NullPointerException in invokeLater while running through Java Webstart

Question

After upgraded from JRE 1.7.0_21 to 1.7.0_25-b15 my application started to throw NullPointerException in SwingUtilities.invokeLater(...) when it is run from Java WebStart. S

Answer 1

Here is a workaround for JDK-8019274, packaged in a utility class. For us, invokeAndWait() was still an issue. This example has the existing fix for invokeLater() and a new fix for invokeAndWait().

Notes:

• You'll need to include the jnlp.jar in your project.
• Call init() early in your main() method, before calling invokeLater()
• Replace all your calls to SwingUtilities invokeLater() and invokeAndWait() with these calls

(Disclaimer: This is from our product. Some aspects of this solution may not apply to you.)

public class JreFix {
    private static String badVersionInfo = null;
    private static AppContext awtEventDispatchContext = null;
    private static AppContext mainThreadContext = null;
    private static Boolean isWebStart = null;
    private static BasicService basicService = null;
    private static IntegrationService integrationService = null;

    /**
     * Call this early in main().  
     */
    public static void init() {
        if (isWebstart() && isApplicableJvmType()) {
            String javaVersion = System.getProperty("java.version");

            if ("1.7.0_25".equals(javaVersion)) {
                badVersionInfo = "7u25";
            }
            else if ("1.7.0_40".equals(javaVersion)) {
                badVersionInfo = "7u40";
            }
            else if (javaVersion != null && "1.6.0_51".equals(javaVersion.substring(0,8))) {
                badVersionInfo = "6u51";
            }
            else if ("javaws-10.25.2.16".equals(System.getProperty("javawebstart.version"))) {
                badVersionInfo = "Web Start 10.25.2.16";
            }
        }

        if (badVersionInfo != null) {
            mainThreadContext = AppContext.getAppContext();
            try {
                SwingUtilities.invokeAndWait(new Runnable() {
                    public void run() {
                        awtEventDispatchContext = AppContext.getAppContext();
                    }
                });
            }
            catch (Exception e) {
                displayErrorAndExit(null);
            }

            if (mainThreadContext == null || awtEventDispatchContext == null) {
                 displayErrorAndExit(null);
            }
        }
    }

    public static void invokeNowOrLater(Runnable runnable) {
        if (hasAppContextBug()) {
            invokeLaterOnAwtEventDispatchThreadContext(runnable);
        }
        else {
            SwingUtilities.invokeLater(runnable);
        }
    }

    public static void invokeNowOrWait(Runnable runnable) {
        if (hasAppContextBug()) {
            fixThreadAppContext(null);
        }

        try {
            SwingUtilities.invokeAndWait(runnable);
        } 
        catch (Exception e) {
            // handle it
        }
    }

    public static boolean hasAppContextBug() {
        return isJreWithAppContextBug() && AppContext.getAppContext() == null;
    }

    public static void invokeLaterOnAwtEventDispatchThreadContext(Runnable runnable) {
        sun.awt.SunToolkit.invokeLaterOnAppContext(awtEventDispatchContext, runnable);
    }

    public static void fixThreadAppContext(Component parent) {
        try {
            final Field field = AppContext.class.getDeclaredField("threadGroup2appContext");
            field.setAccessible(true);
            Map<ThreadGroup, AppContext> threadGroup2appContext = (Map<ThreadGroup, AppContext>)field.get(null);
            final ThreadGroup currentThreadGroup = Thread.currentThread().getThreadGroup();
            threadGroup2appContext.put(currentThreadGroup, mainThreadContext);
        } 
        catch (Exception e) {
            displayErrorAndExit(parent);
        }

        if (AppContext.getAppContext() == null) {
             displayErrorAndExit(parent);
        }
    }

    private static boolean isJreWithAppContextBug() {
        return badVersionInfo != null;
    }

    private static void displayErrorAndExit(Component parent) {
        JLabel msgLabel = new JLabel("<html>" + 
                "Our application cannot run using <b>Web Start</b> with this version of Java.<p><p>" +
                "Java " + badVersionInfo + " contains a bug acknowledged by Oracle (JDK-8019274).");
        JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(parent, msgLabel, "Java Version Error", JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE);
        System.exit(1);
    }

    private static boolean isApplicableJvmType() {
        String vendor = System.getProperty("java.vendor");
        String vmName = System.getProperty("java.vm.name");
        if (vendor != null && vmName != null) {
            return vmName.contains("Java HotSpot") &&
                    (vendor.equals("Oracle Corporation") || 
                     vendor.equals("Sun Microsystems Inc."));
        }

        return false;
    }

    private static boolean isWebstart() {
        if (isWebStart == null) {
            try { 
                basicService = (BasicService) ServiceManager.lookup("javax.jnlp.BasicService");             
                isWebStart = true;
            } 
            catch (UnavailableServiceException e) { 
                isWebStart = false;
            }           

            try {
                integrationService = (IntegrationService) ServiceManager.lookup("javax.jnlp.IntegrationService");
            } 
            catch (UnavailableServiceException e) {
            }
        }
        return isWebStart;
    }
}

Answer 2

I found what I believe to be a better solution to this bug.

I just added the following code before calling SwingUtilities or any Swing related component method. It create a new AppContext for the RMI Thread (RMI thread must be the current Thread when running the code below).

if(AppContext.getAppContext() == null){
    SunToolkit.createNewAppContext();
}

Due to the needs of my application I was able to add it on a single method that was using SwingUtilities, but you may need to add it to every method on your RMI Callable Object.

The code needs to run only once, so check the behavior of your application.

Answer 3

This is still happening on Mac Sierra. But I'm able to workaround it by calling:

        if (sun.awt.AppContext.getAppContext() == null) {
          sun.awt.SunToolkit.createNewAppContext();
        }

just before my first SwingUtilities.invokeLater(...) call.

Answer 4

Java 7u65 which came out yesterday (2014-07-15) claims to have fixed this or a very similar issue, in JDK-8019724. I'm testing right now to find out - a driver from one of our vendors doesn't function under Java Web Start, and it has been keeping us on Java 6.

ETA: Yes, it looks like this resolves our problems!

Answer 5

The problem occurs in the Webstart environment. Before Webstart version of Java 7u25 the AppContext was set on the system thread group. Yet it is set on the main thread group.

If you have a thread based on a thread group where its parent or grandparent is not the main thread group it has no sun.awt.AppContext.

You should create your thread based on the thread group of the security manager if one exists.

Runnable task = ....
ThreadGroup threadGroup = System.getSecurityManager() != null
                                    ? System.getSecurityManager().getThreadGroup()
                                    : Thread.currentThread().getThreadGroup();
Thread t = new Thread(threadGroup, task, "my thread", 0);