Can't decode JSP Server Error Please help!

Question

Hi,
I wrote this code and I get this huge server error when I run it and I can't for the life of me figure out what's wrong, can someone please help me debug my jsp or explain to me what any of those errors mean?
Here is the error message:
type Exception report
message
description
The server encountered an internal error () that prevented it from fulfilling this request.
exception
org.apache.jasper.JasperException
     at org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServletWrapper.service(JspServletWrapper.java:254)
     at org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServlet.serviceJspFile(JspServlet.java:295)
     at org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServlet.service(JspServlet.java:241)
     at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:853)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:247)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:256)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline$StandardPipelineValveContext.invokeNext(StandardPipeline.java:643)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:480)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.invoke(ContainerBase.java:995)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:191)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline$StandardPipelineValveContext.invokeNext(StandardPipeline.java:643)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:480)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.invoke(ContainerBase.java:995)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.invoke(StandardContext.java:2415)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:180)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline$StandardPipelineValveContext.invokeNext(StandardPipeline.java:643)
     at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorDispatcherValve.invoke(ErrorDispatcherValve.java:171)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline$StandardPipelineValveContext.invokeNext(StandardPipeline.java:641)
     at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:172)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline$StandardPipelineValveContext.invokeNext(StandardPipeline.java:641)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:480)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.invoke(ContainerBase.java:995)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:174)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline$StandardPipelineValveContext.invokeNext(StandardPipeline.java:643)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:480)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.invoke(ContainerBase.java:995)
     at org.apache.coyote.tomcat4.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:223)
     at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.process(Http11Processor.java:594)
     at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Protocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.processConnection(Http11Protocol.java:392)
     at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.TcpWorkerThread.runIt(PoolTcpEndpoint.java:565)
     at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.ThreadPool$ControlRunnable.run(ThreadPool.java:619)
     at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:536)
root cause
java.lang.NullPointerException
     at org.apache.jsp.Pdb_Add_jsp._jspService(Pdb_Add_jsp.java:530)
     at org.apache.jasper.runtime.HttpJspBase.service(HttpJspBase.java:137)
     at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:853)
     at org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServletWrapper.service(JspServletWrapper.java:210)
     at org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServlet.serviceJspFile(JspServlet.java:295)
     at org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServlet.service(JspServlet.java:241)
     at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:853)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:247)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:256)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline$StandardPipelineValveContext.invokeNext(StandardPipeline.java:643)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:480)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.invoke(ContainerBase.java:995)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:191)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline$StandardPipelineValveContext.invokeNext(StandardPipeline.java:643)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:480)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.invoke(ContainerBase.java:995)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.invoke(StandardContext.java:2415)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:180)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline$StandardPipelineValveContext.invokeNext(StandardPipeline.java:643)
     at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorDispatcherValve.invoke(ErrorDispatcherValve.java:171)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline$StandardPipelineValveContext.invokeNext(StandardPipeline.java:641)
     at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:172)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline$StandardPipelineValveContext.invokeNext(StandardPipeline.java:641)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:480)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.invoke(ContainerBase.java:995)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:174)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline$StandardPipelineValveContext.invokeNext(StandardPipeline.java:643)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:480)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.invoke(ContainerBase.java:995)
     at org.apache.coyote.tomcat4.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:223)
