[GROOVY-7485] BUG! exception in phase 'semantic analysis'... when trying to call instance method as default for a constructor parameter

• Type: Bug
• Status: Closed
• Priority: Minor
• Resolution: Fixed
• Affects Version/s: 2.4.3
• Fix Version/s: 2.4.4
• Component/s: Compiler
• Environment: Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_25-b17); Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.25-b02, mixed mode); Seen in java 7 too.
• Assignee: Paul King
• Reporter: John Flinchbaugh
• Created: 01/Jul/15 22:22
• Updated: 21/Jul/15 10:29
• Resolved: 04/Jul/15 01:26

Description

% groovyc StaticDefault.groovy # the code below

class StaticDefault {
    def name 
    StaticDefault(name = getName()) {
        this.name = name
    }
    private getName() {
        'name'
    }
}

And see this stacktrace:

>>> a serious error occurred: BUG! exception in phase 'semantic analysis' in source unit 'StaticDefault.groovy' unexpected NullpointerException
>>> stacktrace:
BUG! exception in phase 'semantic analysis' in source unit 'StaticDefault.groovy' unexpected NullpointerException
	at org.codehaus.groovy.control.CompilationUnit.applyToPrimaryClassNodes(CompilationUnit.java:1057)
	at org.codehaus.groovy.control.CompilationUnit.doPhaseOperation(CompilationUnit.java:588)
	at org.codehaus.groovy.control.CompilationUnit.processPhaseOperations(CompilationUnit.java:566)
	at org.codehaus.groovy.control.CompilationUnit.compile(CompilationUnit.java:543)
	at org.codehaus.groovy.control.CompilationUnit.compile(CompilationUnit.java:522)
	at org.codehaus.groovy.tools.FileSystemCompiler.compile(FileSystemCompiler.java:59)
	at org.codehaus.groovy.tools.FileSystemCompiler.doCompilation(FileSystemCompiler.java:215)
	at org.codehaus.groovy.tools.FileSystemCompiler.commandLineCompile(FileSystemCompiler.java:148)
	at org.codehaus.groovy.tools.FileSystemCompiler.commandLineCompileWithErrorHandling(FileSystemCompiler.java:178)
	at org.codehaus.groovy.tools.FileSystemCompiler.main(FileSystemCompiler.java:162)
	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:483)
	at org.codehaus.groovy.tools.GroovyStarter.rootLoader(GroovyStarter.java:106)
	at org.codehaus.groovy.tools.GroovyStarter.main(GroovyStarter.java:128)
Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
	at org.codehaus.groovy.control.StaticVerifier$1.visitVariableExpression(StaticVerifier.java:84)
	at org.codehaus.groovy.ast.expr.VariableExpression.visit(VariableExpression.java:70)
	at org.codehaus.groovy.ast.CodeVisitorSupport.visitMethodCallExpression(CodeVisitorSupport.java:129)
	at org.codehaus.groovy.ast.expr.MethodCallExpression.visit(MethodCallExpression.java:64)
	at org.codehaus.groovy.control.StaticVerifier.visitConstructorOrMethod(StaticVerifier.java:79)
	at org.codehaus.groovy.ast.ClassCodeVisitorSupport.visitConstructor(ClassCodeVisitorSupport.java:119)
	at org.codehaus.groovy.ast.ClassNode.visitContents(ClassNode.java:1079)
	at org.codehaus.groovy.ast.ClassCodeVisitorSupport.visitClass(ClassCodeVisitorSupport.java:50)
	at org.codehaus.groovy.control.StaticVerifier.visitClass(StaticVerifier.java:42)
	at org.codehaus.groovy.control.CompilationUnit$6.call(CompilationUnit.java:209)
	at org.codehaus.groovy.control.CompilationUnit.applyToPrimaryClassNodes(CompilationUnit.java:1052)
	... 15 more

Switching the method used for the default to a static method (private static getName()...)fixes the problem, but I'm guessing you likely wanted to give a better message out of the compiler.