Trouble w unit test code

Question

this code compiles fine, but my unit tests starting with the lines
public static class AllTests extends TestCase {
are failing with a null pointer exception. i was advised that
'>
The testCreateAccount is failing because you're using a local variable,newAccount,
in the setUp method(), which has the same name as the class instance variable,newAccount.
Since the testCreateAccount uses the class instance variable, it is null.
protected void setUp() {
anAccountServiceImpl = new AccountServiceImpl();
AccountEntryStruct newAccount = new AccountEntryStruct();'-so i changed all instances of newAccount to newAccount2 in my unit tests (you
will see towards
the bottom of my code). it looks like the testCreateAccount method is still
using a
null value. i'm not sure if i'm following the advice correctly...
code is below:
// AccountServiceImpl.java: The AccountService Implementation
package com.kafein.accountServices;
import java.util.Hashtable;
import java.util.Calendar;
import java.util.GregorianCalendar;
import junit.framework.TestCase;
import junit.framework.Test;
import junit.framework.TestSuite;
import org.omg.PortableServer.*;
import com.kafein.idl.accountServices.AccountServicePOA;
import com.kafein.idl.accountServices.AccountEntryStruct;
import com.kafein.idl.accountServices.AccountStruct;
import com.kafein.idl.utilities.DateTimeStruct;
import com.kafein.idl.exceptions.NotFoundException;
import com.kafein.idl.exceptions.DataValidationException;
import com.kafein.idl.errorCodes.DataValidationErrorCodes;
import com.kafein.utils.ServiceHandler;
import com.kafein.utils.Log;
public class AccountServiceImpl extends AccountServicePOA {
POA poa;
private Hashtable accounts = new Hashtable(); // collection of Accounts
private static int nextAccountID = 1; // global account ID
* Construct an instance.
public AccountServiceImpl(POA aPOA) {
super();
poa = aPOA;
* Overloaded constructor for unit tests.
protected AccountServiceImpl() {
poa = null;
* createAccount is used by administrator to add a new Account
* in the system.
* @param newAccount AccountEntryStruct containing data for new account
* @return int the new unique Account ID
* @exception com.kafein.idl.exceptions.DataValidationException
public int createAccount(AccountEntryStruct newAccount) throws
DataValidationException {
validateData (newAccount); // throws DataValidationException;
int accountID = getNextID();
// Create new Account.
Account anAccount = new Account(accountID,
newAccount.userName,
newAccount.userEmail,
newAccount.creditCardType,
newAccount.creditCardNumber,
newAccount.creditCardExpirationDate.year,
newAccount.creditCardExpirationDate.month,
newAccount.userPassword,
newAccount.initialBalance);
accounts.put(accountID,anAccount);
return accountID;
* isAccountValid is used to validate a user logon.
* @param accountID AccountID
* @param userPassword String
* @return boolean true to indicate an existing Account
public boolean isValidAccount (int accountID, String userPassword) {
// Get account with key equal to accountID.
AccountStruct anAccount;
try {
anAccount = (AccountStruct) getAccount (accountID);
catch (NotFoundException e) {
return false;
// Verify password.
return (anAccount.userPassword.equals(userPassword) ? true : false);
* getAccount is used to retrieve an existing Account in the system
* @param int AccountID
* @return AccountStruct containing data for the existing Account
* @exception com.kafein.idl.exceptions.NotFoundException
public AccountStruct getAccount(int accountID)throws
NotFoundException {
// Verify that accountID is within an appropriate interval.
if (accountID < 1 || accountID > accounts.size()) {
throw new NotFoundException(DataValidationErrorCodes.INVALID_ACCOUNT_ID,
"Account ID not found");
// Get Account and convert to AccountStruct (which is returned).
Account anAccount = (Account) accounts.get(accountID);
return anAccount.getAccountStruct();
* getAllAccounts is used to retrieve all existing Accounts in the system
* @return AccountStruct[] containing all existing Accounts.
