Evaluate a reference object?

Is it possible to check a reference object variable to == null?

I am wondering how a linked list class can be written but if the nodes are an object... So how do I know when I hit the end? I would assume the usual check if the nextLink == null, if it does then your at the end.

Code:

---

Object obj = maybeReturnObject();
if(obj == null) {

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So
if (MyObject varname == null)

Is valid?

No, you can't declare variables within an if-statement. But

MyObject var;

only declares a reference. It doesn't point to anything yet. Unlike C++, Java cannot create objects on the stack; you have to use new:

var = new MyObject();

Yah I realize now after programming today that snipper was incorrect, but it was to sum it up... Anyway so I guess I shoulda simply asked in the first place if Java initializes your variable references to null upon creation?

object-type varname;
varname == null?

But they covered this in class today and indeed that is correct.