     at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.process(Http11Processor.java:594)
     at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Protocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.processConnection(Http11Protocol.java:392)
     at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.TcpWorkerThread.runIt(PoolTcpEndpoint.java:565)
     at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.ThreadPool$ControlRunnable.run(ThreadPool.java:619)
     at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:536)
Apache Tomcat/4.1.24
Here is the code: Pdb_Add.jsp
<%@ include file="authenticate.jsp" %>
<%@ page import="java.sql.*" %>
<%
String connectionURL = "jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/xxxxx?user=****&password=***";
Connection connection = null;
Statement statement = null;
ResultSet rs = null;
%>
<html>
<head>
<title>Project Portal Confirm New Project</title>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<link href="style.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="xtree.css">
<script src="xtree.js"></script>
</head>
<body topmargin="0" leftmargin="0" rightmargin="0" bottommargin="0">
<table bgcolor="#ffffff" width="761" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
  <tr>
    <td height="337" valign="top">
     <table width="761" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
      <tr>
        <td height="11" valign="top"><IMG height=1 src="images/spacer.gif" width=1></td></tr>
      <tr>
        <td height="291" valign="top">
          <table width="761" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
               <tr>
                    <td width="10"><IMG height=1 src="images/spacer.gif" width=1></td>
                    <td width="399" valign="top">
                    <table width="399" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
                    <TBODY>
                         <tr><!--IMAGE SQUARE ONE: TOP -->
                              <td height="300" background="images/BB7250.jpg"><IMG height=1 src="images/spacer.gif" width="100%"></td>
                         </tr>
                         <tr>
                              <td height="0" valign="top">
                                   <table width="300" height="200" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
                                   </tr>
                                   </table>
                              </td>
                         </tr>
                    <tr></tr>
     </table>
     </td>
                  <td width="340" valign="top">
                    <table width="340" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
                    <tr>
                  <td height="91" valign="top">
                      <table width="340" height="88" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
                      <tr>
                        <td width="3"><IMG height=1 src="images/spacer.gif" width=1></td>
                        <td width="167" valign="top" background="images/S1.gif">
                                   <table width="167" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
                                        <tr>
                                             <td width="80"> </td>
                                             <td width="86" valign="top" class="text2" style="PADDING-TOP: 24px"></td>
                                        </tr>
                                   </table>
                              </td>
                              <td width="3"><IMG height=1 src="images/spacer.gif" width=1></td>
                        <td width="167" valign="top" background="images/V.gif">
                                   <table width="167" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
                                        <tr>
                                             <td width="70"> </td>
                                             <td width="95" valign="top" class="text2" style="PADDING-TOP: 23px"></td>
                                        </tr>
                                   </table>
                              </td>
                      </tr>
                 </table>
                     </td>
               </tr>
                  <tr>
                  <td height="88" valign="top">
                      <table width="340" height="88" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
                      <tr>
                        <td width="3"><IMG height=50 src="images/spacer.gif" width=1></td>
                        <td width="77" valign="top" background="images/and.gif">
                                   <table width="167" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
                                      <tr>
                                         <td width="80"> </td>
                                          <td width="86" valign="top" class="text2" style="PADDING-TOP: 21px"></td>
                                        </tr>
                                   </table>
                              </td>
                              <td width="3"><IMG height=1 src="images/spacer.gif" width=1></td>
                        <td width="167" valign="top" background="images/V.gif">
                                   <table width="167" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
                                        <tr>
                                        <td width="77"> </td>
                                        <td width="90" valign="top" class="text2" style="PADDING-TOP: 21px"></td>
                                        </tr>
                                   </table>
                              </td>
                     </tr>
                  </table>
                      </td>
               </tr>
                  <tr>
                  <td valign="top" style="PADDING-LEFT: 4px">
                      <table width="336" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
                      <tr>
