FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
java version "1.7.0_06"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0_06-b24)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 23.2-b09, mixed mode)


ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Linux devaccarch 3.2.0-29-generic #46-Ubuntu SMP Fri Jul 27 17:03:23 UTC 2012 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
I'm trying to rewrite some classes from Weld with my own implementations. I don't want to touch the existing code, so I copied the classes into my own project, keeping all the dependencies to the original.

One of the classes that I want to replace is a nested private static class that I moved into a file with the name of the container class + $ + inner, and made it public. This has worked fine in other occasions.


STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
The setup is a little bit difficult to describe, but simple im maven. I haven't found an attachment feature here, so I gzipped the minimized maven project and base64-ed it.

  To unpack and run do the following:
1. put the text in the source field into a file called javac-npe-example.tar.gz.base64
2. base64 -d javac-npe-example.tar.gz.base64 > javac-npe-example.tar.gz
3. tar xzf javac-npe-example.tar.gz
4. cd dummy
5. mvn clean install

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
the compiler should either just do it's work or report a specific error message
ACTUAL -
javac fails with a NullPointerException

ERROR MESSAGES/STACK TRACES THAT OCCUR :
An exception has occurred in the compiler (1.7.0_06). Please file a bug at the Java Developer Connection (http://java.sun.com/webapps/bugreport) after checking the Bug Parade for duplicates. Include your program and the following diagnostic in your report. Thank you.
 java.lang.NullPointerException
 at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Flow.visitIdent(Flow.java:1397)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.tree.JCTree$JCIdent.accept(JCTree.java:1705)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.tree.TreeScanner.scan(TreeScanner.java:49)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Flow.scanExpr(Flow.java:549)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Flow.visitApply(Flow.java:1277)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.tree.JCTree$JCMethodInvocation.accept(JCTree.java:1321)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.tree.TreeScanner.scan(TreeScanner.java:49)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.tree.TreeScanner.visitExec(TreeScanner.java:173)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.tree.JCTree$JCExpressionStatement.accept(JCTree.java:1167)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.tree.TreeScanner.scan(TreeScanner.java:49)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Flow.scanStat(Flow.java:533)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Flow.scanStats(Flow.java:541)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Flow.visitBlock(Flow.java:801)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.tree.JCTree$JCBlock.accept(JCTree.java:781)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.tree.TreeScanner.scan(TreeScanner.java:49)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Flow.scanStat(Flow.java:533)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Flow.visitMethodDef(Flow.java:747)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.tree.JCTree$JCMethodDecl.accept(JCTree.java:669)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.tree.TreeScanner.scan(TreeScanner.java:49)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Flow.visitClassDef(Flow.java:695)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.tree.JCTree$JCClassDecl.accept(JCTree.java:591)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.tree.TreeScanner.scan(TreeScanner.java:49)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Flow.analyzeTree(Flow.java:1464)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.main.JavaCompiler.flow(JavaCompiler.java:1244)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.main.JavaCompiler.flow(JavaCompiler.java:1218)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.main.JavaCompiler.compile2(JavaCompiler.java:870)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.main.JavaCompiler.compile(JavaCompiler.java:829)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.main.Main.compile(Main.java:439)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.main.Main.compile(Main.java:353)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.main.Main.compile(Main.java:342)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.main.Main.compile(Main.java:333)
 at com.sun.tools.javac.Main.compile(Main.java:94)
 at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
 at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57)
 at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
 at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:601)
 at org.codehaus.plexus.compiler.javac.JavacCompiler.compileInProcess0(JavacCompiler.java:551)
 at org.codehaus.plexus.compiler.javac.JavacCompiler.compileInProcess(JavacCompiler.java:526)
 at org.codehaus.plexus.compiler.javac.JavacCompiler.compile(JavacCompiler.java:167)
 at org.apache.maven.plugin.AbstractCompilerMojo.execute(AbstractCompilerMojo.java:678)
 at org.apache.maven.plugin.CompilerMojo.execute(CompilerMojo.java:128)
 at org.apache.maven.plugin.DefaultBuildPluginManager.executeMojo(DefaultBuildPluginManager.java:101)
 at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute(MojoExecutor.java:209)
 at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute(MojoExecutor.java:153)
 at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute(MojoExecutor.java:145)
 at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleModuleBuilder.buildProject(LifecycleModuleBuilder.java:84)
 at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleModuleBuilder.buildProject(LifecycleModuleBuilder.java:59)
 at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleStarter.singleThreadedBuild(LifecycleStarter.java:183)
 at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleStarter.execute(LifecycleStarter.java:161)
 at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.doExecute(DefaultMaven.java:320)
 at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.execute(DefaultMaven.java:156)
 at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.execute(MavenCli.java:537)
 at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.doMain(MavenCli.java:196)
 at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.main(MavenCli.java:141)
 at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
 at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57)
 at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
 at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:601)
 at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.launchEnhanced(Launcher.java:290)
 at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.launch(Launcher.java:230)
 at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.mainWithExitCode(Launcher.java:409)
 at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.main(Launcher.java:352)


REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

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