Product Version = NetBeans IDE 8.1 (Build 201510222201)
Operating System = Windows 10 version 10.0 running on amd64
Java; VM; Vendor = 1.8.0_102
Runtime = Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM 25.102-b14

Reproducibility: Happens every time

ERROR:

netbeans is showing errors for a protected static field from a Java base class.  

It is Not an error and the Groovy class runs correctly as a Unit Test with JUnit program.  However Netbeans insists there is an error.

Furthermore, the error shows ONLY in ONE method.  I made a dummy test that logs "Hello world" it does not show as an error.

When I past that exact line into the "public static" method, setUpClass() it shows an error on the lines:

               LOG.info( "  "  );
               LOG.info( testName +": ready."  );

Both LOG and testName are protected static member variables from the base class

When I change:

            public static void setUpClass(){...}    //   is STATIC

To be:

            public void setUpClass(){...}   //  Not  STATIC

The error goes away; clearly Netbeans 'thinks' that the static base class variables are NOT Static!!

This is wrong.  It wastes time looking at errors that are not errors in classes and on the project tree when we want to be doing productive work and running test cases. 

 We have to check in case there are  real errors to be fixed.  It is more than annoying, it is costing money in lost time and lost production.


STEPS:
  * There are several base classes with common code used in Testing with the database and server
  * Base class UnitTestingBase,  declares and initialises a Logger LOG as protected static
  * An intermediate class ServerTesting extends UnitTestingBase
  * A Groovy test class later extends ServerTesting
  * Add a dummy test @Test hello (not static)
  * Add a static test setup method: @BeforeClass setUpClass () // static
  * In both methods add the line:
                LOG.info("hello world");

ACTUAL:
  An error shows in the project tree and in the file for the LOG use in the setUpClass method
  No error shows for the non-static Hello() method

  The Unit Test runs correctly and all logging lines are output.

  If I remove static from the set-up method, the error is NO LONGER reported


EXPECTED:
  No error state should show for the static method.

  I have an earlier Java  class that inherits from ServerTesting and the static setUpClass method in that class shows NO errors in Netbeans.


Samples of the classes described are given below.

I have closed Netbeans and restarted; the errors reappear.

-------------------------------------------------------

Test class (Groovy):

   public abstract class FilterTest   extends   UnitTestingBase
  {

        public FilterTest()
        {  }

        @BeforeClass
        public static void setUpClass()
        {
                String className = FilterTest.class.getSimpleName();

                ServerTesting.setUpClass(  TEST_ANNOTATION, className, FilterTest.class  );

               LOG.info( "  "  );
               LOG.info( testName +": ready."  );
        }


        @Test
        public void hello()
        {
            LOG.info("hello world");
        }

  }//FilterTest


Intermediate class (Java):

   public abstract class ServerTesting	extends	UnitTestingBase
  {

        public ServerTesting()
       {  }

  }


Base class (Java):

   abstract class UnitTestingBase
  {
        //	available for every test-file
        //
        protected static          Logger   LOG;
        protected static final  String     FIELD_ID	= "id";

        protected static         String      testName	= "(unknown)";