Url cannot be null error :(

Hey mates

the following code compiles but its giving me this error
"The url cannot be null"

and i dont know how to resolve it

all your comments are appreciated

import java.util.* ;
import java.io.* ;
import java.sql.* ;
 
public class Customer
{
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
Connection con ;
PreparedStatement pstmt ;
Statement stmt ;
ResultSet rs ;
 
// in a try block so that we can recover from errors
try
{
    // Load in Database properties from file
    Properties props = new Properties() ;
    FileInputStream in = new FileInputStream("Database.Properties") ;
    props.load(in) ;
    
    // load the JDBC driver
    String drivers = props.getProperty("jdbc.drivers") ;
    Class.forName(drivers) ;
    
    String database = props.getProperty("database.RHCShop") ;
 
    // Get a database connection
    con = DriverManager.getConnection(database) ;
    
    // Get a Statement object
    stmt=con.createStatement() ;
 
    // Execute a simple query
    rs = stmt.executeQuery("SELECT * FROM Customers") ;
    printResultSet(System.out, rs) ;
    rs.close() ;
 
    // Execute a simple insert
    int count = 0 ;
    count = stmt.executeUpdate("INSERT INTO Customers " +
       "(CustomerFirstName, CustomerLastName, CustomerAddress) " + 
       "VALUES ('Tony', 'Blair', '10 Downing Street, London')") ;
    System.out.println ("\nInserted " + count + " record(s) successfully\n") ;
 
    // Show the results
    rs = stmt.executeQuery("SELECT * FROM Customers") ;
    printResultSet(System.out, rs) ;
    rs.close() ;
    
    // Execute a simple delete
    count = stmt.executeUpdate("DELETE FROM Customers " +
       "WHERE CustomerFirstName = 'Tony' " + 
       "AND CustomerLastName = 'Blair'") ;
    System.out.println ("\nDeleted " + count + " record(s) successfully\n") ;
 
    // Show the results
    rs = stmt.executeQuery("SELECT * FROM Customers") ;
    printResultSet(System.out, rs) ;
    rs.close() ;
 
    // Insert 2 records using a PreparedStatement
    pstmt = con.prepareStatement("INSERT INTO Customers " +
 "(CustomerFirstName, CustomerLastName, CustomerAddress) " +
 "VALUES (?, ?, ?)") ;
    pstmt.clearParameters() ;
    pstmt.setString(1, "Joan") ;
    pstmt.setString(2, "D'Arc") ;
    pstmt.setString(3, "Tower of London") ;
    count = pstmt.executeUpdate() ;
    System.out.println ("\nInserted " + count + " record(s) successfully\n") ;
 
    pstmt.clearParameters() ;
    pstmt.setString(1, "John") ;
    pstmt.setString(2, "D'Orc") ;
    pstmt.setString(3, "Houses of Parliament, London") ;
    count = pstmt.executeUpdate() ;
    System.out.println ("\nInserted " +count + " record(s) successfully\n") ;
 
    // Show the results
    rs = stmt.executeQuery("SELECT * FROM Customers") ;
    printResultSet(System.out, rs) ;
    rs.close() ;
 
    // Delete the extra records
    count = stmt.executeUpdate("DELETE FROM Customers " +
       "WHERE CustomerLastName LIKE 'D''%'") ;
    System.out.println ("\nDeleted " +count + " record(s) successfully\n") ;
 
    // Show the results
    rs = stmt.executeQuery("SELECT * FROM Customers") ;
    printResultSet(System.out, rs) ;
    rs.close() ;
 
    // Note that we need to close any open statements, or resultsets BEFORE
    // turning autocommit off on any connection that we obtained those 
    // statements or resultsets from.
    pstmt.close() ;
    stmt.close() ;
 
    // Try a transaction: Turn off autocommit so that we can group multiple
    // operations into each transaction
    con.setAutoCommit(false) ;
 
    
 
