Backend>Questions

Java equals() selection

sona11

sona11

Java equals() selection

In Java, if I try to do.equals() on a null string, a null pointer error is issued. I’m wondering whether I can perform the following if I’m attempting to compare if a string is equal to a constant string:
MY CONSTANT STRING.equals(aStringVariable)
I’m sure it’ll work, but is this simply extremely bad code?
This is a common Java idiom known colloquially as a Yoda condition. Personally, I prefer to handle the null situation directly, but the Yoda method is widely used, and any competent Java programmer should quickly grasp what is going on. How should I proceed?

3 comments
/java
4 1150 3

Most Liked

faust

faust

I think that it is important to discuss with your team how the majority feels about this kind of situation and create a guideline for the project.

Anyway, I personally prefer to use Enums instead of this kind of constant.

1
Post #3
finner

finner

Hi @sona11,
If you are using Java8 (or ablove) you can use Optional - for example:

boolean eq = Optional.ofNullable(aStringVariable)
            .map(s -> s.equals(MY_CONSTANT_STRING))
            .orElse(false);

And when the aStringValue is null there will no NullPointerException

I hope I understood the question correctly, does that help?

1
Post #4
sona11

sona11

Thanks you and yes it does help.

1
Post #5

Where Next?

View thread on forum
java
Home Backend>Questions
/java
4 1150 3
Last post

Popular Backend topics Top

Kurisu
Backend>Questions

Can I add Discourse as a forum feature to any website no matter its backend language?
Hello, Please, let’s say I have a website with user authentication made with Elixir/Phoenix, and now want to add a forum to it (using a ...
#forum#discourse
11 1075 3
New
Jsdr3398
Backend>Questions

Raxx routing doesn't seem to work
I’m trying to create a router where everything is in a collection of routes (similar to how I do my routes in expressjs). But it doesn’t ...
#raxx
8 1342 6
New
mrmurphy
Backend>Questions

How exactly does phx-update detect changes?
I’ve run into a situation where I’ve got a list of posts inside of a container that uses phx-update=“prepend”, and the posts on the socke...
/elixir
16 1233 6
New
TwistingTwists
Backend>Questions

Novice developer hoping to learn Elixir - any tips?
Hello Folks, I am a novice developer from India. Intending to learn Elixir and web apps (phoenix framework). What are things that I MUS...
/elixir#beginner#suggestion
53 1792 14
New
Fl4m3Ph03n1x
Backend>Questions

Cannot understand warnings in Gradient
Background I am now trying Gradual type checking, as a consequence I am giving a shot to Gradient. As I see it, this is an alternative to...
/elixir#functional-programming#types
8 1098 2
New
Fl4m3Ph03n1x
Backend>Questions

Option type compatible with comprehensions in Elixr?
Background I am trying to up my Functional Programming (FP) skills and one of the things that newcomers first learn in FP is the Option T...
/elixir#functional-programming
12 1677 4
New
JimmyCarterSon
Backend>Questions

Ecto issue, not sure how to do this?
Hello, I am. very new to Elixir lang I have only been doing it for about 2 weeks. I recently started following this tutorial todo list, ...
/elixir/phoenix#beginner#ecto
12 2311 3
New
Fl4m3Ph03n1x
Backend>Questions

Is there a way to have Elixir Records without default values?
Background I am trying to find a cheap and easy way to create New Types in Elixir, and Records seem to be just what I would need. Probl...
/elixir
10 1230 2
New
sona11
Backend>Questions

Next steps after learning the basics of php?
I studied very basic PHP (I believe). After that, I feel like I’ve gotten a handle on the language. My dream is to work as a web develope...
/php#web
9 1172 2
New
Fl4m3Ph03n1x
Backend>Questions

Are there any text-to-speech ai tools available using elixir?
Background As I often do, I read books to learn and improve myself. I also enjoy teaching and helping others when I can, so this is somet...
/elixir
6 588 3
New

Other popular topics Top

AstonJ
General Dev>Hardware

Which keyboard do you have?
If it’s a mechanical keyboard, which switches do you have? Would you recommend it? Why? What will your next keyboard be? Pics always w...
#hardware/keyboards#sticky#mechanical-keyboards
144 9115 50
New
PragmaticBookshelf
Game Dev>Learning Resources

The Ray Tracer Challenge
Brace yourself for a fun challenge: build a photorealistic 3D renderer from scratch! In just a couple of weeks, build a ray tracer that r...
pragprog.com
#pragprog#published-book/book-the-ray-tracer-challenge#algorithms
3 6115 0
New
AstonJ
General Dev>Code Editors

