NullPointerException opening a sprint plan
I'm running
Version: 6.0.2
Build id: RTC-CLIENT-I20160323-2215
using the p2 repository installed into Eclipse Neon.2 Java EE IDE. When I open any sprint plan, I get:
java.lang.NullPointerException
com.ibm.team.apt.internal.service.tools.CategoryFilterHelper.getFilteredCategories(CategoryFilterHelper.java:62)
com.ibm.team.apt.internal.service.tools.WorkItemResolver.fetchCategories(WorkItemResolver.java:103)
com.ibm.team.apt.internal.service.tools.AbstractPlanResolveHelper.fetchPrimaryCategories(AbstractPlanResolveHelper.java:545)
com.ibm.team.apt.internal.service.tools.AbstractPlanResolveHelper.fetchCategories(AbstractPlanResolveHelper.java:574)
com.ibm.team.apt.internal.service.tools.AbstractPlanResolveHelper.fetchTeamAreaCategories(AbstractPlanResolveHelper.java:469)
com.ibm.team.apt.internal.service.rest.PlanRestService.loadPlanItemsDelayedChildren(PlanRestService.java:1862)
com.ibm.team.apt.internal.service.rest.PlanRestService.getPlanItems(PlanRestService.java:1793)
I coworker running the 5.0.2 client does not see this exception. I'm hoping this is a known problem with an available fix, because my sprint planning is effectively blocked by this.
One answer
One of my co-workers built a wiki page on this. He wrote:
When the fetchTeamAreaCategories is executed, it is trying to find work item Categories that relate to the Process Area by way of inquiring through the Plan's owner. My inference on the behavior is that the detail that fetchTeamAreaCategories has or gets is the ID of the Timeline in order to determine the Categories. When a Plan is owned by the Project Area, but there is no Project Timeline then the view of the respective Plan fails with the exception above.
Solution
- Assign some Timeline as the Project Timeline OR
- Change the owner of the affected Plan(s) to a Team Area that is associated with a specific Timeline.