# Handling of exported/library Annotations in new Java Software Model **URL:** \ **Category:** Bugs\ **Tags:** software-model, gradle-3483\ **Created:** [February 10, 2016, 10:33am UTC](https://discuss.gradle.org/t/handling-of-exported-library-annotations-in-new-java-software-model/14390 "2016-02-10T10:33:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ramonwirsch](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/gradle/user_avatar/discuss.gradle.org/ramonwirsch/32/4389_2.png) [@ramonwirsch](https://discuss.gradle.org/u/ramonwirsch)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2016, 10:33am UTC](https://discuss.gradle.org/t/handling-of-exported-library-annotations-in-new-java-software-model/14390/1 "2016-02-10T10:33:27Z")
Out of curiosity i tried migrating my java project to the new software model and noticed 2 problems: ## 1) During exporting, annotations are stripped of their default values. Minimal Example: model library 1: ``` @Retention(RUNTIME) @Target({FIELD,METHOD}) public @interface TestAnno { String name() default "none"; String[] arr() default {}; } ``` model library 2: ``` public class Library { @TestAnno Object sth; } ``` This fails, as library2 is compiled against only the api jar, which does not contain the annotations default values. Workaround is to always define all values of annotations. ## 2) I have had gradle crashing with annotations from a 3rd party library on public members of an exported class (Basically the same example as above, except the Annotation comes not out of a model library but a precompiled jar) In my case this occurred when using the @Parameter(names={}) annotation of ‘com.beust:jcommander:1.48’. Even when compiling the library as part of the build, with the above workaround it still chrashes. The only further find i was able to discover, is that it only seemed to depend on the value of the String[] parameter, and that its name is sometimes read as ‘null’ by the gradle-internal class reader. The stacktrace (parts left out for conciseness): ``` Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException at com.google.common.collect.ComparisonChain$1.compare(ComparisonChain.java:76) at org.gradle.jvm.tasks.api.internal.Member.compare(Member.java:47) at org.gradle.jvm.tasks.api.internal.AnnotationValue.compareTo(AnnotationValue.java:34) at org.gradle.jvm.tasks.api.internal.AnnotationValue.compareTo(AnnotationValue.java:19) at org.gradle.jvm.tasks.api.internal.AnnotationMember.addValues(AnnotationMember.java:45) at org.gradle.jvm.tasks.api.internal.SortingAnnotationVisitor.visitEnd(SortingAnnotationVisitor.java:81) at org.objectweb.asm.ClassReader.a(Unknown Source) at org.objectweb.asm.ClassReader.a(Unknown Source) at org.objectweb.asm.ClassReader.a(Unknown Source) at org.objectweb.asm.ClassReader.b(Unknown Source) at org.objectweb.asm.ClassReader.accept(Unknown Source) at org.objectweb.asm.ClassReader.accept(Unknown Source) at org.gradle.jvm.tasks.api.internal.ApiClassExtractor.extractApiClassFrom(ApiClassExtractor.java:80) at org.gradle.jvm.tasks.api.ApiJar$1.writeClasses(ApiJar.java:126) at org.gradle.jvm.tasks.api.ApiJar$1.doExecute(ApiJar.java:108) at org.gradle.jvm.tasks.api.ApiJar$1.doExecute(ApiJar.java:104) at org.gradle.internal.ErroringAction.execute(ErroringAction.java:35) at org.gradle.internal.IoActions.withResource(IoActions.java:74) at org.gradle.jvm.tasks.api.ApiJar.createApiJar(ApiJar.java:102) at org.gradle.internal.reflect.JavaMethod.invoke(JavaMethod.java:75) at org.gradle.api.internal.project.taskfactory.AnnotationProcessingTaskFactory$StandardTaskAction.doExecute(AnnotationProcessingTaskFactory.java:227) at org.gradle.api.internal.project.taskfactory.AnnotationProcessingTaskFactory$StandardTaskAction.execute(AnnotationProcessingTaskFactory.java:220) at org.gradle.api.internal.project.taskfactory.AnnotationProcessingTaskFactory$StandardTaskAction.execute(AnnotationProcessingTaskFactory.java:209) at org.gradle.api.internal.AbstractTask$TaskActionWrapper.execute(AbstractTask.java:585) at org.gradle.api.internal.AbstractTask$TaskActionWrapper.execute(AbstractTask.java:568) at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.executeAction(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:80) at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.executeActions(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:61) ... 14 more ``` PS: if the (at)s are not showing up as such, then because the forum did not allow them because of their mention functionality ---
**Author:** ![mark\_vieira](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/gradle/user_avatar/discuss.gradle.org/mark_vieira/32/5396_2.png) [@mark\_vieira](https://discuss.gradle.org/u/mark_vieira)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 3:21am UTC](https://discuss.gradle.org/t/handling-of-exported-library-annotations-in-new-java-software-model/14390/2 "2016-02-12T03:21:37Z")
@CedricChampeau is this perhaps a consequence of how we are generating the API jar? ---
**Author:** ![CedricChampeau](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/gradle/user_avatar/discuss.gradle.org/cedricchampeau/32/7541_2.png) [@CedricChampeau](https://discuss.gradle.org/u/CedricChampeau)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 9:18am UTC](https://discuss.gradle.org/t/handling-of-exported-library-annotations-in-new-java-software-model/14390/3 "2016-02-15T09:18:50Z")
Yes, it definitely looks like a bug that needs to be fixed. ---
**Author:** ![Jean-Daniel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/977dab/32.png) [@Jean-Daniel](https://discuss.gradle.org/u/Jean-Daniel)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 4:51pm UTC](https://discuss.gradle.org/t/handling-of-exported-library-annotations-in-new-java-software-model/14390/4 "2016-03-08T16:51:04Z")
I’m currently blocked by that issue too. I can confirm it is a problem with the API jars, as compiling a file using the main jar works, but compiling it again the api jar fails. If it is not fixed in 2.12, it may be worth a note in the known issues. (could save some time for people having the same problem). ---
**Author:** ![ramonwirsch](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/gradle/user_avatar/discuss.gradle.org/ramonwirsch/32/4389_2.png) [@ramonwirsch](https://discuss.gradle.org/u/ramonwirsch)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 12:26pm UTC](https://discuss.gradle.org/t/handling-of-exported-library-annotations-in-new-java-software-model/14390/5 "2016-06-02T12:26:57Z")
In the meantime, since nothing changed up to the current gradle nightly i took a look at the source code and managed to find the reason for the NullpointerException and made a single line fix that seems to work for me. It was rather obvious, since there are several null-checks, just 1 was missing and that was were the NullPointerException came from. The Values of Arrays inside annotations have no associated name (=null in your class). I just needed to add the same check that is done in several other places were “value” is given as name for instances that do not have an inherent name. @CedricChampeau @mark_vieira If you like I am happy to make a Pull-Request for this single line fix. ---
**Author:** ![mark\_vieira](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/gradle/user_avatar/discuss.gradle.org/mark_vieira/32/5396_2.png) [@mark\_vieira](https://discuss.gradle.org/u/mark_vieira)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 3:22pm UTC](https://discuss.gradle.org/t/handling-of-exported-library-annotations-in-new-java-software-model/14390/6 "2016-06-02T15:22:42Z")
> [@ramonwirsch](#): > > If you like I am happy to make a Pull-Request for this single line fix. Yes, absolutely! Thanks. 🙂