Can't open build.xml in a remote COBOL project

[aheizenreder]

Hello Visual COBOL community,

I hope you can help me with my problem.

In my current Visual COBOL project we are using Remote COBOL Projects. And my problem now is that I can't open any Ant files in corresponding editors (Ant editor) or views. The error message looks like this:

java.lang.NullPointerException
	at org.eclipse.ant.internal.ui.model.AntModel.getEditedFile(AntModel.java:752)
	at org.eclipse.ant.internal.ui.model.AntModel.setBuiltInProperties(AntModel.java:529)
	at org.eclipse.ant.internal.ui.model.AntModel.setProperties(AntModel.java:459)
	at org.eclipse.ant.internal.ui.model.AntModel.initializeProject(AntModel.java:429)
	at org.eclipse.ant.internal.ui.model.AntModel.prepareForFullParse(AntModel.java:396)
	at org.eclipse.ant.internal.ui.model.AntModel.parseDocument(AntModel.java:355)
	at org.eclipse.ant.internal.ui.model.AntModel.reconcile(AntModel.java:313)
	at org.eclipse.ant.internal.ui.model.AntModel.getProjectNode(AntModel.java:1518)
	at org.eclipse.ant.internal.ui.model.AntModel.getProjectNode(AntModel.java:1531)
	at org.eclipse.ant.internal.ui.editor.text.AntFoldingStructureProvider.updateFoldingRegions(AntFoldingStructureProvider.java:90)
	at org.eclipse.ant.internal.ui.editor.AntEditor.projectionEnabled(AntEditor.java:1278)
	at org.eclipse.jface.text.source.projection.ProjectionViewer.fireProjectionEnabled(ProjectionViewer.java:472)
	at org.eclipse.jface.text.source.projection.ProjectionViewer.enableProjection(ProjectionViewer.java:520)
	at org.eclipse.jface.text.source.projection.ProjectionViewer.doOperation(ProjectionViewer.java:1368)
	at org.eclipse.ant.internal.ui.editor.AntEditor$StatusLineSourceViewer.doOperation(AntEditor.java:217)
	at org.eclipse.ant.internal.ui.editor.AntEditor.createPartControl(AntEditor.java:998)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.e4.compatibility.CompatibilityPart.createPartControl(CompatibilityPart.java:153)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.e4.compatibility.CompatibilityEditor.createPartControl(CompatibilityEditor.java:99)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.e4.compatibility.CompatibilityPart.create(CompatibilityPart.java:364)
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
	at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
	at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:498)
	at org.eclipse.e4.core.internal.di.MethodRequestor.execute(MethodRequestor.java:55)
	at org.eclipse.e4.core.internal.di.InjectorImpl.processAnnotated(InjectorImpl.java:1005)
	at org.eclipse.e4.core.internal.di.InjectorImpl.processAnnotated(InjectorImpl.java:970)
	at org.eclipse.e4.core.internal.di.InjectorImpl.internalInject(InjectorImpl.java:137)
	at org.eclipse.e4.core.internal.di.InjectorImpl.internalMake(InjectorImpl.java:412)
	at org.eclipse.e4.core.internal.di.InjectorImpl.make(InjectorImpl.java:331)
	at org.eclipse.e4.core.contexts.ContextInjectionFactory.make(ContextInjectionFactory.java:190)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.ReflectionContributionFactory.createFromBundle(ReflectionContributionFactory.java:105)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.ReflectionContributionFactory.doCreate(ReflectionContributionFactory.java:74)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.ReflectionContributionFactory.create(ReflectionContributionFactory.java:56)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.workbench.renderers.swt.ContributedPartRenderer.createWidget(ContributedPartRenderer.java:129)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine.createWidget(PartRenderingEngine.java:1012)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine.safeCreateGui(PartRenderingEngine.java:672)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine.safeCreateGui(PartRenderingEngine.java:778)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine.access$0(PartRenderingEngine.java:749)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine$2.run(PartRenderingEngine.java:743)
	at org.eclipse.core.runtime.SafeRunner.run(SafeRunner.java:42)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine.createGui(PartRenderingEngine.java:727)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.workbench.renderers.swt.StackRenderer.showTab(StackRenderer.java:1277)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.workbench.renderers.swt.LazyStackRenderer.lambda$0(LazyStackRenderer.java:72)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.services.internal.events.UIEventHandler$1.run(UIEventHandler.java:40)
	at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Synchronizer.syncExec(Synchronizer.java:233)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.UISynchronizer.syncExec(UISynchronizer.java:144)
	at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.syncExec(Display.java:4567)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.E4Application$1.syncExec(E4Application.java:212)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.services.internal.events.UIEventHandler.handleEvent(UIEventHandler.java:36)
	at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.event.EventHandlerWrapper.handleEvent(EventHandlerWrapper.java:201)
	at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.event.EventHandlerTracker.dispatchEvent(EventHandlerTracker.java:196)
	at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.event.EventHandlerTracker.dispatchEvent(EventHandlerTracker.java:1)
	at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.eventmgr.EventManager.dispatchEvent(EventManager.java:230)
	at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.eventmgr.ListenerQueue.dispatchEventSynchronous(ListenerQueue.java:148)
	at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.event.EventAdminImpl.dispatchEvent(EventAdminImpl.java:135)
	at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.event.EventAdminImpl.sendEvent(EventAdminImpl.java:78)
