Why does Java have NullPointerException instead of NullReferenceException? [duplicate]

This question already has answers here: Closed 12 years ago.

Possible Duplicates:

What is a Null Pointer 开发者_开发知识库Exception?

Java: Why aren't NullPointerExceptions called NullReferenceExceptions ?

Our of idle curiosity, does anyone know why the null reference exception in Java was called NullPointerException?

It seems counterintuitive that in a new language that officially has no pointers a choice would be made to use this name when using a null reference.

If anyone can point me to an authoritative explanation, that would be appreciated.

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The statement that Java "officially has no pointers" is simply false. Just because you can't do arithmetic on it doesn't mean it's not a pointer. C is not the final authority for programming terminology.

The only people who get hung up over it are either C/C++ fans who want to disparage Java for its lack of power over the bare metal, or (unlikely, nowadays) marketing people who want to sell Java as a simpler, safer alternative to managers who've had bad experiences with C development.

From the Java language specification:

The reference values (often just references) are pointers to these objects, and a special null reference, which refers to no object.