After running the application with a debugger I finally captured the NPE with a stack trace. The exception seems to point to a problem in the JSF code:
java.lang.NullPointerException
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.jsf.CompositeComponentTagHandler$CompositeComponentMetaRuleset$CompositeMetadataTarget.findDescriptor(CompositeComponentTagHandler.java:456)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.jsf.CompositeComponentTagHandler$CompositeComponentMetaRuleset$CompositeMetadataTarget.getPropertyType(CompositeComponentTagHandler.java:424)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.jsf.CompositeComponentTagHandler$CompositeComponentRule.applyRule(CompositeComponentTagHandler.java:498)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.MetaRulesetImpl.finish(MetaRulesetImpl.java:173)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.jsf.CompositeComponentTagHandler.setAttributes(CompositeComponentTagHandler.java:223)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.jsf.CompositeComponentTagHandler.applyNextHandler(CompositeComponentTagHandler.java:183)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.jsf.ComponentTagHandlerDelegateImpl.apply(ComponentTagHandlerDelegateImpl.java:188)
at javax.faces.view.facelets.DelegatingMetaTagHandler.apply(DelegatingMetaTagHandler.java:120)
at javax.faces.view.facelets.CompositeFaceletHandler.apply(CompositeFaceletHandler.java:98)
at javax.faces.view.facelets.DelegatingMetaTagHandler.applyNextHandler(DelegatingMetaTagHandler.java:137)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.jsf.ComponentTagHandlerDelegateImpl.apply(ComponentTagHandlerDelegateImpl.java:188)
at javax.faces.view.facelets.DelegatingMetaTagHandler.apply(DelegatingMetaTagHandler.java:120)
at javax.faces.view.facelets.CompositeFaceletHandler.apply(CompositeFaceletHandler.java:98)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.ui.DefineHandler.applyDefinition(DefineHandler.java:103)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.ui.CompositionHandler.apply(CompositionHandler.java:178)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.impl.DefaultFaceletContext$TemplateManager.apply(DefaultFaceletContext.java:395)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.impl.DefaultFaceletContext.includeDefinition(DefaultFaceletContext.java:366)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.ui.InsertHandler.apply(InsertHandler.java:108)
at javax.faces.view.facelets.CompositeFaceletHandler.apply(CompositeFaceletHandler.java:98)
at javax.faces.view.facelets.DelegatingMetaTagHandler.applyNextHandler(DelegatingMetaTagHandler.java:137)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.jsf.ComponentTagHandlerDelegateImpl.apply(ComponentTagHandlerDelegateImpl.java:188)
at javax.faces.view.facelets.DelegatingMetaTagHandler.apply(DelegatingMetaTagHandler.java:120)
at javax.faces.view.facelets.CompositeFaceletHandler.apply(CompositeFaceletHandler.java:98)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.compiler.NamespaceHandler.apply(NamespaceHandler.java:93)
at javax.faces.view.facelets.CompositeFaceletHandler.apply(CompositeFaceletHandler.java:98)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.compiler.EncodingHandler.apply(EncodingHandler.java:86)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.impl.DefaultFacelet.include(DefaultFacelet.java:308)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.impl.DefaultFacelet.include(DefaultFacelet.java:367)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.impl.DefaultFacelet.include(DefaultFacelet.java:346)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.impl.DefaultFaceletContext.includeFacelet(DefaultFaceletContext.java:199)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.ui.CompositionHandler.apply(CompositionHandler.java:155)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.compiler.NamespaceHandler.apply(NamespaceHandler.java:93)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.compiler.EncodingHandler.apply(EncodingHandler.java:86)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.impl.DefaultFacelet.apply(DefaultFacelet.java:152)
at com.sun.faces.application.view.FaceletViewHandlingStrategy.buildView(FaceletViewHandlingStrategy.java:744)
at com.sun.faces.lifecycle.RenderResponsePhase.execute(RenderResponsePhase.java:100)
at com.sun.faces.lifecycle.Phase.doPhase(Phase.java:101)
at com.sun.faces.lifecycle.LifecycleImpl.render(LifecycleImpl.java:139)
at javax.faces.webapp.FacesServlet.service(FacesServlet.java:410)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:306)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:240)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:161)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:164)
at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:100)
at org.apache.catalina.valves.AccessLogValve.invoke(AccessLogValve.java:541)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:118)
at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:383)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.process(Http11Processor.java:243)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Protocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.process(Http11Protocol.java:188)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.JIoEndpoint$SocketProcessor.run(JIoEndpoint.java:288)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.runTask(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:886)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:908)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:680)
