[java] NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method 'boolean java.lang.String.equalsIgnoreCase(java.lang.String)' on a null object reference

I am getting this error at runtime.

java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start activity ComponentInfo java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method 'boolean java.lang.String.equalsIgnoreCase(java.lang.String)' on a null object reference

StackTrace:

01-12 03:44:54.270: E/AndroidRuntime(1437): FATAL EXCEPTION: main
01-12 03:44:54.270: E/AndroidRuntime(1437): Process: home.saket, PID: 1437
01-12 03:44:54.270: E/AndroidRuntime(1437): java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start activity ComponentInfo{home.saket/home.saket.addmember.Add_Update_User}: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method 'boolean java.lang.String.equalsIgnoreCase(java.lang.String)' on a null object reference
01-12 03:44:54.270: E/AndroidRuntime(1437):     at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2298)
01-12 03:44:54.270: E/AndroidRuntime(1437):     at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2360)
01-12 03:44:54.270: E/AndroidRuntime(1437):     at android.app.ActivityThread.access$800(ActivityThread.java:144)
01-12 03:44:54.270: E/AndroidRuntime(1437):     at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1278)
01-12 03:44:54.270: E/AndroidRuntime(1437):     at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
01-12 03:44:54.270: E/AndroidRuntime(1437):     at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:135)
01-12 03:44:54.270: E/AndroidRuntime(1437):     at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5221)
01-12 03:44:54.270: E/AndroidRuntime(1437):     at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
01-12 03:44:54.270: E/AndroidRuntime(1437):     at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:372)
01-12 03:44:54.270: E/AndroidRuntime(1437):     at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:899)
01-12 03:44:54.270: E/AndroidRuntime(1437):     at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:694)
01-12 03:44:54.270: E/AndroidRuntime(1437): Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method 'boolean java.lang.String.equalsIgnoreCase(java.lang.String)' on a null object reference
01-12 03:44:54.270: E/AndroidRuntime(1437):     at home.saket.addmember.Add_Update_User.onCreate(Add_Update_User.java:38)
01-12 03:44:54.270: E/AndroidRuntime(1437):     at android.app.Activity.performCreate(Activity.java:5933)
01-12 03:44:54.270: E/AndroidRuntime(1437):     at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1105)
01-12 03:44:54.270: E/AndroidRuntime(1437):     at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2251)
01-12 03:44:54.270: E/AndroidRuntime(1437):     ... 10 more
01-12 03:44:54.272: W/ActivityManager(472):   Force finishing activity home.saket/.addmember.Add_Update_User
01-12 03:44:54.273: E/ActivityManager(472): Invalid thumbnail dimensions: 384x384

Below I am posted the codes and pointed out the error line.

Add_Update_User.java:

@Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    // TODO Auto-generated method stub
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.add_update_screen);

    // set screen
    Set_Add_Update_Screen();

    // set visibility of view as per calling activity
    String called_from = getIntent().getStringExtra("called");

    if (called_from.equalsIgnoreCase("add")) {  --->38th error line
        add_view.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
        update_view.setVisibility(View.GONE);
    } else {

        update_view.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
        add_view.setVisibility(View.GONE);
        USER_ID = Integer.parseInt(getIntent().getStringExtra("USER_ID"));

        Contact c = dbHandler.Get_Contact(USER_ID);  

        add_name.setText(c.getName());
        add_mobile.setText(c.getPhoneNumber());
        add_email.setText(c.getEmail());
        // dbHandler.close();
    }
    }

This is the error line:

if (called_from.equalsIgnoreCase("add")) {  --->38th error line

This means that called_from is null. Simple check if it is null above:

String called_from = getIntent().getStringExtra("called");

if(called_from == null) {
    called_from = "empty string";
}
if (called_from.equalsIgnoreCase("add")) {
    // do whatever
} else {
    // do whatever
}

That way, if called_from is null, it'll execute the else part of your if statement.

The exception occurs due to this statement,

called_from.equalsIgnoreCase("add")

It seem that the previous statement

String called_from = getIntent().getStringExtra("called");

returned a null reference.

You can check whether the intent to start this activity contains such a key "called".