I have just download firebirdsql.jar and try with the following code

(1)

Class.forName("org.firebirdsql.jdbc.FBDriver");

java.util.Properties props = new java.util.Properties();
props.put("user", "sysdba");
props.put("password", "masterkey");
props.put("lc_ctype", "UNICODE_FSS");

Connection conn =
DriverManager.getConnection("jdbc:firebirdsql:host02/3050:/home/databases/sample.gdb",
props);

and works OK (I have to put firebirdsql.jar and j2ee.jar in my classpath).

(2) But when I try the following

Class.forName("org.firebirdsql.jdbc.FBDriver");

Connection conn =
DriverManager.getConnection("jdbc:firebirdsql:host02/3050:/home/databases/sample.gdb?lc_ctype=UNICODE_FSS&user=sysdba&password=masterkey");

Then, an exception is thrown as follows

Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NullPointerException
at java.lang.String.<init>(String.java:399)
at
org.firebirdsql.jca.FBConnectionRequestInfo.getStringProperty(FBConnectionRequestInfo.java:97)
at org.firebirdsql.jdbc.FBDriver.connect(FBDriver.java:173)
at java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(DriverManager.java:512)
at java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(DriverManager.java:193)
at TestUnicode.main(TestUnicode.java:17)

(3) But when I try the following

Class.forName("org.firebirdsql.jdbc.FBDriver");

Connection conn =
DriverManager.getConnection("jdbc:firebirdsql:host02/3050:/home/databases/sample.gdb?lc_ctype=UNICODE_FSS",
"sysdba", "masterkey");

Then, an exception is thrown as follows

Exception in thread "main" java.sql.SQLException: Problem getting
connection: could not get a db connection!
at
org.firebirdsql.jdbc.FBDataSource.getConnection(FBDataSource.java:124)
at org.firebirdsql.jdbc.FBDriver.connect(FBDriver.java:208)
at java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(DriverManager.java:512)
at java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(DriverManager.java:171)
at TestUnicode.main(TestUnicode.java:17)

But I need the URL-encoded form to work. Can anybody help? Am I need
to apply any patch?

Thanks