How to express 'null' value from web service as real null or empty string instead of 'null' string

Question

In my application, I am using JSF and Java Web Services. When any of my web-service functions return a null value, it is always expressed as a "null" string. As a consequence, I cannot use EL expressions like #{empty object} to test for null values or empty strings.

I'd like to ask if there's a way to configure such that Java Web Services will return null value as an empty string OR JSF/EL can understand "null" string as null value.

`#{empty object.stringProperty}` will return `true` when `stringProperty is either `null` or `empty`. — rdcrng, Aug 15 '13 at 13:59
Duplicate of http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2203322/hinputtext-return-a-empty-string-instead-of-null — Shamim Ahmmed, Aug 15 '13 at 14:00
@rdcrng: not if `stringProperty` is `"null"` as in OP's case. — BalusC, Aug 15 '13 at 14:00
This is strange. If the webservice call is truly return "null" as in nothing, JAX-B (you *are* using a JAX-B based ws?) will simply omit the tag/member on the response object. Do you have `required="false", nillable="true"` on the field that's supposed to be null? — kolossus, Aug 16 '13 at 13:42

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Aug 20 '13 at 07:24

if you,

using SOAP, you must remember that the SOAP message is an XML, so you can return an empty String as null or empty object
using HTTP or REST, you must remember that the HTTP using type of String to serialize the object and informations

So you have choose:

right serialization of return objects. If you using SOAP, remember Base64 encoding.
right output value for errors. You can serialize directly the exceptions or your custom message codes.

I hope to help you.

How to express 'null' value from web service as real null or empty string instead of 'null' string

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