	at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.event.EventComponent.sendEvent(EventComponent.java:39)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.services.internal.events.EventBroker.send(EventBroker.java:52)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.UIEventPublisher.notifyChanged(UIEventPublisher.java:60)
	at org.eclipse.emf.common.notify.impl.BasicNotifierImpl.eNotify(BasicNotifierImpl.java:374)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.model.application.ui.impl.ElementContainerImpl.setSelectedElement(ElementContainerImpl.java:174)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.ModelServiceImpl.showElementInWindow(ModelServiceImpl.java:634)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.ModelServiceImpl.bringToTop(ModelServiceImpl.java:598)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.PartServiceImpl.delegateBringToTop(PartServiceImpl.java:788)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.PartServiceImpl.bringToTop(PartServiceImpl.java:401)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.PartServiceImpl.showPart(PartServiceImpl.java:1238)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.busyOpenEditor(WorkbenchPage.java:3277)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.access$26(WorkbenchPage.java:3192)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage$10.run(WorkbenchPage.java:3174)
	at org.eclipse.swt.custom.BusyIndicator.showWhile(BusyIndicator.java:71)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.openEditor(WorkbenchPage.java:3169)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.openEditor(WorkbenchPage.java:3133)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.openEditor(WorkbenchPage.java:3123)
	at org.eclipse.ui.ide.IDE.openEditor(IDE.java:563)
	at org.eclipse.ui.ide.IDE.openEditor(IDE.java:518)
	at org.eclipse.ui.actions.OpenFileAction.openFile(OpenFileAction.java:100)
	at org.eclipse.ui.actions.OpenSystemEditorAction.run(OpenSystemEditorAction.java:97)
	at org.eclipse.ui.views.navigator.OpenActionGroup.runDefaultAction(OpenActionGroup.java:137)
	at org.eclipse.ui.views.navigator.MainActionGroup.runDefaultAction(MainActionGroup.java:325)
	at org.eclipse.ui.views.navigator.ResourceNavigator.handleOpen(ResourceNavigator.java:761)
	at org.eclipse.ui.views.navigator.ResourceNavigator$2.open(ResourceNavigator.java:477)
	at org.eclipse.ui.OpenAndLinkWithEditorHelper$InternalListener.open(OpenAndLinkWithEditorHelper.java:46)
	at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer$2.run(StructuredViewer.java:850)
	at org.eclipse.core.runtime.SafeRunner.run(SafeRunner.java:42)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.JFaceUtil.lambda$0(JFaceUtil.java:44)
	at org.eclipse.jface.util.SafeRunnable.run(SafeRunnable.java:173)
	at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer.fireOpen(StructuredViewer.java:847)
	at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer.handleOpen(StructuredViewer.java:1162)
	at org.eclipse.jface.util.OpenStrategy.fireOpenEvent(OpenStrategy.java:273)
	at org.eclipse.jface.util.OpenStrategy.access$2(OpenStrategy.java:268)
	at org.eclipse.jface.util.OpenStrategy$1.handleEvent(OpenStrategy.java:308)
	at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.EventTable.sendEvent(EventTable.java:86)
	at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.sendEvent(Display.java:4118)
	at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Widget.sendEvent(Widget.java:1052)
	at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.runDeferredEvents(Display.java:3931)
	at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.readAndDispatch(Display.java:3534)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine$5.run(PartRenderingEngine.java:1170)
	at org.eclipse.core.databinding.observable.Realm.runWithDefault(Realm.java:336)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine.run(PartRenderingEngine.java:1059)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.E4Workbench.createAndRunUI(E4Workbench.java:153)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.lambda$3(Workbench.java:667)
	at org.eclipse.core.databinding.observable.Realm.runWithDefault(Realm.java:336)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.createAndRunWorkbench(Workbench.java:597)
	at org.eclipse.ui.PlatformUI.createAndRunWorkbench(PlatformUI.java:148)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.ide.application.IDEApplication.start(IDEApplication.java:152)
	at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.app.EclipseAppHandle.run(EclipseAppHandle.java:196)
	at org.eclipse.core.runtime.internal.adaptor.EclipseAppLauncher.runApplication(EclipseAppLauncher.java:134)
	at org.eclipse.core.runtime.internal.adaptor.EclipseAppLauncher.start(EclipseAppLauncher.java:104)
	at org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter.run(EclipseStarter.java:388)
	at org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter.run(EclipseStarter.java:243)
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
	at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
	at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:498)
	at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.invokeFramework(Main.java:656)
	at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.basicRun(Main.java:592)
	at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.run(Main.java:1498)

My Visual COBOL environment is

OS: Windows 10

Visual COBOL IDE: 5.0.269.v201909041843

Does someone have the same problem?

Thanks

Andreas

[Blair McDonald · Accepted solution]

Hi Andreas,

I was able to reproduce the error you've reported here. Unfortunately, this is a known bug in the base Eclipse product, unrelated to Visual COBOL - the Ant editor does not work with remote files.

Please see: https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=293108

As an alternative, I was able to open the file using the Open With context menu option, and then choose XML, or Text.

[aheizenreder]

Hi Blair,

thank you for your hint!

Unfortunately it was not possible for me to verify if this problem still exists in newer Eclipse versions.

Thanks

Andreas