Name: gm110360 Date: 03/22/2004


FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
java version "1.5.0-beta" Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.5.0-beta-b32c) Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.5.0-beta-b32c, mixed mode)

ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
SunOS zwols085 5.8 Generic_108528-22 sun4u sparc SUNW,UltraAX-i2

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
Calling a varargs method with a single null (as opposed to a single object that has a value of null), causes the value of the parameter to be null, rather than an array containing a single null element.

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
Create a method with variable arguments.
Call this method with a single null parameter.

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
The variable argument parameter should be an array of length 1 with a single null value.
ACTUAL -
The variable argument parameter is set to null itself. This causes problems if the method tries to iterate on this argument immediately - a NullPointerException results. This is inconsistent, particularly considering that a variable containing a value of null is treated properly.

REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
static void test(Object... value) {
  if (value == null) {
    System.out.println("null value!");
  } else {
    System.out.println("OK");
  }
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
  Object n = null;
  System.out.print("Object with a value of null. ");
  test(n);
  System.out.print("No values at all.");
  test();
  System.out.print("A single null.");
  test(null);
  System.out.print("Two null's. ");
  test(null, null);
}
---------- END SOURCE ----------

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
Test for null in all methods that require variable arguments, or assign null arguments to a value before passing to varargs methods.
(Incident Review ID: 244433)
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