* @fyi returns an empty sequence if no Accounts exist
public AccountStruct[] getAllAccounts() {
// Allocate the array of AccountStructs.
int lastKey = accounts.size();
AccountStruct[] accountSequence = new AccountStruct[lastKey];
if (lastKey==0) {
return accountSequence;
// DAR:Sort accounts by accountID (int).
// Create AccountStructs from Accounts.
for (int i = 1; i <= lastKey; i++) {
Account anAccount = (Account) accounts.get(i);
accountSequence[i-1] = anAccount.getAccountStruct();
return accountSequence;
* validateData is used to check new account data.
* @param newAccount AccountEntryStruct containing data for new account
* @exception com.kafein.idl.exceptions.DataValidationException
protected void validateData(AccountEntryStruct newAccount) throws
DataValidationException {
// Check all of the member data in newAccount.
if (newAccount.userName.equals("")) {
throw new DataValidationException(
DataValidationErrorCodes.INVALID_USER_NAME,
"User Name must not be empty");
if (newAccount.userEmail.equals("")) {
throw new DataValidationException(
DataValidationErrorCodes.INVALID_USER_EMAIL,
"User Email must not be empty");
if (newAccount.creditCardType.equals("")) {
throw new DataValidationException(
DataValidationErrorCodes.INVALID_CREDIT_CARD_TYPE,
"Credit card type must not be empty");
if (newAccount.creditCardNumber.equals("")) {
throw new DataValidationException(
DataValidationErrorCodes.INVALID_CREDIT_CARD_NUMBER,
"Credit card number must not be empty");
// Compare creditCardExpirationDate to current date
// (we only consider year and month).
GregorianCalendar now = new GregorianCalendar();
DateTimeStruct proposed = newAccount.creditCardExpirationDate;
if (proposed.year < now.get (Calendar.YEAR) ||
(proposed.year == now.get (Calendar.YEAR) &&
proposed.month < now.get (Calendar.MONTH) + 1)) {
throw new DataValidationException(
DataValidationErrorCodes.INVALID_CREDIT_CARD_EXPIRATION_DATE,
"Credit card has expired");
if (newAccount.userPassword.equals("")) {
throw new DataValidationException(
DataValidationErrorCodes.INVALID_USER_PASSWORD,
"Password must not be empty");
else if
(!newAccount.userPassword.equals(newAccount.userPasswordVerification)) {
throw new DataValidationException(
DataValidationErrorCodes.INVALID_USER_PASSWORD,
"Password verification failure");
if (newAccount.initialBalance < 0.0F) {
throw new DataValidationException(
DataValidationErrorCodes.INVALID_BALANCE,
"Account Balance cannot have a negative balance");
* getNextID is used to generate a unique ID.
* Needs a much better implementation that generates a globally unique ID!
* @return int an Account ID
protected synchronized int getNextID() {
nextAccountID++;
return nextAccountID - 1;
* override defaultPOA to return this servant's POA, not Root POA
public POA defaultPOA() {
return poa;
* AllTests is used for unit testing the AccountServiceImpl Class. It
extends the
* JUnit testing framework's TestCase class.
