PK77063: NULLPOINTEREXCEPTION IN SETTIME WHEN REFERENCEING A DATE COMPONENT THAT IS NULL / BLANK WITH A FORMAT STRING.

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• When referencing a date component and specifying a format string
  a NullPointerException may be thrown if the date component has
  not been assigned a value.  This is because the WCM code is
  sending a null value to be formatted and thus resulting in a
  null pointer exception.  The stack may resemble the following:
  ..
  IWKPC1085X: Exception while rendering inlined component
  type: class com.aptrix.pluto.cmpnt.CmpntReference -
  Exception: java.lang.
     NullPointerException
                    java.lang NullPointerException
   at java.util.Calendar.setTime
      (Calendar.java:1062)
   at java.text.SimpleDateFormat.format
      (SimpleDateFormat.java:816)
   at java.text.SimpleDateFormat.format
      (SimpleDateFormat.java:809)
   at java.text.DateFormat.format
      (DateFormat.java:331)
   at com.aptrix.pluto.cmpnt.CmpntUtils.formatDate
      (CmpntUtils.java:617)
   at com.aptrix.pluto.cmpnt.CmpntUtils.formatDate
      (CmpntUtils.java:546)
  ..
  This issue was originally found when using a navigator cmpnt to
  reference a date component with the following tag:
  ..
  <Element context="autoFill" type="content"
   key="Document Date" format="dd MMM yyyy"/>
  

Local fix

• Either populate the component or remove the format string from
  the reference.
  

Problem summary

• NullPointerException encountered when navigator has an element
  tag that references a date component that is not set.
  .
  When referencing a date component with a format string a
  NullPointerException can occur if the date is not complete.  The
  follow is an example of the stack:
   11/28/08 11:31:08:722 SGT  00000037 Cmpnt         W
  IWKPC1085X:
  Exception while rendering inlined component type: class
   at com.aptrix.pluto.cmpnt.CmpntUtils.formatDate
      (CmpntUtils.java:546)
   at com.aptrix.pluto.cmpnt.DateCmpnt.getStringValue
      (DateCmpnt.java:126)
  ..
  

Problem conclusion

• This issue was discovered when a customer referenced a date
  component from within a navigator as follows <Element
  context="autoFill" type="content" key="DOC DATE"
  format="dd MMM yyyy"/> the issue is WCM is passing a blank date
  to be formatted and this results in a NullPointerException being
  thrown.
  .
  The code changes return an empty string if the date is null,
  thus bypassing the format in cases where there is no date to
  format.
  

Temporary fix

• remove format from the reference.
  

Comments

APAR Information

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

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

Modules/Macros

• WCM
  

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  LOTUS WEB CONT

• Fixed component ID

  5724I2900

Applicable component levels

• R610 PSY

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