FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
openjdk version "1.8.0_121"
OpenJDK Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_121-b13)
OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.121-b13, mixed mode)


ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Linux zeta 4.2.5-1-ARCH #1 SMP PREEMPT Tue Oct 27 08:13:28 CET 2015 x86_64 GNU/Linux


A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
Having a static method named "Property" inside a static inner class causes javadoc to throw StringIndexOutOfBoundsException. Naming the offender method to "property", "Property_" and almost anything else solves the problem. See the attached code for a minimal example.

In the context where this issue was originally met, renaming the method is not a desirable solution.

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
Save the source code provided into RDF.java and run:

$ javadoc -d /tmp/doc org.example RDF.java




EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
Loading source file src/main/java/org/example/RDF.java...
Loading source files for package org.example...
javadoc: warning - No source files for package org.example
Constructing Javadoc information...
Standard Doclet version 1.8.0_121
Building tree for all the packages and classes...
Generating /tmp/doc/org/example/RDF.html...
Generating /tmp/doc/org/example/RDF.Init.html...
Generating /tmp/doc/org/example/package-frame.html...
Generating /tmp/doc/org/example/package-summary.html...
Generating /tmp/doc/org/example/package-tree.html...
Generating /tmp/doc/constant-values.html...
Building index for all the packages and classes...
Generating /tmp/doc/overview-tree.html...
Generating /tmp/doc/index-all.html...
Generating /tmp/doc/deprecated-list.html...
Building index for all classes...
Generating /tmp/doc/allclasses-frame.html...
Generating /tmp/doc/allclasses-noframe.html...
Generating /tmp/doc/index.html...
Generating /tmp/doc/help-doc.html...
1 warning

ACTUAL -
java.lang.StringIndexOutOfBoundsException is thrown when acessing the first char of an empty string at com.sun.tools.doclets.internal.toolkit.util.VisibleMemberMap (line 607 according to the trace). See the provided trace.

ERROR MESSAGES/STACK TRACES THAT OCCUR :
Loading source file src/main/java/org/example/RDF.java...
Loading source files for package org.example...
javadoc: warning - No source files for package org.example
Constructing Javadoc information...
Standard Doclet version 1.8.0_121
Building tree for all the packages and classes...
Generating /tmp/doc/org/example/RDF.html...
Generating /tmp/doc/org/example/RDF.Init.html...
java.lang.StringIndexOutOfBoundsException: String index out of range: 0
at java.lang.String.charAt(String.java:658)
at com.sun.tools.doclets.internal.toolkit.util.VisibleMemberMap$ClassMembers.getterForField(VisibleMemberMap.java:607)
at com.sun.tools.doclets.internal.toolkit.util.VisibleMemberMap$ClassMembers.properties(VisibleMemberMap.java:552)
at com.sun.tools.doclets.internal.toolkit.util.VisibleMemberMap$ClassMembers.getClassMembers(VisibleMemberMap.java:467)
at com.sun.tools.doclets.internal.toolkit.util.VisibleMemberMap$ClassMembers.addMembers(VisibleMemberMap.java:372)
at com.sun.tools.doclets.internal.toolkit.util.VisibleMemberMap$ClassMembers.mapClass(VisibleMemberMap.java:346)
at com.sun.tools.doclets.internal.toolkit.util.VisibleMemberMap$ClassMembers.build(VisibleMemberMap.java:341)
at com.sun.tools.doclets.internal.toolkit.util.VisibleMemberMap$ClassMembers.access$100(VisibleMemberMap.java:291)
at com.sun.tools.doclets.internal.toolkit.util.VisibleMemberMap.<init>(VisibleMemberMap.java:127)
at com.sun.tools.doclets.internal.toolkit.builders.MemberSummaryBuilder.<init>(MemberSummaryBuilder.java:82)
at com.sun.tools.doclets.internal.toolkit.builders.MemberSummaryBuilder.getInstance(MemberSummaryBuilder.java:101)
at com.sun.tools.doclets.internal.toolkit.builders.BuilderFactory.getMemberSummaryBuilder(BuilderFactory.java:278)
at com.sun.tools.doclets.formats.html.ClassWriterImpl.getNavSummaryLinks(ClassWriterImpl.java:641)
at com.sun.tools.doclets.formats.html.ClassWriterImpl.addSummaryDetailLinks(ClassWriterImpl.java:622)
at com.sun.tools.doclets.formats.html.HtmlDocletWriter.addNavLinks(HtmlDocletWriter.java:560)
at com.sun.tools.doclets.formats.html.ClassWriterImpl.getHeader(ClassWriterImpl.java:165)
at com.sun.tools.doclets.internal.toolkit.builders.ClassBuilder.buildClassDoc(ClassBuilder.java:145)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:498)
at com.sun.tools.doclets.internal.toolkit.builders.AbstractBuilder.invokeMethod(AbstractBuilder.java:187)
at com.sun.tools.doclets.internal.toolkit.builders.AbstractBuilder.build(AbstractBuilder.java:135)
at com.sun.tools.doclets.internal.toolkit.builders.ClassBuilder.build(ClassBuilder.java:120)
at com.sun.tools.doclets.formats.html.HtmlDoclet.generateClassFiles(HtmlDoclet.java:189)
at com.sun.tools.doclets.internal.toolkit.AbstractDoclet.generateClassFiles(AbstractDoclet.java:194)
at com.sun.tools.doclets.internal.toolkit.AbstractDoclet.startGeneration(AbstractDoclet.java:139)
at com.sun.tools.doclets.internal.toolkit.AbstractDoclet.start(AbstractDoclet.java:82)
at com.sun.tools.doclets.formats.html.HtmlDoclet.start(HtmlDoclet.java:80)
at com.sun.tools.doclets.standard.Standard.start(Standard.java:39)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:498)
at com.sun.tools.javadoc.DocletInvoker.invoke(DocletInvoker.java:310)
at com.sun.tools.javadoc.DocletInvoker.start(DocletInvoker.java:189)
at com.sun.tools.javadoc.Start.parseAndExecute(Start.java:366)
at com.sun.tools.javadoc.Start.begin(Start.java:219)
at com.sun.tools.javadoc.Start.begin(Start.java:205)
at com.sun.tools.javadoc.Main.execute(Main.java:64)
at com.sun.tools.javadoc.Main.main(Main.java:54)
javadoc: error - String index out of range: 0
1 error
1 warning


REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
package org.example;

public class RDF {
    public static final String Property = Init.Property();
// public static final String Property = "Property";
    public static final String List = Init.List();

    public static class Init {
        //this field breaks javadoc
        //comment it and replace the Property field of the outer class
        public static String Property() { return "Property"; }

        //"List" and several other names used in the Apache Jena RDF and RDFS class are OK
        public static String List() { return "List"; }
    }
}

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

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
Changing the static method name from Property to Property_ or anything else fixes the issue (note that "List" does cause the isse.