EDIT

import javax.xml.bind.annotation.XmlAttribute;

import javax.xml.bind.annotation.XmlType;

import org.apache.log4j.Logger;

import org.hibernate.annotations.Type;

import org.hibernate.envers.Audited;

        if (idInVoc == null){

            throw new NullPointerException("idInVoc is NULL in getRankByIdInVoc");

        }

            //handle empty idInVoc as unknown

            idInVoc = "oijas34\u0155";

        }

        }

        labelMap.put(label.toLowerCase(), rank.getUuid());

        //add to map

            if (logger.isDebugEnabled()){logger.info("Abbreviated label for rank is NULL or empty.Can't add rank to abbrevLabel map: " + CdmUtils.Nz(rank.getLabel()));}

        }else{

            idInVocMap.put(abbrevLabel, rank.getUuid());