@Test(expected = IllegalArgumentException.class)
  public void testNullFamilyName() throws IOException {
    final TableName tableName = name.getTableName();

    // Null family (should NOT work)
    TEST_UTIL.createTable(tableName, new byte[][] { null });
    fail("Creating a table with a null family passed, should fail");
  }
Test basic puts, gets, scans, and deletes for a single row in a multiple family table.
hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/TestFromClientSide.java