Steps to create the problem:
1. Create a report library with a parameter group.
1. Create a report library
2. Add a report parameter group.
3. Add two text parameters under the group.
4. Save report library
2. Use the parameter group in report, modify a parameter
1. Create a new report.
2. Add the report parameter group from the library.
3. Edit the 2nd text parameter, change to "Hidden".
4. Save report
5. Close report.
6. Reopen report.

Error: Could not open the editor: An unexpected exception was thrown.

java.lang.NullPointerException
at org.eclipse.birt.report.model.parser.PropertyState.generalJumpTo(PropertyState.java:348)
at org.eclipse.birt.report.model.parser.AbstractPropertyState.jumpTo(AbstractPropertyState.java:582)
at org.eclipse.birt.report.model.parser.ModuleParserHandler.startElement(ModuleParserHandler.java:251)
at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.AbstractSAXParser.startElement(AbstractSAXParser.java:501)
at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.scanStartElement(XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.java:1359)
at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl$FragmentContentDriver.next(XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.java:2747)
at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentScannerImpl.next(XMLDocumentScannerImpl.java:648)
at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.scanDocument(XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.java:510)
at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(XML11Configuration.java:807)
at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(XML11Configuration.java:737)
at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.XMLParser.parse(XMLParser.java:107)
at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.AbstractSAXParser.parse(AbstractSAXParser.java:1205)
at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.jaxp.SAXParserImpl$JAXPSAXParser.parse(SAXParserImpl.java:522)
at javax.xml.parsers.SAXParser.parse(SAXParser.java:395)
at org.eclipse.birt.report.model.parser.ModuleReader.readModule(ModuleReader.java:94)
at org.eclipse.birt.report.model.parser.GenericModuleReader.read(GenericModuleReader.java:84)
at org.eclipse.birt.report.model.core.DesignSessionImpl.openModule(DesignSessionImpl.java:410)
at org.eclipse.birt.report.model.core.DesignSessionImpl.openModule(DesignSessionImpl.java:384)
at org.eclipse.birt.report.model.api.ModuleUtil.checkVersion(ModuleUtil.java:626)
at org.eclipse.birt.report.model.api.ModuleUtil.checkVersion(ModuleUtil.java:729)
at org.eclipse.birt.report.designer.ui.editors.MultiPageReportEditor.addPages(MultiPageReportEditor.java:376)
at org.eclipse.birt.report.designer.ui.editors.IDEMultiPageReportEditor.addPages(IDEMultiPageReportEditor.java:329)
at org.eclipse.ui.forms.editor.FormEditor.createPages(FormEditor.java:138)
at org.eclipse.ui.part.MultiPageEditorPart.createPartControl(MultiPageEditorPart.java:357)
at org.eclipse.birt.report.designer.ui.editors.ReportEditorProxy.createPartControl(ReportEditorProxy.java:177)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.EditorReference.createPartHelper(EditorReference.java:662)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.EditorReference.createPart(EditorReference.java:462)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPartReference.getPart(WorkbenchPartReference.java:595)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.EditorReference.getEditor(EditorReference.java:286)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.busyOpenEditorBatched(WorkbenchPage.java:2857)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.busyOpenEditor(WorkbenchPage.java:2762)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.access$11(WorkbenchPage.java:2754)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage$10.run(WorkbenchPage.java:2705)
at org.eclipse.swt.custom.BusyIndicator.showWhile(BusyIndicator.java:70)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.openEditor(WorkbenchPage.java:2701)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.openEditor(WorkbenchPage.java:2685)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.openEditor(WorkbenchPage.java:2676)
at org.eclipse.ui.ide.IDE.openEditor(IDE.java:651)
at org.eclipse.ui.ide.IDE.openEditor(IDE.java:610)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.ui.javaeditor.EditorUtility.openInEditor(EditorUtility.java:361)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.ui.javaeditor.EditorUtility.openInEditor(EditorUtility.java:168)
at org.eclipse.jdt.ui.actions.OpenAction.run(OpenAction.java:229)
at org.eclipse.jdt.ui.actions.OpenAction.run(OpenAction.java:208)
at org.eclipse.jdt.ui.actions.SelectionDispatchAction.dispatchRun(SelectionDispatchAction.java:274)
at org.eclipse.jdt.ui.actions.SelectionDispatchAction.run(SelectionDispatchAction.java:250)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.ui.packageview.PackageExplorerActionGroup.handleOpen(PackageExplorerActionGroup.java:373)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.ui.packageview.PackageExplorerPart$4.open(PackageExplorerPart.java:526)
at org.eclipse.ui.OpenAndLinkWithEditorHelper$InternalListener.open(OpenAndLinkWithEditorHelper.java:48)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer$2.run(StructuredViewer.java:842)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.SafeRunner.run(SafeRunner.java:42)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.Platform.run(Platform.java:888)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.JFaceUtil$1.run(JFaceUtil.java:48)
at org.eclipse.jface.util.SafeRunnable.run(SafeRunnable.java:175)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer.fireOpen(StructuredViewer.java:840)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer.handleOpen(StructuredViewer.java:1101)
at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer$6.handleOpen(StructuredViewer.java:1205)
at org.eclipse.jface.util.OpenStrategy.fireOpenEvent(OpenStrategy.java:264)
at org.eclipse.jface.util.OpenStrategy.access$2(OpenStrategy.java:258)
at org.eclipse.jface.util.OpenStrategy$1.handleEvent(OpenStrategy.java:298)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.EventTable.sendEvent(EventTable.java:84)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Widget.sendEvent(Widget.java:1003)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.runDeferredEvents(Display.java:3910)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.readAndDispatch(Display.java:3503)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.runEventLoop(Workbench.java:2405)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.runUI(Workbench.java:2369)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.access$4(Workbench.java:2221)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench$5.run(Workbench.java:500)
at org.eclipse.core.databinding.observable.Realm.runWithDefault(Realm.java:332)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.createAndRunWorkbench(Workbench.java:493)
at org.eclipse.ui.PlatformUI.createAndRunWorkbench(PlatformUI.java:149)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.ide.application.IDEApplication.start(IDEApplication.java:113)
at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.app.EclipseAppHandle.run(EclipseAppHandle.java:194)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.internal.adaptor.EclipseAppLauncher.runApplication(EclipseAppLauncher.java:110)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.internal.adaptor.EclipseAppLauncher.start(EclipseAppLauncher.java:79)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter.run(EclipseStarter.java:368)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter.run(EclipseStarter.java:179)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.invokeFramework(Main.java:559)
at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.basicRun(Main.java:514)
at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.run(Main.java:1311)

