Comment 1 Fernando Boaglio 2016-08-26 08:56:26 EDT

I would like to have an option in equals generation to consider empty Lists or Hashs the same thing as null lists/hashs. 

Equals example (for a "tags" List) today:

if (tags == null) {
 if (other.tags != null) { return false; }
} else if (!tags.equals(other.tags)) { return false; }

Equals example (for a "tags" List) with consider [empty list] == [null list] option enabled:

if ( (other.tags == null || other.tags.size() == 0) && (tags == null || tags.size() == 0)) {
return true;
} else if (tags == null || tags.size() == 0) {
if (other.tags != null || other.tags.size() > 0) { return false; }
} else if (!tags.equals(other.tags)) { return false; }


Thank you.

Comment 2 Stephan Herrmann 2016-08-26 11:39:03 EDT

I personally am not sure, that's a coding style that JDT wants to actively support. Wouldn't consistently using empty lists instead of null make for much simpler and safer code?

Comment 3 Fernando Boaglio 2016-08-26 15:37:47 EDT

You are right, but these objects come from ReST services and sometimes they are null or empty.
From the business point of view, it is the same thing; that´s why I ask for this feature.