GetInitParameter in startup servlet throwing NullPointerException

Question

          I understand that if your Init Parameter contains nothing, getInitParameter will
          return null. Well, I'm checking for that, and I'm getting the NullPointerException
          while I'm trying to check for it?!?! Here's my code:
          excerpt from web.xml:
          <servlet>
          <servlet-name>startupServlet</servlet-name>
          <servlet-class>vw.action.startupServlet</servlet-class>
          <load-on-startup>1</load-on-startup>
          <init-param>
                    <param-name>applicationPath</param-name>
                    <param-value>hint_production</param-value>
                    <description>applicationPath</description>
          </init-param>
          </servlet>
          yes, I have a servlet mapping element
          code:
          public class startupServlet extends GenericServlet
          public void init( ServletConfig config ) throws ServletException {
               so("\n\t startupservlet 1 \n\t");
               try {
          // null is being thrown here, neither line below is output
               if ( getInitParameter( "applicationPath" ) == null )
               so(" null applicationPath initParameter ");
               else
               so(" applicationPath initParameter is NOT Null ");
          } catch ( NullPointerException npe ) {
               so( "\n\t setting blank path \n\t" );
               Constants.setPath( "" );
          public void service( ServletRequest req, ServletResponse res ) throws ServletException,
          java.io.IOException {
               public static void so( String output ) {
          System.out.println( output );
          

Answer 1

          I forgot to mention that I'm using WLS 6.1 (SP2)
          ps how 'bout that domain name? Marketing genius...
          "Brian Preston" <[email protected]> wrote:
          >
          >I understand that if your Init Parameter contains nothing, getInitParameter
          >will
          >return null. Well, I'm checking for that, and I'm getting the NullPointerException
          >while I'm trying to check for it?!?! Here's my code:
          >
          >excerpt from web.xml:
          >
          ><servlet>
          > <servlet-name>startupServlet</servlet-name>
          > <servlet-class>vw.action.startupServlet</servlet-class>
          > <load-on-startup>1</load-on-startup>
          > <init-param>
          >          <param-name>applicationPath</param-name>
          >          <param-value>hint_production</param-value>
          >          <description>applicationPath</description>
          > </init-param>
          > </servlet>
          >
          >yes, I have a servlet mapping element
          >
          >code:
          >
          >public class startupServlet extends GenericServlet
          >{
          > public void init( ServletConfig config ) throws ServletException
          >{
          >     so("\n\t startupservlet 1 \n\t");
          >     
          >     try {
          > // null is being thrown here, neither line below is output
          >     if ( getInitParameter( "applicationPath" ) == null )
          >     so(" null applicationPath initParameter ");
          >     else
          >     so(" applicationPath initParameter is NOT Null ");
          >
          >....
          >
          >} catch ( NullPointerException npe ) {
          >     so( "\n\t setting blank path \n\t" );
          >     Constants.setPath( "" );
          >     }
          >     }
          >
          > public void service( ServletRequest req, ServletResponse res ) throws
          >ServletException,
          >java.io.IOException {
          >
          > }
          >
          >     public static void so( String output ) {
          > System.out.println( output );
          > }
          >}