error starting bean creates redirect loop

[scphantm.scphantm.gmail.com]

in my conversation i have a component bean that runs the whole conversation. when the bean initiates, it has to run a transaction to another system in the constructor.  i have the exception handling system configured to route to an error page on a connectino exception to my other system.  when an exception occurs in that constructor, it tries to route to the error page but it causes a redirect loop for some reason.  i researched it and it seems to be some kind of problem in JBPM 3 itself.  its supposed to be fixed in JBPM 4.1, but i was wondering if there was a current work around

09:40:30,823 ERROR [viewhandler] Error Rendering View[/mainmenu.xhtml]
org.jboss.seam.InstantiationException: Could not instantiate Seam component: menuBackingEJB

thats the log from when it couldn't start the bean, here is the loop exception

java.lang.NullPointerException: Argument Error: Parameter message is null
     at com.sun.faces.util.Util.notNull(Util.java:240)
     at com.sun.faces.context.FacesContextImpl.addMessage(FacesContextImpl.java:322)
     at org.jboss.seam.faces.FacesMessages.beforeRenderResponse(FacesMessages.java:46)
     at org.jboss.seam.jsf.SeamPhaseListener.beforeRenderResponse(SeamPhaseListener.java:484)
     at org.jboss.seam.jsf.SeamPhaseListener.beforeServletPhase(SeamPhaseListener.java:148)
     at org.jboss.seam.jsf.SeamPhaseListener.beforePhase(SeamPhaseListener.java:118)
     at com.sun.faces.lifecycle.Phase.handleBeforePhase(Phase.java:214)
     at com.sun.faces.lifecycle.Phase.doPhase(Phase.java:96)
     at com.sun.faces.lifecycle.LifecycleImpl.render(LifecycleImpl.java:139)
     at javax.faces.webapp.FacesServlet.service(FacesServlet.java:266)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:290)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
     at org.jboss.seam.servlet.SeamFilter$FilterChainImpl.doFilter(SeamFilter.java:83)
     at org.jboss.seam.web.RewriteFilter.doFilter(RewriteFilter.java:63)
     at org.jboss.seam.servlet.SeamFilter$FilterChainImpl.doFilter(SeamFilter.java:69)
     at org.jboss.seam.web.IdentityFilter.doFilter(IdentityFilter.java:40)
     at org.jboss.seam.servlet.SeamFilter$FilterChainImpl.doFilter(SeamFilter.java:69)
     at org.jboss.seam.web.MultipartFilter.doFilter(MultipartFilter.java:90)
     at org.jboss.seam.servlet.SeamFilter$FilterChainImpl.doFilter(SeamFilter.java:69)
     at org.jboss.seam.web.ExceptionFilter.doFilter(ExceptionFilter.java:64)
     at org.jboss.seam.servlet.SeamFilter$FilterChainImpl.doFilter(SeamFilter.java:69)
     at org.jboss.seam.web.RedirectFilter.doFilter(RedirectFilter.java:45)
     at org.jboss.seam.servlet.SeamFilter$FilterChainImpl.doFilter(SeamFilter.java:69)
     at org.jboss.seam.web.CharacterEncodingFilter.doFilter(CharacterEncodingFilter.java:42)
     at org.jboss.seam.servlet.SeamFilter$FilterChainImpl.doFilter(SeamFilter.java:69)
     at org.ajax4jsf.webapp.BaseXMLFilter.doXmlFilter(BaseXMLFilter.java:178)
     at org.ajax4jsf.webapp.BaseFilter.handleRequest(BaseFilter.java:290)
     at org.ajax4jsf.webapp.BaseFilter.processUploadsAndHandleRequest(BaseFilter.java:388)
     at org.ajax4jsf.webapp.BaseFilter.doFilter(BaseFilter.java:515)
     at org.jboss.seam.web.Ajax4jsfFilter.doFilter(Ajax4jsfFilter.java:56)
     at org.jboss.seam.servlet.SeamFilter$FilterChainImpl.doFilter(SeamFilter.java:69)
     at org.jboss.seam.web.LoggingFilter.doFilter(LoggingFilter.java:60)
     at org.jboss.seam.servlet.SeamFilter$FilterChainImpl.doFilter(SeamFilter.java:69)
     at org.jboss.seam.servlet.SeamFilter.doFilter(SeamFilter.java:158)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:235)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
     at org.jboss.web.tomcat.filters.ReplyHeaderFilter.doFilter(ReplyHeaderFilter.java:96)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:235)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:235)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:191)
     at org.jboss.web.tomcat.security.SecurityAssociationValve.invoke(SecurityAssociationValve.java:190)
     at org.apache.catalina.authenticator.AuthenticatorBase.invoke(AuthenticatorBase.java:433)
     at org.jboss.web.tomcat.security.JaccContextValve.invoke(JaccContextValve.java:92)
     at org.jboss.web.tomcat.security.SecurityContextEstablishmentValve.process(SecurityContextEstablishmentValve.java:126)
     at org.jboss.web.tomcat.security.SecurityContextEstablishmentValve.invoke(SecurityContextEstablishmentValve.java:70)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:127)
     at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:102)
     at org.jboss.web.tomcat.service.jca.CachedConnectionValve.invoke(CachedConnectionValve.java:158)
     at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:109)
     at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:330)
     at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.process(Http11Processor.java:829)
     at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Protocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.process(Http11Protocol.java:598)
     at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.JIoEndpoint$Worker.run(JIoEndpoint.java:447)
     at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:619)

[blabno]

I propose moving code causing exception to @Create annotated method.

[scphantm.scphantm.gmail.com]

it already is.  sorry, i just looked in the code again, it is under a create and begin annotation.  that method throws my exception.

[blabno]

It seems that Seam is adding NULL message. Try debug and see if StatusMessages contains any null. If so then set a breakpoint in StatusMessages.add and see which method tries to add such a message.

[scphantm.scphantm.gmail.com]

my system isn't set up for a debugger, usually causes more headachs than helps in my experience.  i added this to no avail

FacesMessages.instance().add("Failed to connect to the server");
               throw new TransFailException();

didn't help.  is there a way i can override facesmessages with my own class and add some logging there to figure it out?

[scphantm.scphantm.gmail.com]

i got it to work, at least in my limited requirements.  here is the method i had to add to a seam component

@Observer("org.jboss.seam.afterPhase")
     public void checkAfterPhase()
     {
          try
          {
               List<FacesMessage> fms = FacesMessages.instance().getCurrentMessages();
               FacesMessages.instance().clear();

               for (FacesMessage fm : fms)
               {
                    if (fm != null)
                    {
                         FacesMessages.instance().add(fm);
                    }
               }
          } catch (java.lang.IllegalStateException ise)
          {
          }
     }