title: if (str1 == null) when throws a NullPointerException
body: <p>In java, Does the following line have a possibility (even 0.01%) to throw a NullPointerException??</p>
  
  <pre><code>public static void handleRequest(String str1){
     if (str1 == null){  // this line throws NPE, how come !! is it a JDK1.5 bug!!
          return null;
     }
     // other staff
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Actually I am falling some bug in the code and It says that the <code>exact</code> above line in the method throws a java.lang.NullPointerException ?!</p>