title: url.openstream() or urlconnection.getinputstream() raise nullpointerexception on valid URL
body: <p>For an android application I am trying to change an URL of an XML because of a new server, but the content is the same.
  I used to do this:</p>
  
  <pre><code>InputSource ins = new InputSource(rssUrl.openStream());
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>This used to work and for a few days still does, while the old URL is available on on the old server. But when i change the URL of the XML I get an NullPointerException on the row above.</p>
  
  <p>I am sure rssUrl is not null, I printed the value of it an is just the working URL. I validated the XMl and the XML is valid, but this doesn't really matter because the problem is raised before the parsing starts.</p>
  
  <p>One of the things I tried was something like this:</p>
  
  <pre><code>Urlconnection urlConnection= rssUrl.openurlconnection();
  InputStream in = new BufferedInputStream(urlConnection.getInputStream());
  inputsource ins = new inputsource(in);
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>but this raised an nullpointerexception as well.</p>
  
  <p>I read some things <a href="https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/google-appengine/Scg13DQoFxw/Zxe8m_zBy0wJ" rel="nofollow noreferrer">about downgrading my Java to 6</a> (currently i am using 7). But i don't really feel like it and can't imagine why it would work.</p>
  
  <p><strong>edit:</strong>
  I tried downgrading to java se 6 but didn't work.</p>
  
  <p>Does anyone know how this error is possible and how to resolve it?</p>
  
  <p>stack:</p>
  
  <pre><code>12-28 22:14:53.635: W/System.err(6949): java.lang.NullPointerException
  12-28 22:14:53.725: W/System.err(6949):     at libcore.net.http.HttpConnection$Address.hashCode(HttpConnection.java:343)
  12-28 22:14:53.725: W/System.err(6949):     at java.util.HashMap.get(HashMap.java:298)
  12-28 22:14:53.725: W/System.err(6949):     at libcore.net.http.HttpConnectionPool.get(HttpConnectionPool.java:67)
  12-28 22:14:53.725: W/System.err(6949):     at libcore.net.http.HttpConnection.connect(HttpConnection.java:128)
  12-28 22:14:53.725: W/System.err(6949):     at libcore.net.http.HttpEngine.openSocketConnection(HttpEngine.java:308)
  12-28 22:14:53.725: W/System.err(6949):     at libcore.net.http.HttpEngine.connect(HttpEngine.java:303)
  12-28 22:14:53.735: W/System.err(6949):     at libcore.net.http.HttpEngine.sendSocketRequest(HttpEngine.java:282)
  12-28 22:14:53.735: W/System.err(6949):     at libcore.net.http.HttpEngine.sendRequest(HttpEngine.java:232)
  12-28 22:14:53.735: W/System.err(6949):     at libcore.net.http.HttpURLConnectionImpl.getResponse(HttpURLConnectionImpl.java:273)
  12-28 22:14:53.735: W/System.err(6949):     at libcore.net.http.HttpURLConnectionImpl.getInputStream(HttpURLConnectionImpl.java:168)
  12-28 22:14:53.735: W/System.err(6949):     at java.net.URL.openStream(URL.java:462)
  12-28 22:14:53.735: W/System.err(6949):     at com.hera.ontdekdelft.StartUp$LoadData.doInBackground(StartUp.java:610)
  12-28 22:14:53.735: W/System.err(6949):     at com.hera.ontdekdelft.StartUp$LoadData.doInBackground(StartUp.java:1)
  12-28 22:14:53.735: W/System.err(6949):     at android.os.AsyncTask$2.call(AsyncTask.java:264)
  12-28 22:14:53.735: W/System.err(6949):     at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask$Sync.innerRun(FutureTask.java:305)
  12-28 22:14:53.735: W/System.err(6949):     at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:137)
  12-28 22:14:53.735: W/System.err(6949):     at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1076)
  12-28 22:14:53.735: W/System.err(6949):     at j.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:569)
  12-28 22:14:53.735: W/System.err(6949):     at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:856)
  ava.util
  </code></pre>
  
  <p><strong>Solution</strong></p>
  
  <p>Underscores in the URL caused android to fail. My solution was editing the url of the XML file so rssUrl.openstream() would work again. problem solved, thanks to <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/users/2358786/kiruwka">Kiruwka</a></p>