Getting Java.Lang.NullPointerException

Question

Hi,
I am getting java.lang.NullPointerException when calling the 'validate' method. Appreciate any help.
Thanks
import com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.Provider;
import java.io.*;
import java.net.URL;
import java.net.URLEncoder;
import java.security.Security;
import java.text.DateFormat;
public class PSCASClient{
public static String validate(String fullUrl, String ticket, String altVal) throws IOException {
String validateURL = null;
if (altVal.equals("N")) {
validateURL = "https://login.uconn.edu/cas/validate";
else
validateURL = "https://login.uconn.edu/cas/validate";
try
Security.addProvider(new Provider());
System.setProperty("java.protocol.handler.pkgs", "com.sun.net.ssl.internal.www.protocol");
int ticketParamIndex = fullUrl.lastIndexOf("&ticket=");
String service = null;
if (ticketParamIndex != -1) {
// service = URLEncoder.encode(fullUrl.substring(0, ticketParamIndex)); /* This method is deprecated - JA */
service = URLEncoder.encode(fullUrl.substring(0, ticketParamIndex), service);
else {
// service = URLEncoder.encode(fullUrl); /* This method is deprecated - JA */
service = URLEncoder.encode(fullUrl, service);
URL u = new URL(validateURL + "?ticket=" + ticket + "&service=" + service);
BufferedReader in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(u.openStream()));
if (in == null) {
return null;
String line1 = in.readLine();
String line2 = in.readLine();
if (line1 != null && line2 != null && line1.equals("yes"))
String user = line2;
user = user.toUpperCase();
return user;
else {
return null;
catch(Exception e)
logMessage("ERROR: Exception attempting validate: " + e);
return null;
public static void logMessage(String message){
SimpleDateFormat formatter = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss ");
Date now = new Date();
try
BufferedWriter os = new BufferedWriter(new FileWriter("/tmp/pscas_signon_log.txt", true));
os.write(formatter.format(now));
os.write(message);
os.write("\n");
os.close();
catch(IOException _ex) { }

Answer 1

Hi,
I am getting java.lang.NullPointerException when
calling the 'validate' method. Appreciate any help.
Thanks
import com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.Provider;
import java.io.*;
import java.net.URL;
import java.net.URLEncoder;
import java.security.Security;
import java.text.DateFormat;
public class PSCASClient{
public static String validate(String fullUrl, String
ticket, String altVal) throws IOException {
String validateURL = null;
if (altVal.equals("N")) {
validateURL = "https://login.uconn.edu/cas/validate";
else
validateURL = "https://login.uconn.edu/cas/validate";
try
Security.addProvider(new Provider());
System.setProperty("java.protocol.handler.pkgs",
"com.sun.net.ssl.internal.www.protocol");
int ticketParamIndex =
fullUrl.lastIndexOf("&ticket=");
String service = null;
if (ticketParamIndex != -1) {
// service = URLEncoder.encode(fullUrl.substring(0,
ticketParamIndex)); /* This method is deprecated - JA
service = URLEncoder.encode(fullUrl.substring(0,
ticketParamIndex), service);
else {
// service = URLEncoder.encode(fullUrl); /* This
method is deprecated - JA */
service = URLEncoder.encode(fullUrl, service);
URL u = new URL(validateURL + "?ticket=" + ticket +
"&service=" + service);
BufferedReader in = new BufferedReader(new
InputStreamReader(u.openStream()));
if (in == null) {
return null;
String line1 = in.readLine();
String line2 = in.readLine();
if (line1 != null && line2 != null &&
line1.equals("yes"))
String user = line2;
user = user.toUpperCase();
return user;
else {
return null;
catch(Exception e)
logMessage("ERROR: Exception attempting validate: " +
e);
return null;
public static void logMessage(String message){
SimpleDateFormat formatter = new
SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss ");
Date now = new Date();
try
BufferedWriter os = new BufferedWriter(new
FileWriter("/tmp/pscas_signon_log.txt", true));
os.write(formatter.format(now));
os.write(message);
os.write("\n");
os.close();
catch(IOException _ex) { }
}I am using the package jsse.jar. The following lines may be causing the error.
try
Security.addProvider(new Provider());
System.setProperty("java.protocol.handler.pkgs", "com.sun.net.ssl.internal.www.protocol");
int ticketParamIndex = fullUrl.lastIndexOf("&ticket=");
String service = null;
if (ticketParamIndex != -1) {
// service = URLEncoder.encode(fullUrl.substring(0, ticketParamIndex)); /* This method is deprecated - JA */
service = URLEncoder.encode(fullUrl.substring(0, ticketParamIndex), service);
else {
// service = URLEncoder.encode(fullUrl); /* This method is deprecated - JA */
service = URLEncoder.encode(fullUrl, service);
URL u = new URL(validateURL + "?ticket=" + ticket + "&service=" + service);