Everything I have read says that you should be able to change attributes of library components within a report in order to tailor to specific needs of the report. So is this a bug? Or is this not a supported feature?

jdevanoff,

I am afraid, I cannot reproduce this issue. Can you answer below queries -
1. Can you copy and paste your installation details? Open MyEclipse IDE, from menu options click on MyEclipse > Installation Summary > Installation Details.
2. Have you upgraded your MyEclipse IDE, or upgraded your BIRT reports?
I also tried to research your issue over the net and came across below weblinks. This does not look like MyEclipse issue, but more BIRT issue. I would recommend you research this on BIRT forums and cross-post
1. https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?format=multiple&id=307895
2. http://www.birt-exchange.org/org/forum/index.php/topic/19263-reports-failing-to-parse-with-embedded-reportengine/page__s__4c497d316a3acac273df2d4389df35a8

I have not performed any updates to the IDE since my original installation in December 2010. The bug happens with new reports in a new library.

You had better research results than I did. Guess I should have searched using the error stack. Both posts were spot on. Also, I found the same result as the second post when putting the report and library in the same directory - works as expected. The problem only occurs when report and library are in different directories. Another thing to note is that I can deploy the report and it works fine. Opening it in the designer is the only problem.

I will cross post on the BIRT forums and board now that I know the issue is not specific to MyEclipse.

Installation details as requested.
** System properties:
OS=WindowsXP
OS version=5.1.0
Java version=1.6.0_13

*** MyEclipse details:
MyEclipse Enterprise Workbench
Version: 8.6
Build id: 8.6-20100806

*** Eclipse details:
MyEclipse Enterprise Workbench
Version: 8.6
Build id: 8.6-20100806

Eclipse startup command=-os
win32
-ws
win32
-arch
x86
-showsplash
-launcher
C:\Program Files\Genuitec1\MyEclipse-8.6\myeclipse.exe
-name
Myeclipse
--launcher.library
C:\Program Files\Genuitec1\MyEclipse-8.6\../Common/plugins/org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.win32.win32.x86_1.0.200.v20090519\eclipse_1206.dll
-startup
C:\Program Files\Genuitec1\MyEclipse-8.6\../Common/plugins/org.eclipse.equinox.launcher_1.0.201.R35x_v20090715.jar
-install
C:/Program Files/Genuitec1/MyEclipse-8.6
-configuration
configuration
-vm
C:/Program Files/Genuitec1/Common/binary/com.sun.java.jdk.win32.x86_1.6.0.013/jre/bin/client/jvm.dll

Joy,
I just noticed the screen shot. It took a while to display, so I wrote my original reply prior to seeing it. Note that the parameter group in your report design does NOT have the icon indicating the parameter group was added from the library. Please try the report design again, adding it from the library. Then modify something on one of the parameters in the group (I made one parameter hidden). Also, be sure to close and then re-open the report design as the error occurs only when reopening the report.

jdevanoff,

Can you upgrade to ME 9.0 M2 and recheck. I believe this issue is fixed in ME 9.0 M2.

Best.