How to verify if a string.split() returns null

Question

I am reading data from a file:

Some Name;1|IN03PLF;IN02SDI;IN03MAP;IN02SDA;IN01ARC
Some Other Name;2|IN01ALG;IN01ANZ
Another Name;3|
Test Testson;4|IN03MAP;IN01ARC;IN01ALG

I use string.split() for every line I read from that file, like this:

String args[]         = line.split("\\|");                  
String candidatArgs[] = args[0].split(";");

if (args[1] != "" || args[1] != null) { 

    String inscrieriString[] = args[1].split(";");

Thing is: when I reach Another Name;3| after .split("\\|") the second part (args[1]) should be empty, either null or "" (I don't really know).

However I get an Array index out of bounds error on if (args[1] != "" || args[1] != null) (again, at: Another Name;3|)

Answer 1

The args will only have one element in it.

if (args.length > 1) {
    String inscrieriString[] = args[1].split(";");
}

Answer 2

You need to check the length of your args array.

String.split() returns an array of length 1 for your third line, so that args[1] is out of bounds. You should also use String.isEmpty() instead of != "".

Most likely, you can even skip your additional checks - checking the array length should be sufficient:

if (args.length > 1) {
    String inscrieriString[] = args[1].split(";");
    ...
}

Answer 3

Check the length of args when splitting and only access the other index if the length allows it (if the args.length > 1).

In this case:

String line = "Another Name;3|"; //simplified for the example
line.split("\\|");

It will return this array:

{ "Another Name;3" }

Answer 4

try

String args[]         = line.split("\\|",2);                  
String candidatArgs[] = args[0].split(";");

if (args.length==2) 
    String inscrieriString[] = args[1].split(";");

Answer 5

args[1] isn't empty or null. It is out of bounds in the array.

System.out.println("Another Name;3|".split("\\|").length);

You would need to check the length of the array before using it.

Answer 6

I think you can test the length of args and it should return 1 or 2. If it's 1 you know that there's no args[1].