JR61365: YOU RECEIVE A NULLPOINTEREXCEPTION WHILE A WEB SERVICE IS BEING INVOKED FROM WEBPD BUT NOT WHEN USING DESKTOP DESIGNER

workflow.19003.delta.repository

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• The web service External Service discovery generates an
  incorrect interface if the discovered WSDL specifies a parameter
   of a complex type with exactly one property that is a list
  (array wrapper) and the type of the list property is specified
  with a "ref" attribute.
    The issue that occurs only happens when using Web based
  Process Designer, aka WebPD.
  
  The following example is of a WSDL port type that causes an
  incorrect discovery:
  
  
  
  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
  
  <wsdl:definitions name="Pets"
  targetNamespace="http://bpm.ibm.com/Pets"
  xmlns:wsdl="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/"
  
      xmlns:tns="http://bpm.ibm.com/Pets"
  xmlns:ns0="http://bpm.ibm.com/Pets/Schema.xsd"
  xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/soap/">
  
      <wsdl:types>
         <xs:schema attributeFormDefault="unqualified"
             elementFormDefault="qualified"
              targetNamespace="http://bpm.ibm.com/Pets/Schema.xsd"
  xmlns="http://bpm.ibm.com/Pets/Schema.xsd"
              xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
              <xs:element name="pet">
                  <xs:complexType>
                      <xs:sequence>
                          <xs:element name="petName"
                                       type="xs:string" />
                      </xs:sequence>
                  </xs:complexType>
              </xs:element>
              <xs:element name="petList">
                  <xs:complexType>
                      <xs:sequence>
                          <xs:element maxOccurs="unbounded"
  minOccurs="0" ref="ns0:pet" />
                      </xs:sequence>
                  </xs:complexType>
              </xs:element>
  
              <xs:element name="GetPets">
                  <xs:complexType>
                      <xs:sequence>
                          <xs:element name="petName"
  type="xs:string" />
                      </xs:sequence>
                  </xs:complexType>
              </xs:element>
  
              <xs:element name="GetPetsResponse">
                  <xs:complexType>
                      <xs:sequence>
                          <xs:element ref="ns0:petList" />
                      </xs:sequence>
                  </xs:complexType>
              </xs:element>
          </xs:schema>
       </wsdl:types>
  
      <wsdl:message name="GetPets">
          <wsdl:part name="part1" element="ns0:GetPets" />
      </wsdl:message>
  
      <wsdl:message name="GetPetsResponse">
          <wsdl:part name="part1" element="ns0:GetPetsResponse" />
      </wsdl:message>
  
  
      <wsdl:portType name="PetsPortType">
          <wsdl:operation name="GetPets">
              <wsdl:input message="tns:GetPets" />
              <wsdl:output message="tns:GetPetsResponse" />
          </wsdl:operation>
      </wsdl:portType>
  </wsdl:definitions>
  
  
  At run time you will see an exception stack similar to:
  Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
  at
  com.ibm.bpm.ws.jaxws.connector.util.JAXWSHelper.getXMLTypeDesc(J
  AXWSHelper.java:162)
  at
  com.ibm.bpm.ws.jaxws.serialize.DocLiteralMessage.demarshalRespon
  se(DocLiteralMessage.java:153)
  at
  com.ibm.bpm.ws.jaxws.connector.SOAPConnector.processDocLiteralOp
  eration(SOAPConnector.java:644)
  at
  com.ibm.bpm.ws.jaxws.connector.SOAPConnector.createServiceClient
  (SOAPConnector.java:493)
  at
  com.ibm.bpm.ws.jaxws.connector.SOAPConnector.execute(SOAPConnect
  or.java:193)
  ... 106 more
  
  
  
  PRODUCTS AFFECTED
  IBM Business Process Manager (BPM) Express
  IBM BPM Standard
  IBM BPM Advanced
  IBM Business Automation Workflow
  

Local fix

• Download he WSDL file, modify it by replacing the reference to
  the element with an XML schema type using the type attribute,
  and discover it.
  
  or
  
  use Desktop Process Designer to generate the service
  

Problem summary

• No additional information is available.
  

Problem conclusion

• A fix that makes sure that the discovered result of a WSDL is
  correct will be included in future releases of Business
  Automation Workflow.
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

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

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

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  BPM

• Fixed component ID

  5737A5700

Applicable component levels