As I've stated before, I think that quiet null
> handling leads to errors
> and confusion. However, it probably makes more
> sense to adapt
> StringUtils the rest of [lang], instead of the
> opposite.
>
> An insight into my thinking can be presented in
> these two examples,
> which are titled:
>
> "Exceptions are for exceptional situations"
>
> - isEmpty(null)
>
> null isn't empty, but null isn't _not_ empty either.
> So neither true or
> false is correct. This is an exceptional situation.
>
> - chomp(null)
>
> You can't chomp null. You can refuse to chomp null
> and return null...
> but in this case, the method isn't doing what it
> claims to do. It's
> _refusing_ to chomp instead of chomping. This is
> an exceptional
> situation.
>
> I understand that this philosophy is more idealistic
> than practical.
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, 2003-07-15 at 17:30, Stephen Colebourne
> wrote:
> > All this debate has reminded me that we have not
> sorted the position on null
> > handling in StringUtils.
> >
> > Most of [lang] is quiet with respect to nulls
> wherever possible. I would
> > like to extend that to StringUtils. Are there any
> objections to making this
> > change? I feel a consistent position would be
> good.
> >
> > Now is the time to do this of course (pre 2.0).
> (Its amazing what you find
> > when you want to do a release...)
> >
> > Stephen
> >
> >
> >
>
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> >
>
>
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Re: [lang] NPEs in StringUtils
Posted by __matthewHawthorne <mh...@alumni.pitt.edu>.
As I've stated before, I think that quiet null handling leads to errors
and confusion. However, it probably makes more sense to adapt
StringUtils the rest of [lang], instead of the opposite.
An insight into my thinking can be presented in these two examples,
which are titled:
"Exceptions are for exceptional situations"
- isEmpty(null)
null isn't empty, but null isn't _not_ empty either. So neither true or
false is correct. This is an exceptional situation.
- chomp(null)
You can't chomp null. You can refuse to chomp null and return null...
but in this case, the method isn't doing what it claims to do. It's
_refusing_ to chomp instead of chomping. This is an exceptional
situation.
I understand that this philosophy is more idealistic than practical.
On Tue, 2003-07-15 at 17:30, Stephen Colebourne wrote:
> All this debate has reminded me that we have not sorted the position on null
> handling in StringUtils.
>
> Most of [lang] is quiet with respect to nulls wherever possible. I would
> like to extend that to StringUtils. Are there any objections to making this
> change? I feel a consistent position would be good.
>
> Now is the time to do this of course (pre 2.0). (Its amazing what you find
> when you want to do a release...)
>
> Stephen
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To unsubscribe, e-mail: commons-dev-unsubscribe@jakarta.apache.org
> For additional commands, e-mail: commons-dev-help@jakarta.apache.org
>
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Re: [lang] NPEs in StringUtils
Posted by Stephen Colebourne <sc...@btopenworld.com>.
Yes, I mean adding
if (str == null) {
return null; // or whatevers appropriate...
}
to a number of methods in StringUtils.
Currently this is +1, if still so tonight, I will make the changes.
Stephen
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steven Caswell" <st...@mungoknotwise.com>
To: "'Jakarta Commons Developers List'" <co...@jakarta.apache.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2003 1:56 AM
Subject: RE: [lang] NPEs in StringUtils
Just want to be sure I understand. By "quiet", I understand you to mean
nulls are handled in some well-defined way other than throwing an exception.
If that is what you meant, then I am +1. Otherwise I'll wait to hear a
clarification :)
Steven Caswell
steve@mungoknotwise.com
a.k.a Mungo Knotwise of Michel Delving
"One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them..."
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Stephen Colebourne [mailto:scolebourne@btopenworld.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2003 7:31 PM
> To: Jakarta Commons Developers List
> Subject: [lang] NPEs in StringUtils
>
>
> All this debate has reminded me that we have not sorted the
> position on null handling in StringUtils.
>
> Most of [lang] is quiet with respect to nulls wherever
> possible. I would like to extend that to StringUtils. Are
> there any objections to making this change? I feel a
> consistent position would be good.
>
> Now is the time to do this of course (pre 2.0). (Its amazing
> what you find when you want to do a release...)
>
> Stephen
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To unsubscribe, e-mail: commons-dev-unsubscribe@jakarta.apache.org
> For additional commands, e-mail: commons-dev-help@jakarta.apache.org
>
>
>
>
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RE: [lang] NPEs in StringUtils
Posted by Steven Caswell <st...@mungoknotwise.com>.
Just want to be sure I understand. By "quiet", I understand you to mean
nulls are handled in some well-defined way other than throwing an exception.
If that is what you meant, then I am +1. Otherwise I'll wait to hear a
clarification :)
Steven Caswell
steve@mungoknotwise.com
a.k.a Mungo Knotwise of Michel Delving
"One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them..."
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Stephen Colebourne [mailto:scolebourne@btopenworld.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2003 7:31 PM
> To: Jakarta Commons Developers List
> Subject: [lang] NPEs in StringUtils
>
>
> All this debate has reminded me that we have not sorted the
> position on null handling in StringUtils.
>
> Most of [lang] is quiet with respect to nulls wherever
> possible. I would like to extend that to StringUtils. Are
> there any objections to making this change? I feel a
> consistent position would be good.
>
> Now is the time to do this of course (pre 2.0). (Its amazing
> what you find when you want to do a release...)
>
> Stephen
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To unsubscribe, e-mail: commons-dev-unsubscribe@jakarta.apache.org
> For additional commands, e-mail: commons-dev-help@jakarta.apache.org
>
>
>
>
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