Eclipse and RED (Robot Editor) won't open files in Robot project - NullPointerException

Question

I have a project in Robot framework. I use Eclipse version 2019-09 R (4.13.0), Build id: 20190917-1200 for editing and writing tests. I also use RED version 0.8.13.201907181006.

Whenever I try to open a file, e.g. Robot Resource file or a test suite, I get the following error:

org.robotframework.ide.eclipse.main.plugin.tableeditor.RobotFormEditor$RobotEditorOpeningException: Unable to initialize Suite editor
    at org.robotframework.ide.eclipse.main.plugin.tableeditor.RobotFormEditor.addPages(RobotFormEditor.java:186)
    at org.eclipse.ui.forms.editor.FormEditor.createPages(FormEditor.java:143)
    at org.eclipse.ui.part.MultiPageEditorPart.createPartControl(MultiPageEditorPart.java:333)
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.e4.compatibility.CompatibilityPart.createPartControl(CompatibilityPart.java:154)
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.e4.compatibility.CompatibilityEditor.createPartControl(CompatibilityEditor.java:96)
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.e4.compatibility.CompatibilityPart.create(CompatibilityPart.java:361)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Unknown Source)
    at org.eclipse.e4.core.internal.di.MethodRequestor.execute(MethodRequestor.java:58)
    at org.eclipse.e4.core.internal.di.InjectorImpl.processAnnotated(InjectorImpl.java:998)
    at org.eclipse.e4.core.internal.di.InjectorImpl.processAnnotated(InjectorImpl.java:963)
    at org.eclipse.e4.core.internal.di.InjectorImpl.internalInject(InjectorImpl.java:139)
    at org.eclipse.e4.core.internal.di.InjectorImpl.internalMake(InjectorImpl.java:408)
    at org.eclipse.e4.core.internal.di.InjectorImpl.make(InjectorImpl.java:331)
    at org.eclipse.e4.core.contexts.ContextInjectionFactory.make(ContextInjectionFactory.java:202)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.ReflectionContributionFactory.createFromBundle(ReflectionContributionFactory.java:91)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.ReflectionContributionFactory.doCreate(ReflectionContributionFactory.java:60)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.ReflectionContributionFactory.create(ReflectionContributionFactory.java:42)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.workbench.renderers.swt.ContributedPartRenderer.createWidget(ContributedPartRenderer.java:132)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine.createWidget(PartRenderingEngine.java:1002)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine.safeCreateGui(PartRenderingEngine.java:662)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine.safeCreateGui(PartRenderingEngine.java:768)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine.access$0(PartRenderingEngine.java:739)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine$2.run(PartRenderingEngine.java:733)
    at org.eclipse.core.runtime.SafeRunner.run(SafeRunner.java:45)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine.createGui(PartRenderingEngine.java:717)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.PartServiceImpl$1.handleEvent(PartServiceImpl.java:107)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.services.internal.events.UIEventHandler.lambda$0(UIEventHandler.java:38)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Synchronizer.syncExec(Synchronizer.java:236)
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.UISynchronizer.syncExec(UISynchronizer.java:146)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.syncExec(Display.java:4622)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.E4Application$1.syncExec(E4Application.java:219)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.services.internal.events.UIEventHandler.handleEvent(UIEventHandler.java:38)
    at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.event.EventHandlerWrapper.handleEvent(EventHandlerWrapper.java:205)
    at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.event.EventHandlerTracker.dispatchEvent(EventHandlerTracker.java:203)
    at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.event.EventHandlerTracker.dispatchEvent(EventHandlerTracker.java:1)
    at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.eventmgr.EventManager.dispatchEvent(EventManager.java:234)
    at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.eventmgr.ListenerQueue.dispatchEventSynchronous(ListenerQueue.java:151)
    at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.event.EventAdminImpl.dispatchEvent(EventAdminImpl.java:132)
    at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.event.EventAdminImpl.sendEvent(EventAdminImpl.java:75)
    at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.event.EventComponent.sendEvent(EventComponent.java:44)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.services.internal.events.EventBroker.send(EventBroker.java:55)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.UIEventPublisher.notifyChanged(UIEventPublisher.java:63)
    at org.eclipse.emf.common.notify.impl.BasicNotifierImpl.eNotify(BasicNotifierImpl.java:424)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.model.application.ui.impl.ElementContainerImpl.setSelectedElementGen(ElementContainerImpl.java:170)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.model.application.ui.impl.ElementContainerImpl.setSelectedElement(ElementContainerImpl.java:188)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.ModelServiceImpl.showElementInWindow(ModelServiceImpl.java:651)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.ModelServiceImpl.bringToTop(ModelServiceImpl.java:615)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.PartServiceImpl.delegateBringToTop(PartServiceImpl.java:790)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.PartServiceImpl.bringToTop(PartServiceImpl.java:404)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.PartServiceImpl.showPart(PartServiceImpl.java:1239)
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.busyOpenEditor(WorkbenchPage.java:3205)