After running the application with a debugger I finally captured the NPE with a stack trace. The exception seems to point to a problem in the JSF code:
java.lang.NullPointerException
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.jsf.CompositeComponentTagHandler$CompositeComponentMetaRuleset$CompositeMetadataTarget.findDescriptor(CompositeComponentTagHandler.java:456)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.jsf.CompositeComponentTagHandler$CompositeComponentMetaRuleset$CompositeMetadataTarget.getPropertyType(CompositeComponentTagHandler.java:424)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.jsf.CompositeComponentTagHandler$CompositeComponentRule.applyRule(CompositeComponentTagHandler.java:498)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.MetaRulesetImpl.finish(MetaRulesetImpl.java:173)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.jsf.CompositeComponentTagHandler.setAttributes(CompositeComponentTagHandler.java:223)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.jsf.CompositeComponentTagHandler.applyNextHandler(CompositeComponentTagHandler.java:183)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.jsf.ComponentTagHandlerDelegateImpl.apply(ComponentTagHandlerDelegateImpl.java:188)
at javax.faces.view.facelets.DelegatingMetaTagHandler.apply(DelegatingMetaTagHandler.java:120)
at javax.faces.view.facelets.CompositeFaceletHandler.apply(CompositeFaceletHandler.java:98)
at javax.faces.view.facelets.DelegatingMetaTagHandler.applyNextHandler(DelegatingMetaTagHandler.java:137)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.jsf.ComponentTagHandlerDelegateImpl.apply(ComponentTagHandlerDelegateImpl.java:188)
at javax.faces.view.facelets.DelegatingMetaTagHandler.apply(DelegatingMetaTagHandler.java:120)
at javax.faces.view.facelets.CompositeFaceletHandler.apply(CompositeFaceletHandler.java:98)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.ui.DefineHandler.applyDefinition(DefineHandler.java:103)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.ui.CompositionHandler.apply(CompositionHandler.java:178)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.impl.DefaultFaceletContext$TemplateManager.apply(DefaultFaceletContext.java:395)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.impl.DefaultFaceletContext.includeDefinition(DefaultFaceletContext.java:366)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.ui.InsertHandler.apply(InsertHandler.java:108)
at javax.faces.view.facelets.CompositeFaceletHandler.apply(CompositeFaceletHandler.java:98)
at javax.faces.view.facelets.DelegatingMetaTagHandler.applyNextHandler(DelegatingMetaTagHandler.java:137)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.jsf.ComponentTagHandlerDelegateImpl.apply(ComponentTagHandlerDelegateImpl.java:188)
at javax.faces.view.facelets.DelegatingMetaTagHandler.apply(DelegatingMetaTagHandler.java:120)
at javax.faces.view.facelets.CompositeFaceletHandler.apply(CompositeFaceletHandler.java:98)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.compiler.NamespaceHandler.apply(NamespaceHandler.java:93)
at javax.faces.view.facelets.CompositeFaceletHandler.apply(CompositeFaceletHandler.java:98)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.compiler.EncodingHandler.apply(EncodingHandler.java:86)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.impl.DefaultFacelet.include(DefaultFacelet.java:308)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.impl.DefaultFacelet.include(DefaultFacelet.java:367)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.impl.DefaultFacelet.include(DefaultFacelet.java:346)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.impl.DefaultFaceletContext.includeFacelet(DefaultFaceletContext.java:199)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.tag.ui.CompositionHandler.apply(CompositionHandler.java:155)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.compiler.NamespaceHandler.apply(NamespaceHandler.java:93)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.compiler.EncodingHandler.apply(EncodingHandler.java:86)
at com.sun.faces.facelets.impl.DefaultFacelet.apply(DefaultFacelet.java:152)
at com.sun.faces.application.view.FaceletViewHandlingStrategy.buildView(FaceletViewHandlingStrategy.java:744)
at com.sun.faces.lifecycle.RenderResponsePhase.execute(RenderResponsePhase.java:100)
at com.sun.faces.lifecycle.Phase.doPhase(Phase.java:101)
at com.sun.faces.lifecycle.LifecycleImpl.render(LifecycleImpl.java:139)
at javax.faces.webapp.FacesServlet.service(FacesServlet.java:410)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:306)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:240)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:161)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:164)
at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:100)
at org.apache.catalina.valves.AccessLogValve.invoke(AccessLogValve.java:541)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:118)
at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:383)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.process(Http11Processor.java:243)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Protocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.process(Http11Protocol.java:188)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.JIoEndpoint$SocketProcessor.run(JIoEndpoint.java:288)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.runTask(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:886)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:908)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:680)