JavaFX InvocationTargetException thrown when trying to create a Button

Question

I have been experiencing some weird behavior. I'm trying to write a simple GUI to help me interact with my University Project, so I am not using fxml. Up to this point everything worked fine with JavaFX - I could create Scenes, canvases etc. But when I try to create a Button it throws an error. Even when this is the only thing I am trying to do, i.e.:

public class SnakePlayback extends Application {

public static void main(String[] args) {
    launch(args);
}

@Override
public void start(Stage primaryStage) {
    Button button = new Button("text");
}
}

This is the error I am getting:

Exception in Application start method java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62) at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43) at java.base/java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:566) at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.LauncherImpl.launchApplicationWithArgs(LauncherImpl.java:464) at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.LauncherImpl.launchApplication(LauncherImpl.java:363) at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62) at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43) at java.base/java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:566) at java.base/sun.launcher.LauncherHelper$FXHelper.main(LauncherHelper.java:1051) Caused by: java.lang.RuntimeException: Exception in Application start method at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.LauncherImpl.launchApplication1(LauncherImpl.java:900) at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.LauncherImpl.lambda$launchApplication$2(LauncherImpl.java:195) at java.base/java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:834) Caused by: java.lang.IllegalAccessError: superclass access check failed: class com.sun.javafx.scene.control.ControlHelper (in unnamed module @0x84d43ff) cannot access class com.sun.javafx.scene.layout.RegionHelper (in module javafx.graphics) because module javafx.graphics does not export com.sun.javafx.scene.layout to unnamed module @0x84d43ff at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass1(Native Method) at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass(ClassLoader.java:1016) at java.base/java.security.SecureClassLoader.defineClass(SecureClassLoader.java:174) at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.BuiltinClassLoader.defineClass(BuiltinClassLoader.java:802) at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.BuiltinClassLoader.findClassOnClassPathOrNull(BuiltinClassLoader.java:700) at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.BuiltinClassLoader.loadClassOrNull(BuiltinClassLoader.java:623) at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.BuiltinClassLoader.loadClass(BuiltinClassLoader.java:581) at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.ClassLoaders$AppClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoaders.java:178) at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:521) at javafx.scene.control.Control.(Control.java:86) at GUI.SnakePlayback.start(SnakePlayback.java:30) at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.LauncherImpl.lambda$launchApplication1$9(LauncherImpl.java:846) at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl.lambda$runAndWait$12(PlatformImpl.java:455) at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl.lambda$runLater$10(PlatformImpl.java:428) at java.base/java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method) at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl.lambda$runLater$11(PlatformImpl.java:427) at javafx.graphics/com.sun.glass.ui.InvokeLaterDispatcher$Future.run(InvokeLaterDispatcher.java:96) at javafx.graphics/com.sun.glass.ui.win.WinApplication._runLoop(Native Method) at javafx.graphics/com.sun.glass.ui.win.WinApplication.lambda$runLoop$3(WinApplication.java:174) ... 1 more Exception running application GUI.SnakePlayback

What I could read from that is that it is possibly an error related to a reflection. It is not the first time I see this when trying to create a button! Last time all it took to throw an exception was just declaring a button, i.e.:

Button button;

This time, however, I really need to use buttons.

See: How to create a Minimal, Complete, and Verifiable example. Follow the link. Read it. The code you posted will not duplicate your problem. — Sedrick
I agree - it does not duplicate a problem. I am not sure how to do it, though. I posted all the code that there is in my GUI class (skipped the imports, but they are all from JavaFX packages). From my point of view this error does not make any sense. I can use other JavaFX components so it is probably not related to the JavaFX 'installation'. — snoug
Possible duplicate of getting java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException while adding a button to layout — Slaw

Soundous Bahri Soundous Bahri · Accepted Answer · 2019-08-29T17:15:51

You're getting this because you're using controlsfx (which contains the Button class) which requires a module called graphics

....(in module javafx.graphics) because module javafx.graphics does not export com.sun.javafx.scene.layout to unnamed module

If you're using Java11 you need to add the graphics module to the VM options.

If you're using Java12 you need to remove the VM options in order for it to work.

Check out this article Set Up JavaFx on IntelliJ

JavaFX InvocationTargetException thrown when trying to create a Button

1 Answers