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.lambda$9(WorkbenchPage.java:3110)
    at org.eclipse.swt.custom.BusyIndicator.showWhile(BusyIndicator.java:72)
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.openEditor(WorkbenchPage.java:3108)
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.openEditor(WorkbenchPage.java:3078)
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.openEditor(WorkbenchPage.java:3069)
    at org.eclipse.ui.ide.IDE.openEditor(IDE.java:570)
    at org.eclipse.ui.ide.IDE.openEditor(IDE.java:525)
    at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.ui.javaeditor.EditorUtility.openInEditor(EditorUtility.java:363)
    at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.ui.javaeditor.EditorUtility.openInEditor(EditorUtility.java:170)
    at org.eclipse.jdt.ui.actions.OpenAction.run(OpenAction.java:287)
    at org.eclipse.jdt.ui.actions.OpenAction.run(OpenAction.java:252)
    at org.eclipse.jdt.ui.actions.SelectionDispatchAction.dispatchRun(SelectionDispatchAction.java:274)
    at org.eclipse.jdt.ui.actions.SelectionDispatchAction.run(SelectionDispatchAction.java:252)
    at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.ui.navigator.OpenAndExpand.run(OpenAndExpand.java:53)
    at org.eclipse.ui.actions.RetargetAction.run(RetargetAction.java:215)
    at org.eclipse.ui.navigator.CommonNavigatorManager$1.open(CommonNavigatorManager.java:183)
    at org.eclipse.ui.OpenAndLinkWithEditorHelper$InternalListener.open(OpenAndLinkWithEditorHelper.java:48)
    at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer$2.run(StructuredViewer.java:797)
    at org.eclipse.core.runtime.SafeRunner.run(SafeRunner.java:45)
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.JFaceUtil.lambda$0(JFaceUtil.java:47)
    at org.eclipse.jface.util.SafeRunnable.run(SafeRunnable.java:174)
    at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer.fireOpen(StructuredViewer.java:794)
    at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer.handleOpen(StructuredViewer.java:1110)
    at org.eclipse.ui.navigator.CommonViewer.handleOpen(CommonViewer.java:454)
    at org.eclipse.jface.util.OpenStrategy.fireOpenEvent(OpenStrategy.java:275)
    at org.eclipse.jface.util.OpenStrategy.access$2(OpenStrategy.java:270)
    at org.eclipse.jface.util.OpenStrategy$1.handleEvent(OpenStrategy.java:310)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.EventTable.sendEvent(EventTable.java:89)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.sendEvent(Display.java:4173)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Widget.sendEvent(Widget.java:1057)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.runDeferredEvents(Display.java:3986)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.readAndDispatch(Display.java:3585)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine$5.run(PartRenderingEngine.java:1160)
    at org.eclipse.core.databinding.observable.Realm.runWithDefault(Realm.java:338)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine.run(PartRenderingEngine.java:1049)
    at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.E4Workbench.createAndRunUI(E4Workbench.java:155)
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.lambda$3(Workbench.java:633)
    at org.eclipse.core.databinding.observable.Realm.runWithDefault(Realm.java:338)
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.createAndRunWorkbench(Workbench.java:557)
    at org.eclipse.ui.PlatformUI.createAndRunWorkbench(PlatformUI.java:150)
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.ide.application.IDEApplication.start(IDEApplication.java:150)
    at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.app.EclipseAppHandle.run(EclipseAppHandle.java:203)
    at org.eclipse.core.runtime.internal.adaptor.EclipseAppLauncher.runApplication(EclipseAppLauncher.java:137)
    at org.eclipse.core.runtime.internal.adaptor.EclipseAppLauncher.start(EclipseAppLauncher.java:107)
    at org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter.run(EclipseStarter.java:400)
    at org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter.run(EclipseStarter.java:255)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Unknown Source)
    at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.invokeFramework(Main.java:660)
    at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.basicRun(Main.java:597)
    at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.run(Main.java:1468)
Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
    at org.robotframework.ide.eclipse.main.plugin.tableeditor.RobotFormEditor.addPages(RobotFormEditor.java:173)
    ... 106 more

1. I thought it was, because I wrote part of the project on my Linux machine and it saved the files with only \n at the end of lines. I converted that, but the error persists.

2. I also tried to update RED and Eclipse (by clicking on Check for Updated in Eclipse), but it didn't find any updates, so I suppose I'm using new versions of everything.

Where else could I look for a solution? Is it something with my settings?

I'm not completely sure what versions I'm using on my Linux machine, but it's regularly upgraded, so I suppose I'm using the same versions. And I didn't face these problems. It seems like it's something with file formats in Windows, but it's just an assumption I don't really know how to confirm.

Answer 1

I should read more before asking questions.

I've looked into RED open issues on github, and there's this thread: Imposible to open robot file after update. That's very similar (or the same) to my problem.

One of the answers says that RED is tested against eclipse version 2018-09, not newer versions. I downgraded my eclipse and it works like a charm :) So there's some change in newer eclipse versions that breaks it.

I consider this solved.

EDIT: just one more piece of information (in case someone struggles with the same), on Linux, even Eclipse version 2019-06 (4.12.0) and RED 0.8.13 work just fine. So it's probably OS-platform related.