[HTTPCORE-681] Inconsistent behavior between WWWFormCodec and URLEncodedUtils for null input

• Type: Bug
• Status: Resolved
• Priority: Trivial
• Resolution: Not A Problem
• Affects Version/s: 5.1
• Component/s: HttpCore
• Assignee: Unassigned
• Reporter: Siqi Li
• Created: 13/Jun/21 05:22
• Updated: 13/Jun/21 23:19
• Resolved: 13/Jun/21 23:19

Description

Simple code example:

public static void main(String[] args) {
	System.out.println(URLEncodedUtils.parse((String) null, StandardCharsets.UTF_8)); // []
	System.out.println(WWWFormCodec.parse((String) null, StandardCharsets.UTF_8)); // null
}

 
Basically when the input String is null, URLEncodedUtils.parse returns an empty list and WWWFormCodec.parse returns null. It's by no means a big deal, but it did catch me off guard, because I expected WWWFormCodec to be a drop-in replacement. If this was intended, then please disregard this issue.