public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
    Boolean b = true ? returnsNull() : false; // NPE on this line.
    System.out.println(b);
}

public static Boolean returnsNull() {
    return null;
}

public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
    Boolean b = true ? null : false;
    System.out.println(b); // null
}

E1: `true ? returnsNull() : false` - boolean (auto-unboxing 2nd operand to boolean)

E2: `true ? null : false` - Boolean (autoboxing of 3rd operand to Boolean)

Boolean b = true ? returnsNull() : false;

Boolean b = true ? returnsNull().booleanValue() : false;

Boolean b = (Boolean) true ? true : false;

public static void main(java.lang.String[]) throws java.lang.Exception;
      descriptor: ([Ljava/lang/String;)V
      flags: ACC_PUBLIC, ACC_STATIC
      Code:
        stack=2, locals=2, args_size=1
           0: invokestatic  #2                  // Method returnsNull:()Ljava/lang/Boolean;
           3: invokevirtual #3                  // Method java/lang/Boolean.booleanValue:()Z
           6: invokestatic  #4                  // Method java/lang/Boolean.valueOf:(Z)Ljava/lang/Boolean;
           9: astore_1
          10: getstatic     #5                  // Field java/lang/System.out:Ljava/io/PrintStream;
          13: aload_1
          14: invokevirtual #6                  // Method java/io/PrintStream.println:(Ljava/lang/Object;)V
          17: return
        LineNumberTable:
          line 3: 0
          line 4: 10
          line 5: 17
      Exceptions:
        throws java.lang.Exception

    public static java.lang.Boolean returnsNull();
      descriptor: ()Ljava/lang/Boolean;
      flags: ACC_PUBLIC, ACC_STATIC
      Code:
        stack=1, locals=0, args_size=0
           0: aconst_null
           1: areturn
        LineNumberTable:
          line 8: 0