Onivim 2 Code Editor
Thanks to @foxtrottwist’s and @Tomas’s posts in this thread: Poll: Which code editor do you use? I bought Onivim! :nerd_face: https://on...
#code-editors/onivim/revery
88 6144 32
New
mafinar
Backend>Chat

Data Structures and Algorithms with Elixir
This is going to be a long an frequently posted thread. While talking to a friend of mine who has taken data structure and algorithm cou...
/elixir#algorithms#data-structures
108 11869 31
New
PragmaticBookshelf
Backend>Learning Resources

Agile Web Development with Rails 7
Rails 7 completely redefines what it means to produce fantastic user experiences and provides a way to achieve all the benefits of single...
pragprog.com
#pragprog#web-development/ruby/rails#published-book/book-agile-web-development-with-rails-7
32 6600 9
New
Help
Game Dev>Questions

Can I use Java to program a game for Nintendo switch?
I am trying to crate a game for the Nintendo switch, I wanted to use Java as I am comfortable with that programming language. Can you use...
/java#nintendo
8 4771 3
New
PragmaticBookshelf
Community>In The Spotlight

Spotlight: Mike Riley (Author) Interview and AMA!
Author Spotlight Mike Riley @mriley This month, we turn the spotlight on Mike Riley, author of Portable Python Projects. Mike’s book ...
#author-spotlight/python#iot/book-portable-python-projects#internet-of-things
62 7035 19
New
PragmaticBookshelf
Community>In The Spotlight

Spotlight: VM Brasseur (Author) Interview and AMA!
Author Spotlight: VM Brasseur @vmbrasseur We have a treat for you today! We turn the spotlight onto Open Source as we sit down with V...
#author-spotlight/book-forge-your-future-with-open-source
16 5051 11
New
PragmaticBookshelf
Community>In The Spotlight

Spotlight: Bruce Tate (Author) Interview and AMA!
Author Spotlight: Bruce Tate @redrapids Programming languages always emerge out of need, and if that’s not always true, they’re defin...
/elixir/ruby/phoenix/book-seven-more-languages-in-seven-weeks/book-seven-languages-in-seven-weeks#liveview/book-programming-phoenix-liveview
54 5678 23
New
mindriot
General Dev>Reviews

Keyboard Review: UHK60V2 vs Defy vs Voyager vs Glove80 vs Svalboard
Ok, well here are some thoughts and opinions on some of the ergonomic keyboards I have, I guess like mini review of each that I use enoug...
/keyboards#uhk60v2#defy#voyager#glove80#svalboard
5 5681 7
New
Back to top

Sponsor Spotlight

AppSignal

Catch errors, track performance, monitor hosts and more.

Latest in Java

Java Portal ❯

Backend>Questions

Backend Questions ❯

Latest on Devtalk

Devtalk ❯

We ❤️ helpful members!

We reward our most helpful members via our MOTM scheme - by giving away a whopping 25 books per year!

Member of the Month

Devtalk Sponsors

Pragmatic Bookshelf

Practical resources that improve the lives of professional developers.

Erlang Solutions

We build trusted fault-tolerant systems that scale to billions of users.

Honeybadger

Real-time error tracking, performance insights, and observability for devs.

EEF

Supporting innovation across the BEAM ecosystem.

coders51

We build reliable cloud platforms for business-critical systems.

Manning Publications

Develop your skills with books, videos, and courses.

AppSignal

Catch errors, track performance, monitor hosts and more.

WyeWorks

Enabling companies to succeed by building software people love.

Pragmatic Studio

Courses that move you from confusion to "Aha, now I get it!"

Linux New Media

Publishing Linux Magazine, ADMIN, and MakerSpace for 25+ years.

View all our sponsors ❯

Categories:

Sub Categories:

Popular Portals

Devtalk Sponsors

Pragmatic Bookshelf

Practical resources that improve the lives of professional developers.

Erlang Solutions

We build trusted fault-tolerant systems that scale to billions of users.

Honeybadger

Real-time error tracking, performance insights, and observability for devs.

EEF

Supporting innovation across the BEAM ecosystem.

coders51

We build reliable cloud platforms for business-critical systems.

Manning Publications

Develop your skills with books, videos, and courses.

AppSignal

Catch errors, track performance, monitor hosts and more.

WyeWorks

Enabling companies to succeed by building software people love.

Pragmatic Studio

Courses that move you from confusion to "Aha, now I get it!"

Linux New Media

Publishing Linux Magazine, ADMIN, and MakerSpace for 25+ years.

View all our sponsors ❯

We're in Beta

About us Mission Statement See our Roadmap