PH40182: JSF FACES-CONFIG PARSER THROWS NPE WHEN XML NAMESPACE MISSING

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• JSF faces-config parser throws NPE when XML namespace
  missing
  

Local fix

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:  Users of JSF on WebSphere Liberty           *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: A NullPointerException is thrown during *
  *                      application startup when an application *
  *                      faces-config is missing an XML          *
  *                      namespace                               *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  A code change was made in Liberty fixpack 20.0.0.12 in order to
  tolerate new namespaces for Jakarta Server Faces 3.0. That code
  change had the side effect of causing a NullPointerException to
  be thrown at startup for any application which provides a faces-
  config.xml file which is missing an XML namespace. Note that
  applications should always provide that namespace, and as a
  workaround for this problem applications can provide a valid XML
  namespace in their faces-config descriptors.
  
  Applications affected by this problem will see a similar
  exception:
  
  Source =
  com.ibm.ws.container.service.state.internal.ApplicationStateMana
  ger
  probeid = 54
  Stack Dump = java.lang.NullPointerException
  	at java.lang.String.contentEquals(String.java:4086)
  	at
  com.ibm.ws.javaee.ddmodel.jsf.FacesConfigDDParser.createRootPars
  able(FacesConfigDDParser.java:93)
  	at
  com.ibm.ws.javaee.ddmodel.DDParser.parseRootElement(DDParser.jav
  a:590)
  	at
  com.ibm.ws.javaee.ddmodel.jsf.FacesConfigDDParser.parse(FacesCon
  figDDParser.java:37)
  	at
  com.ibm.ws.javaee.ddmodel.jsf.FacesConfigAdapter.adapt(FacesConf
  igAdapter.java:53)
  	at
  com.ibm.ws.javaee.ddmodel.jsf.FacesConfigAdapter.adapt(FacesConf
  igAdapter.java:26)
          ........
  

Problem conclusion

• The JSF implementation was updated to avoid throwing a
  NullPointerException in this scenario. See
  https://github.com/OpenLiberty/open-liberty/issues/18155 for
  more information.
  
  The fix for this APAR is currently targeted for inclusion in fix
  pack 21.0.0.9.  Please refer to the Recommended Updates page for
  delivery information:
  http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=180&uid=swg27004980
  

Temporary fix

• Provide a namespace in the affected application's faces-
  config.xml
  

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  LIBERTY PROFILE

• Fixed component ID

  5724J0814

Applicable component levels