                        <td width="300" height="4" valign="top" background="images/spacer.gif">
                             </td>
                      </tr>
                           <tr>
                        <td width="300" height="116" valign="top" background="images/portalspiral.jpg">
                             </td>
                      </tr>
                  </table>
                      </td>
               </tr>
            </table></td>
            <td><IMG height=1 src="images/spac" width=1></td>
          </tr>
        </table></td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td valign="top">
          <table width="761" height="35" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
          <tr>
            <td width="10" valign="top"> </td>
            <td width="517" valign="top">
               <table width="517" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
              <tr>
                <td valign="top">
                    <table width="517" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
                  <tr>
                    <td height="3" bgcolor="#000000">
                         <IMG height=1 src="images/spacer.gif" width=1></td>
                  </tr>
                  <tr>
                    <td valign="top">
                         <table width="250" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1">
                        <tr>
                          <td width="75" valign="top">
                                   <A href="PIndex.html"><IMG height=31 src="images/but2.gif" width=99 border=0></A></td>
                          <td width="80" valign="top" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 1px">
                                   <A href="ProjectPortal_Add.html"><IMG height=31 src="images/but3.gif" width=104 border=0></A></td>
                          <td width="100" valign="top" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 6px">
                                   <A href="index-2.html"><IMG height=31 src="images/but4.gif" width=104 border=0></A></td>
                          <td width="100" valign="top">
                                   <A href="PDir.html"><IMG id=IMG1 height=31 src="images/but5.gif" width=134 border=0 ></A></td>
                          <td width="75" valign="top">
                                   <A href="index-4.html"><IMG height=31 src="images/but6.gif" width=99 border=0></A></td>
                        </tr>
                    </table></td>
                  </tr>
                </table></td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                <td height="1" bgcolor="#e3e3e3">
                    <IMG height=1 src="images/spacer.gif" width=1></td>
              </tr>
            </table></td>
            <td width="150" valign="top">
               <table width="150" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
              <tr>
                <td height="3" bgcolor="#000000"><IMG height=1 src="images/spacer.gif" width=1></td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                <td height="1"><IMG height=1 src="images/spacer.gif" width=1></td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                <td height="31" valign="top">
                    <table width="150" height="31" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" background="images/spacer.gif" bgcolor="#ffffff">
                  <tr>
                    <td width="80" valign="top" style="PADDING-TOP: 7px"><IMG height=25 src="images/spacer.gif" width=56></td>
                    <td width="100" valign="top" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-TOP: 8px"
                           ><input name="textfield" class="form" ></td>
                    <td valign="top" style="PADDING-TOP: 5px">
                         <A href="#"><IMG height=21 src="images/minis.gif" width=20 border=0></A></td>
                  </tr>
                </table></td>
              </tr><tr>
                   <td height="1" bgcolor="#e3e3e3"><IMG height=1 src="images/spacer.gif" width=1></td>
                  </tr>
            </table></td>
            <td><IMG height=1 src="images/spacer.gif" width=1></td>
          </tr>
        </table></td>
      </tr>
    </table></TD></TR>
  <tr>
    <td height="362" valign="top">
     <table width="761" height="362" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
      <tr>
        <td width="218" valign="top">
          <table width="218" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
          <tr>
            <td width="12" valign="top">
                <IMG height=1 src="images/spacer.gif" width=1></td>
            <td width="218" valign="top">
          <table width="218" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="WIDTH: 218px; HEIGHT: 472px">
          <tr>
            <td width="12" valign="top"><IMG height=1 src="images/spacer.gif" width=1></td>
            <td width="205" valign="top">
            <IMG alt="" src="file://C:\Documents and Settings\atavakkolie\Desktop\Project Portal\images\PDir.gif"
                  id=IMG1
                 >
                  <DIV id=DIV1
                  style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 15px; LEFT: 5px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5px; OVERFLOW: auto; WIDTH: 200px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; POSITION: relative; TOP: 10px; HEIGHT: 100%"><!-- js file containing the tree content, edit this file to alter the menu,
                    the menu will be inserted where this tag is located in the document -->
                  <SCRIPT src="tree.js"></SCRIPT>
                  </DIV></td>
                 <td>
                    </td>
          </tr>
        </table></td>
          </tr>
        </table></td>
        <td width="1" valign="top"><table width="1" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
          <tr>
            <td height="2"><IMG height=1 src="images/spacer.gif" width=1></td>
          </tr>
          <tr>