* To execute in graphic mode:
* java junit.swingui.TestRunner
com.kafein.accountServices.AccountServiceImpl$AllTests
* To execute in text mode:
* java com.kafein.accountServices.AccountServiceImpl$AllTests
public static class AllTests extends TestCase {
private AccountServiceImpl anAccountServiceImpl;
private Hashtable accounts = new Hashtable();
private Account anAccount;
private AccountEntryStruct newAccount2;
public AllTests(String name) {
super(name);
protected void setUp() {
anAccountServiceImpl = new AccountServiceImpl();
AccountEntryStruct newAccount2 = new AccountEntryStruct();
newAccount2.userName = "testName";
newAccount2.userEmail = "test@email";
newAccount2.creditCardType = "testCreditCardType";
newAccount2.creditCardNumber = "0123456789";
newAccount2.creditCardExpirationDate = new DateTimeStruct();
newAccount2.creditCardExpirationDate.year = 2005;
newAccount2.creditCardExpirationDate.month = 6;
newAccount2.creditCardExpirationDate.day = -1; // not applicable data
newAccount2.creditCardExpirationDate.hour = -1;
newAccount2.creditCardExpirationDate.minute = -1;
newAccount2.userPassword = "kafein";
newAccount2.userPasswordVerification = "kafein";
newAccount2.initialBalance = 0.0F;
protected void tearDown() {
public static void main (String[] args) {
junit.textui.TestRunner.run(suite());
public static Test suite() {
return new TestSuite(AllTests.class);
public void testGetAllAccountsSizeZero() {
AccountStruct[] results =
anAccountServiceImpl.getAllAccounts();
assertTrue(results != null);
assertTrue(results.length == 0);
public void testCreateAccount() {
try {
int testAccountID = anAccountServiceImpl.createAccount(newAccount2);
//fail(); // shouldn't get here
assertTrue(testAccountID == 1);
AccountStruct[] results = anAccountServiceImpl.getAllAccounts();
assertTrue(results[0].userName.equals("testName"));
assertTrue(anAccountServiceImpl.isValidAccount(1, "kafein"));
} catch(DataValidationException e) {
public void testGetAllAccounts() {
AccountStruct[] results = anAccountServiceImpl.getAllAccounts();
assertTrue(results[0].userName.equals("testName"));
public void testIsValidAccount() {
assertTrue(anAccountServiceImpl.isValidAccount(1, "kafein"));
}

Answer 1

thanks again all
my code now looks like
        public static class AllTests extends TestCase {
          private AccountServiceImpl anAccountServiceImpl;
          private Hashtable accounts = new Hashtable();
          private Account anAccount;
          private AccountEntryStruct newAccount2;
          public AllTests(String name) {
                        super(name);
                protected void setUp() {
          anAccountServiceImpl = new AccountServiceImpl();
          newAccount2 = new AccountEntryStruct();
          newAccount2.userName = "testName";
                newAccount2.userEmail = "test@email";
                newAccount2.creditCardType = "testCreditCardType";
               newAccount2.creditCardNumber = "0123456789";
                newAccount2.creditCardExpirationDate = new DateTimeStruct();
                newAccount2.creditCardExpirationDate.year = 2005;
                newAccount2.creditCardExpirationDate.month = 6;
                newAccount2.creditCardExpirationDate.day = -1; // not applicable data
                newAccount2.creditCardExpirationDate.hour = -1;
                newAccount2.creditCardExpirationDate.minute = -1;
                newAccount2.userPassword = "kafein";
                newAccount2.userPasswordVerification = "kafein";
                newAccount2.initialBalance = 0.0F;
                protected void tearDown() {
                public static void main (String[] args) {
                        junit.textui.TestRunner.run(suite());
                public static Test suite() {
                        return new TestSuite(AllTests.class);
          public void testGetAllAccountsSizeZero() {
                    AccountStruct[] results = anAccountServiceImpl.getAllAccounts();
                    assertTrue(results != null);
                    assertTrue(results.length == 0);
                public void testCreateAccount() {
                try {
          int testAccountID = anAccountServiceImpl.createAccount(newAccount2);
          assertTrue(testAccountID == 1);
          AccountStruct[] results = anAccountServiceImpl.getAllAccounts();
          assertTrue(results[0].userName.equals("testName"));
          assertTrue(anAccountServiceImpl.isValidAccount(1, "kafein"));
                  //fail(); // shouldn't get here
          } catch(DataValidationException e) {
                public void testGetAllAccounts() {
          AccountStruct[] results = anAccountServiceImpl.getAllAccounts();
          assertTrue(results[0].userName.equals("testName"));
                public void testIsValidAccount() {
          assertTrue(anAccountServiceImpl.isValidAccount(1, "kafein"));
}-it compiles cleanly. unit tests testGetAllAccounts() and testIsValidAccount() are failing still, however. i'm not sure how to initialize the struct outside of the setUp method and have the struct be available to methods outside of setUp()