jmeter throwing "Empty TestPlan - see log file" while opening a test plan

Question

I am using jmeter 2.11 on macbook pro.

Jmeter throws an exception in the UI saying "Empty TestPlan - see log file", when I try to open a .jmx file which was created by my colleague. Its opening perfectly for him.

jmeter.log

2014/07/14 16:56:18 INFO  - jmeter.gui.action.Load: Loading file: /Users/mycompany/Documents/workspace/http-server/src/main/loadtests/test-plan-big-data.jmx 
2014/07/14 16:56:18 INFO  - jmeter.services.FileServer: Set new base='/Users/mycompany/Documents/workspace/http-server/src/main/loadtests' 
2014/07/14 16:56:18 ERROR - jmeter.save.SaveService: Conversion error com.thoughtworks.xstream.converters.ConversionException: -1 : -1
---- Debugging information ----
message             : -1
cause-exception     : java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException
cause-message       : -1
class               : org.apache.jmeter.testelement.property.DoubleProperty
required-type       : org.apache.jmeter.testelement.property.DoubleProperty
converter-type      : com.thoughtworks.xstream.converters.reflection.ReflectionConverter
path                : /jmeterTestPlan/hashTree/hashTree/hashTree/ConstantThroughputTimer/doubleProp/name
line number         : 10151
class[1]            : org.apache.jmeter.timers.ConstantThroughputTimer
converter-type[1]   : org.apache.jmeter.save.converters.TestElementConverter
class[2]            : org.apache.jorphan.collections.ListedHashTree
converter-type[2]   : org.apache.jmeter.save.converters.HashTreeConverter
------------------------------- : -1 : -1
---- Debugging information ----
message             : -1
cause-exception     : java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException
cause-message       : -1
class               : org.apache.jmeter.testelement.property.DoubleProperty
required-type       : org.apache.jmeter.testelement.property.DoubleProperty
converter-type      : com.thoughtworks.xstream.converters.reflection.ReflectionConverter
path                : /jmeterTestPlan/hashTree/hashTree/hashTree/ConstantThroughputTimer/doubleProp/name
line number         : 10151
class[1]            : org.apache.jmeter.timers.ConstantThroughputTimer
converter-type[1]   : org.apache.jmeter.save.converters.TestElementConverter
class[2]            : org.apache.jorphan.collections.ListedHashTree
converter-type[2]   : org.apache.jmeter.save.converters.HashTreeConverter
-------------------------------
message             : -1 : -1
---- Debugging information ----
message             : -1
cause-exception     : java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException
cause-message       : -1
class               : org.apache.jmeter.testelement.property.DoubleProperty
required-type       : org.apache.jmeter.testelement.property.DoubleProperty
converter-type      : com.thoughtworks.xstream.converters.reflection.ReflectionConverter
path                : /jmeterTestPlan/hashTree/hashTree/hashTree/ConstantThroughputTimer/doubleProp/name
line number         : 10151
class[1]            : org.apache.jmeter.timers.ConstantThroughputTimer
converter-type[1]   : org.apache.jmeter.save.converters.TestElementConverter
class[2]            : org.apache.jorphan.collections.ListedHashTree
converter-type[2]   : org.apache.jmeter.save.converters.HashTreeConverter
-------------------------------
cause-exception     : com.thoughtworks.xstream.converters.ConversionException
cause-message       : -1 : -1
first-jmeter-class  : org.apache.jmeter.save.converters.TestElementConverter.unmarshal(TestElementConverter.java:107)
class               : org.apache.jmeter.save.ScriptWrapper
required-type       : org.apache.jmeter.testelement.property.DoubleProperty
converter-type      : org.apache.jmeter.save.ScriptWrapperConverter
path                : /jmeterTestPlan/hashTree/hashTree/hashTree/ConstantThroughputTimer/doubleProp/name
line number         : 10151
version             : 2.11 r1554548
------------------------------- 
2014/07/14 16:56:18 WARN  - jmeter.gui.action.Load: Unexpected error org.apache.jmeter.exceptions.IllegalUserActionException: Empty TestPlan - see log file
    at org.apache.jmeter.gui.action.Load.insertLoadedTree(Load.java:174)
    at org.apache.jmeter.gui.action.Load.loadProjectFile(Load.java:136)
    at org.apache.jmeter.gui.action.Load.loadProjectFile(Load.java:105)
    at org.apache.jmeter.gui.action.Load.doAction(Load.java:92)
    at org.apache.jmeter.gui.action.ActionRouter.performAction(ActionRouter.java:81)
    at org.apache.jmeter.gui.action.ActionRouter.access$000(ActionRouter.java:40)
    at org.apache.jmeter.gui.action.ActionRouter$1.run(ActionRouter.java:63)
    at java.awt.event.InvocationEvent.dispatch(InvocationEvent.java:311)
    at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEventImpl(EventQueue.java:744)
    at java.awt.EventQueue.access$400(EventQueue.java:97)
    at java.awt.EventQueue$3.run(EventQueue.java:697)
    at java.awt.EventQueue$3.run(EventQueue.java:691)
    at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
    at java.security.ProtectionDomain$1.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:75)
    at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(EventQueue.java:714)
    at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters(EventDispatchThread.java:201)
    at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(EventDispatchThread.java:116)
    at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(EventDispatchThread.java:105)
    at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:101)
    at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:93)
    at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(EventDispatchThread.java:82)

Answer 1

What is java --version command output for you and your colleague?

As per JMeter 2.11: Top 5 Features and Updates guide JMeter 2.11 requires Java 6 to run as it's being built using this Java SDK version.

I would recommend switching to Java 6 SDK from Oracle and if your PC/OS is 64-bit take 64-bit version of Java SDK and see whether it resolves your issue.

There is a Bug 56080 which looks pretty like a cause for the error you're getting so switching to Java 6 may resolve it for you.