    // Get a Statement object: we HAVE to create a new statement object to get
    // the non-autocommit behavior
    
    pstmt = con.prepareStatement("INSERT INTO Customers (CustomerFirstName, " +
 "CustomerLastName, CustomerAddress) VALUES (?, ?, ?)") ;
    // an EXTRA level of try block so that we can handle roll backs
    try
    {
pstmt.setString(1, "Jane") ;
pstmt.setString(2, "D'Arc") ;
pstmt.setString(3, "Tower of London") ;
count = pstmt.executeUpdate() ;
System.out.println ("\nTransactional insert: " + count + " record(s) successfully entered\n") ;

pstmt.setString(1, "Jean") ;
pstmt.setString(2, "D'Orc") ;
pstmt.setString(3, "Houses of Parliament, London") ;
count = pstmt.executeUpdate() ;
System.out.println ("Transactional insert: " + count + " record(s) successfully entered\n") ;
 
stmt=con.createStatement() ;
 
rs = stmt.executeQuery("SELECT * FROM Customers") ;
printResultSet(System.out, rs) ;
rs.close() ;
 
// Delete the extra records
count = stmt.executeUpdate("DELETE FROM Customers WHERE CustomerLastName " +
   "LIKE 'D''%'") ;
System.out.println ("\nTransactional Delete: " + count + " record(s) successfully deleted\n") ;
 
con.commit() ;
// If we get to here, we have had a successful end of transaction
// we could continue with more operations which would then be part of a new
// transaction until the next commit or rollback
    }
    catch (Exception e)
    {
// if ANY exception has occurred, it could have messed up the transaction so we roll it back
try
{
    con.rollback() ;
}
catch (SQLException ignored)
{
    // if something is so seriously wrong that rollback fails, then
    // there is no longer much we can do: at this point we just want
    // to forward the original exception on so that the normal code
    // reports it in the normal way
}
throw e ;
    }

// back to normal autocommit behaviour
    con.setAutoCommit(true) ;
 
    // Get a Statement object with autocommit behaviour
    stmt=con.createStatement() ;
 
    
    // show the final results
    rs = stmt.executeQuery("SELECT * FROM Customers") ;
    printResultSet(System.out, rs) ;
    rs.close() ;
 
    stmt.close() ;
    pstmt.close() ;
    con.close() ;
}
catch (SQLException e)
{
    do
System.out.println(e.getMessage()) ;
    while ((e = e.getNextException()) != null) ;
}
    catch (Exception e)
{
    e.printStackTrace() ;
}
    }
 
    private static void printResultSet(PrintStream out, ResultSet rs)
throws SQLException
    {
ResultSetMetaData rsmd = rs.getMetaData() ;
int colCount = rsmd.getColumnCount() ;
for (int i = 1 ; i <= colCount ; i++)
{
    if (i > 1)
out.print(", ");
    out.print(rsmd.getColumnLabel(i)) ;
}
out.println() ;
while (rs.next())
{
    for (int i = 1 ; i <= colCount ; i++)
    {
if (i > 1)
    out.print(", ");
out.print(rs.getObject(i)) ;
    }
    out.println() ;
}
return ;
    }
}

my Database.Properties holds

and i registered the database, i dont know if i did it right! but thats what i did
Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Data Sources (ODBC)

1. Clicked on Add
2. Selected Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb)
3. Filled in a name (i didnt know what that name was for!)
4. Hit Select and chose "Shop" database.
5. Hit OK.
6. Another OK

can any1 suggest a solution?

thank youuuu
Hannah

in your code:
String database = props.getProperty("database.RHCShop") ;
in your properties:
database.Shop = jdbc:odbc:Shop

thank u david
but now it gives me this error
[Microsoft][ODBC Driver Manager] Data source name not found and no default driver specified

i thought i added the driver

why isnt it accepting it? was it added correctly or have i missed out something?

thnx alot for responding

hannah

Done

thanks to every1 who entered this thread to help but couldnt

and again thank u to david for sorting that problem out for me

Happy coding.