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Date: Thu, 01 Sep 2005 16:18:20 +1000
From: Nick Faiz <nick@atlassian.com>
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To: Apache Directory Developers List <dev@directory.apache.org>
Subject: Re: [OT] How best to respond to null arguments?
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I think the answer depends on the role of the class.

If it's a client, or a "top level" manager, it's a good place to 
validate, rather than passing on crap information to further regions of 
code - IllegalArgumentExceptions are good for this (option #3)

If it's a low level piece of code which isn't in charge of validating 
information it shouldn't have to think about it at all. (option #1).

That's my 2 cents.

Cheers,
Nick

Alex Karasulu wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> I was playing again with my very many split personalities when I 
> realized one likes to throw NullPointerExceptions after checking if an 
> argument is null while another likes to throw IllegalArgumentExceptions 
> since null is value the argument can take.   Yet another personality 
> does not care and figures a NPE will result anyway when the null 
> argument is referenced so why bother.
> 
> Question: How best to respond to null arguments?
> 
> Option #1: Ignore it and let a NPE result on its own
> Option #2: Test to see if arg is null early and throw a descriptive NPE
> Option #3: Test to see if arg is null early and throw a descriptive IAE
> 
> Which sounds best?
> 
> Alex
> 


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