--- /BinaryCodec.java	2023-07-05 03:13:48.350024727 +0200
+++ /Codec-1/src/java/org/apache/commons/codec/binary/BinaryCodec.java	2023-07-05 03:13:48.354024728 +0200
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@
      */
     public static char[] toAsciiChars(byte[] raw) {
         if (raw == null || raw.length == 0) {
-            return EMPTY_CHAR_ARRAY;
+if  (  ( raw == null )  ||  (  ( raw.length )  == 0 )  )  {     return EMPTY_CHAR_ARRAY; }
         }
         // get 8 times the bytes with 3 bit shifts to the left of the length
         char[] l_ascii = new char[raw.length << 3];
