Grouper Users - Open Discussion List

[Jutta Biernath <>]

Hi,

after upgrading Grouper from 2.1.5 to 2.2.2 I have encountered several
NullPointerExceptions when running loadergroups. I have carefully analysed the
source code because I wanted to understand the cause. This is what I found:

I have several loadergroups, each one with another view as resultset. Some of
the views have a source_id column, others haven't (those which don't build a
group hierarchy).

Now the NullPointerException occured with the loadergroups with resultsets
without source_id column. This is what happened:

- I have a default source id set in the loader properties file, so this is <>
null; this value is assigned to the variable sourceId
- However I don't have a source column in the resultset, what means that the
variable sourceIdCol stays null
- Because sourceId has a valid value, the variable subjectIdsOrIdentifiers
stays null; there are no values assigned to it. 
- Because subjectIdsOrIdentifiers is null, also subjectIdOrIdentifierToSubject
is null.
- In ln. 218 however there is an if/else command that checks if sourceIdCol is
blank or not. My sourceIdCol is still null, so i get into the the else branch.
But there is a get()-Method on subjectIdOrIdentifierToSubject, which was never
filled, see above --> a NullPointerException happens. Probably you wanted to
check if sourceId was blank, not sourceIdCol.

Until this is fixed I will work with a workaround, giving all of my views a
column for the subject source. I just wanted to inform you, I think this is
relevant.

Regards,
Jutta Biernath
Freie Universität Berlin