FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
java version "1.6.0_21"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_21-b07)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 17.0-b17, mixed mode)

ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.getInputStream throws nullpointer for non-uri url's. Duplicate of bug 6536522 which is closed with no fix

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
execute the following snippet:

public static void main(String[] args) throws MalformedURLException, IOException {
new URL("http:afdbakaka").openConnection().getInputStream();
}

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
IOException is thrown
ACTUAL -
NullPointerException is thrown

ERROR MESSAGES/STACK TRACES THAT OCCUR :
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NullPointerException
at sun.net.www.ParseUtil.toURI(ParseUtil.java:261)
at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.plainConnect(HttpURLConnection.java:910)
at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.connect(HttpURLConnection.java:841)
at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.getInputStream(HttpURLConnection.java:1177)

REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
public static void main(String[] args) throws MalformedURLException, IOException {
new URL("http:afdbakaka").openConnection().getInputStream();
}
---------- END SOURCE ----------

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
Catching the nullpoinerexception as an indication the url is non-uri compliant can be a possible workaround, but it is ugly and not feasible in true production code. Also such a workaround makes the client code dependent on the bug in the sun.www. implementation.