StructArrayEncoder.string does not handle null values

[AbfrmBlr]

StructArrayEncoder.string thorws null pointer for a null value, where as StructEncoder behaves normally and does a null check to avoid NPE. Should the runnel api allow null values for string, or the user should only encode the field if it's non-null.

[lorban]

This is a good question: so far, runnel only allows primitive types (int, long, double...) in the encoding APIs, and non-primitives like String, Enm and ByteBuffer are null-checked.

We could change the API so that runnel would accept wrapper types (Integer, Long, Double) instead of primitives and perform the null checks internally. That would make the API a bit more fluent.

That needs to be pondered to make sure that wouldn't create ill effects, obviously.

[ChrisGreenaway]

I think the question is about two different string methods, not the difference between String and primitives.

StructArrayEncoder.string vs StructEncoder.string

[lorban]

@ChrisGreenaway it is; but when you think about it, it would make sense to avoid having to code null checks for all types, and not only strings. Don't you think?