FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
java version "1.8.0_05"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_05-b13)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.5-b02, mixed mode)

ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Mac OS X 10.9.4

EXTRA RELEVANT SYSTEM CONFIGURATION :
Using Eclipse Luna 4.4.0

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
The sample code provided to create an AppleScript engine that can be used to evaluate AppleScript code does not work. Instead of returning an AppleScript engine, a null pointer exception is thrown.



ADDITIONAL REGRESSION INFORMATION:
There is an extensive thread on this here:
http://mail.openjdk.java.net/pipermail/macosx-port-dev/2014-February/006477.html

The problem doesn't affect all Macs; there is speculation that leftover bits from an earlier Java installation may prevent the problem.

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
public class XTensionInterface {

protected ScriptEngineManager mgr;
protected ScriptEngine engine;

// Constructor
protected XTensionInterface() {
mgr = new ScriptEngineManager();
engine = mgr.getEngineByName("AppleScript");
if( engine == null ) System.out.println( "null AppleScript engine"); // comes back null!
}

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
The "engine" member should contain an AppleScript engine, but instead is null
ACTUAL -
null pointer exception

ERROR MESSAGES/STACK TRACES THAT OCCUR :
no useful log information, just null pointer

REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
package xtensionstuff;

// http://lists.apple.com/archives/java-dev/2008/Aug/msg00093.html (re Java & AppleScript)

import javax.script.ScriptEngine;
import javax.script.ScriptEngineManager;
import javax.script.ScriptException;

public class XTensionInterface {

protected ScriptEngineManager mgr;
protected ScriptEngine engine;

// Constructor
protected XTensionInterface() {
mgr = new ScriptEngineManager();
engine = mgr.getEngineByName("AppleScript");
if( engine == null ) System.out.println( "null AppleScript engine"); // comes back null!
}

public void getValueOfUnit( String unitName ) throws ScriptException {
String theCmd = "tell application \"XTension\" of machine \"eppc://usernme:password@minime.lan\" to get value of \"" +
unitName + "\"";
System.out.println( theCmd );
theCmd = "2 + 105"; (or any other AppleScript code)
Object retVal = engine.eval( theCmd );
System.out.println ( retVal );
}

public static void main(String[] args) throws ScriptException {
XTensionInterface myXTI = new XTensionInterface();
myXTI.getValueOfUnit( "Barionet 50 Temp 3 (outside)" );
} // closes main

} // closes class XTensionInterface

---------- END SOURCE ----------

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
None that I can find