FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
jre 1.5.0_05

ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Windows 2000 5.00.2195 SP4

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
In the synth file format, any color statement with a color greater than #7FFFFFFF will cause the SynthParser to throw a ParseException, stating that it is an invalid color. These should be valid color values. Note that without the alpha component, the full range from #000000 to #FFFFFF works correctly.

It seems likely that the SynthParser startColor method has problems decoding hex values that are negative Integers.

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
Use the Java Synth skinning technology. Put a color statement in the XML file with a value greater than #7FFFFFFF. The value that I originally tried to use was #FFFFFF40, which would a highly transparent white color.

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
I was expecting to see a specific panel have a highly transparent white color.
ACTUAL -
Instead, an exception was thrown: Invalid color #FFFFFF40 null

ERROR MESSAGES/STACK TRACES THAT OCCUR :
ParseException

Exception:
Error parsing: org.xml.sax.SAXException: Invalid Color value: #FFFFFF40 null
class java.text.ParseException
javax.swing.plaf.synth.SynthParser.parse(Unknown Source)
javax.swing.plaf.synth.SynthLookAndFeel.load(Unknown Source)
com.d2audio.blackcomb.gui.Plaf.setSynthLookAndFeel(Plaf.java:28)
com.d2audio.blackcomb.ApplicationManager.initialize(ApplicationManager.java:244)
com.d2audio.blackcomb.ApplicationManager.main(ApplicationManager.java:65)

REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
Here is a piece of the synth XML file. If you change the background color value to #77777780 (for example), it will work fine.

  <style id="csubpanel">
    <insets top="1" left="1" bottom="1" right="1" />
    <opaque value="true" />
    <state>
      <imagePainter method="panelBorder" path="res/d2audio/glass_border.png"
        sourceInsets="1 1 1 1" paintCenter="false" stretch="true" />
      <color type="BACKGROUND" value="#FFFFFF40" />
    </state>
  </style>
  <bind style="csubpanel" type="name" key="csubpanel.*"/>
---------- END SOURCE ----------

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
For now I will settle with no alpha component setting or pick a darker grey tone. If I must have the white color, I can use an image painter, but this will slow down progress.