When null isn't null or "" or ??

OK . . I first searched the forum for an answer and didn't find one. I did find something close, but it didn't change matters. Here's my problem, besides being new at this servlet stuff:

A page with a form that has two fields (name and age) get submitted with the submit button. I have code that looks like this:

String Name = null;
String Age = null;

Name = request.getParameter("Name");
Age = request.getParameter("Age");

etc.....

then I check to see if the fields had anything in them like this:

if ( Name == null && Age == null)
{
error handler . . .
}else{
do what I want . .
}


Problem here is if they don't enter a Name and Age it does "do what I want . . " when in fact it should do "error handler". WHY? Why isn't null not null in this case? The example I found said to init the Name and Age fields to "" then check the request.getParameter("Name") & request.getParameter("Age") for null first. Did that . . by init'ing the fields to "" they get instan'd, so you'd think something like:

if ( Name == "" && Age == "")
{
error handler . . .
}else{
do what I want . .
}

would trigger the error handler, right? Nope . . it doesn't. The only thing I've found to work so far is checking the field.length == 0. This works . . so, back to my question . . When is Null not Null but something entirely different? Any help, clue, link, article, psycho hotline number, ANYTHING would be much appreciated. Thanks

Rachel

Strings are objects, pointers, not primatives you have to say if(Name.equals("") && Age.equals(""))
{
error handler . . .
}else{
do what I want . .
}

Thanks! That was the ticket . . I'm going to read that chapter on ==, != again.

Rachel