Null pointer exception to fetch custom settings data

Question

I have below code where I face null pointer exception when the custom settings data is not populated. I simply need to ignore if it's null rather than getting an exception in this trigger code.

Can someone suggest a way out?

Apex Code:

 Abbvie_Custom_Settings__c settings = Abbvie_Custom_Settings__c.getInstance('Main');
  String  AllowedProfiles= settings.Allowed_Profiles_abv__c;

string[] part;
String profile='';
part = AllowedProfiles.split(',');    // This line throws null pointer exception

Answer 1

Simply do the Null check before performing split operation

Abbvie_Custom_Settings__c settings = Abbvie_Custom_Settings__c.getInstance('Main');

if(settings != null)
{
    String  AllowedProfiles= settings.Allowed_Profiles_abv__c;

    String[] part;
    String profile='';
    if(AllowedProfiles !=null)
    {
        part = AllowedProfiles.split(',');
    }
}

Answer 2

Easy way to do this would be to use ternary operators:

Abbvie_Custom_Settings__c settings = Abbvie_Custom_Settings__c.getInstance('Main');

String[] part = settings == null || string.isBlank(settings.Allowed_Profiles_abv__c) ? 
                    New String[]{} : 
                    settings.Allowed_Profiles_abv__c.split(',');

Basically the ? is the true part and the : is the false part.

If the settings.Allowed_Profiles_abv__c is blank or null it will simply return a new List<String> otherwise it will split it as needed

Or to keep all your code exactly (adding the ternary to the String instantiation) you could do this

Abbvie_Custom_Settings__c settings = Abbvie_Custom_Settings__c.getInstance('Main');
String  AllowedProfiles= settings == null || settings.Allowed_Profiles_abv__c == null ? '' : settings.Allowed_Profiles_abv__c;

string[] part;
String profile='';
part = AllowedProfiles.split(',');