{"record":{"id":"a7fdd868fff10cf1","repo":"flowable/flowable-engine","slug":"task-descriptionlike-is-null","errorCode":null,"errorMessage":"Task descriptionlike is null","messagePattern":"Task descriptionlike is null","errorType":"validation","errorClass":"FlowableIllegalArgumentException","httpStatus":null,"severity":"error","filePath":"modules/flowable-task-service/src/main/java/org/flowable/task/service/impl/TaskQueryImpl.java","lineNumber":365,"sourceCode":"\n    @Override\n    public TaskQueryImpl taskDescription(String description) {\n        if (description == null) {\n            throw new FlowableIllegalArgumentException(\"Description is null\");\n        }\n\n        if (orActive) {\n            currentOrQueryObject.description = description;\n        } else {\n            this.description = description;\n        }\n        return this;\n    }\n\n    @Override\n    public TaskQuery taskDescriptionLike(String descriptionLike) {\n        if (descriptionLike == null) {\n            throw new FlowableIllegalArgumentException(\"Task descriptionlike is null\");\n        }\n        if (orActive) {\n            currentOrQueryObject.descriptionLike = descriptionLike;\n        } else {\n            this.descriptionLike = descriptionLike;\n        }\n        return this;\n    }\n\n    @Override\n    public TaskQuery taskDescriptionLikeIgnoreCase(String descriptionLikeIgnoreCase) {\n        if (descriptionLikeIgnoreCase == null) {\n            throw new FlowableIllegalArgumentException(\"Task descriptionLikeIgnoreCase is null\");\n        }\n        if (orActive) {\n            currentOrQueryObject.descriptionLikeIgnoreCase = descriptionLikeIgnoreCase.toLowerCase();\n        } else {\n            this.descriptionLikeIgnoreCase = descriptionLikeIgnoreCase.toLowerCase();","sourceCodeStart":347,"sourceCodeEnd":383,"githubUrl":"https://github.com/flowable/flowable-engine/blob/d6d39ce1c69ff244f2d9dc6af756a9b95e865586/modules/flowable-task-service/src/main/java/org/flowable/task/service/impl/TaskQueryImpl.java#L347-L383","documentation":"TaskQuery.taskDescriptionLike() throws FlowableIllegalArgumentException when the like-pattern argument is null. Like filters require a pattern string (may contain % wildcards); null is rejected immediately so the generated SQL stays valid. Note the message uses the internal lowercase spelling 'descriptionlike'.","triggerScenarios":"Calling taskDescriptionLike(null), typically when the pattern is built from user input or a concatenated wildcard string whose base value was null.","commonSituations":"Building patterns like \"%\" + userInput + \"%\" where userInput is null; optional search fields forwarded unchecked; API clients omitting the descriptionLike query parameter.","solutions":["Guard the call: only invoke taskDescriptionLike when the pattern is non-null.","Build the pattern defensively: String p = input == null ? null : \"%\" + input + \"%\"; and skip if p == null.","Default the input to \"%\" to match all descriptions if that behavior is desired.","Catch FlowableIllegalArgumentException and return a client-side validation error."],"exampleFix":"// before\nquery.taskDescriptionLike(\"%\" + input + \"%\"); // throws when input is null\n// after\nif (input != null) {\n    query.taskDescriptionLike(\"%\" + input + \"%\");\n}","handlingStrategy":"validation","validationCode":"if (descriptionLike != null) {\n    query.taskDescriptionLike(descriptionLike);\n}","typeGuard":"boolean isLikePattern(String s) { return s != null && !s.isEmpty(); }","tryCatchPattern":"try {\n    query.taskDescriptionLike(pattern);\n} catch (FlowableIllegalArgumentException e) {\n    throw new BadRequestException(\"descriptionLike pattern required\", e);\n}","preventionTips":["Build LIKE patterns with null-safe helpers (StringUtils.defaultString, etc.).","Escape user-supplied % and _ before concatenating patterns.","Skip like-criteria when the base input is null instead of constructing \"%null%\".","Validate optional search parameters before query construction."],"tags":["flowable","task-query","null-argument","validation"],"backgroundTag":"null-argument","analyzedSha":"d6d39ce1c69ff244f2d9dc6af756a9b95e865586","analyzedAt":"2026-09-11T06:41:19.413Z","contentChangedAt":"2026-09-11T06:41:19.413Z","schemaVersion":2},"datasetVersion":"2026-09-18T11:17:12.947Z"}