            <td height="920" bgcolor="#e3e3e3"><IMG height=1 src="images/spacer.gif" width=1></td>
          </tr>
          <tr>
            <td height="2"><IMG height=1 src="images/spacer.gif" width=1></td>
          </tr>
        </table></td>
        <td width="542" valign="top">
          <table width="542" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
          <tr>
            <td width="530" valign="top">
               <table width="530" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
              <tr>
                <td valign="top">
                    <table width="530" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
                  <tr>
                    <td height="41" valign="top" style="PADDING-TOP: 6px"><IMG id=IMG1
                              style="LEFT: 409px; TOP: 552px" height
                              =44 src="images/Addp.gif" width=207></td>
                  </tr><!-- Form starts here-->
                  <tr>
                    <td valign="top"
                            >
                         <table width="530" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
                      <tr>
                        <td class="text" style="PADDING-LEFT: 18px">
                                  <!-- ***** START EDITABLE REGION  -->
<%
Class.forName("com.mysql.jdbc.Driver").newInstance();
connection = DriverManager.getConnection(connectionURL, "", "");
statement = connection.createStatement();
String name = request.getParameter("name");
String email = request.getParameter("email");
String pname = request.getParameter("pname");
String pmanager = request.getParameter("pmanager");
String svvpp = request.getParameter("svvpp");
String pdphase = request.getParameter("pdphase");
String pdptarget = request.getParameter("pdptarget");
String etimecode = request.getParameter("etimecode");
if( request.getParameter("name").equals("") || request.getParameter("email").equals("") || request.getParameter("pname").equals("")
|| request.getParameter("pmanager").equals("") || request.getParameter("svvpp").equals("") || request.getParameter("pdphase").equals("")
|| request.getParameter("pdptarget").equals("") || request.getParameter("etimecode").equals(""))
out.println("<b>ERROR:</b> All fields were not filled out. Please go back and try again.");
else
try
  int retval = statement.executeUpdate("INSERT INTO project VALUES('" + name + "," + email + "," + pmanager + "," +  svvpp + "," + pname + "," + pdphase + "," + pdptarget + "," + etimecode + "')");
  out.println("<b>SUCCESS:</b> Your changes have been successfully written to the database.");
  session.putValue("entry", "<b>" + pname + " (Add Project)</b>: added user with email: " + email + ", pmanager: " + pmanager + ", svvpp: " + svvpp + ", pdphase: " + pdphase + ", pdptarget: " + pdptarget + ", etimecode: " + etimecode);
  %>
  <jsp:include page="log.jsp" />
  </jsp:include>
  <%
  catch (SQLException e)
   if (e.getErrorCode() == 1062)
   { out.println("<p><b>ERROR:</b> There is something wrong. Please go back and try again.</p>");
   else
    out.println("<p><b>ERROR:</b> Unexpected error <b>" + e.getErrorCode() + "</b> occurred.</p>");
    out.println("<p>" + e + "</p>");
%>
                    </td>
                     </tr>
                    </table>
                        </td>
                  </tr>
                </table></td>
              </tr>
            </table></td>
            <td width="12"> </td>
          </tr>
        </table></td>
      </tr>
    </table></td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td height="71" valign="top"><table width="761" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
      <tr>
        <td valign="top"><table width="761" height="25" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
          <tr>
            <td width="13">
               <IMG height=1 src="images/spacer.gif" width=1></td>
            <td width="738" align="middle" background="images/back_4.gif" bgcolor="#808080" class="links">
               <A class=links href="index.html"><strong> Home page</strong></A> 
               |  <A class=links href="index-1.html"><strong>About us</strong></A> 
               |  <A class=links href="index-2.html"><strong>Search</strong></A> 
               | <A class=links href="index-3.html"><strong> Contact</strong></A> 
               |  <A class=links href="#"><strong>SV&V Links</strong></A> 
               |  <A class=links href="index-4.html"><strong>Help</strong></A> 
               |  <A class=links href="#"><strong>Site map</strong></A> 
               |  <A class=links href="#"><strong>Links</strong></A></td>
            <td width="10">
               <IMG height=1 src="images/spacer.gif" width=1></td>
          </tr>
        </table></td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td height="18" valign="top"><IMG height=1 src="images/spacer.gif" width=1></td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td align="middle" valign="top" class="copy">
          <A class=copy style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="index-5.html" >Copyright 2004-2005 � SV&V Project Portal. All rights reserved.</A></td>
      </tr>
    </table></td>
  </tr></TBODY></TABLE></TABLE>
</body>
<script>
function addNode() {
     if (tree.getSelected()) {
          tree.getSelected().add(new WebFXTreeItem('New'));
function addNodes() {
     if (tree.getSelected()) {
          var foo = tree.getSelected().add(new WebFXTreeItem('New'));
          var bar = foo.add(new WebFXTreeItem('Sub 1'));
function delNode() {
     if (tree.getSelected()) {
          tree.getSelected().remove();
</script>
</html>

Answer 1

request.getParameter("name").equals("")You are using this in your 'if' statement. But if a parameter by the name "name" is not found, it would return a null reference and calling equals() would call a NullPointerException.
I observed that you are already assigning those parameters to Strings. You should add null checking for each of them. :)