How to create a feature path?

[Jérôme Rocheteau]

Hello everybody,

I'd like to know how to create and set up feature paths and, precisely, I would 
like
to know how to use the initialize method correctly. 

In the following example, I both use the initialize and addfeature methods to 
set up
feature paths: 

  private FeaturePath getFeaturePath(JCas cas,Feature feature) {
    FeaturePath path = cas.createFeaturePath();
    path.addFeature(feature);
    return path;
  }
        
  private FeaturePath getFeaturePath(JCas cas,String feature) throws 
CASException {
    FeaturePath path = cas.createFeaturePath(); 
    path.initialize(feature); 
    return path;
  }

  private FeaturePath getFeaturePath(JCas cas,Type type,String feat) {
    Feature feature = type.getFeatureByBaseName(feat);
    String alternative = type.getName() + ":" + feat;
    try {
      return this.getFeaturePath(cas,alternative);
    } catch (CASException e) {
      this.getContext().getLogger().log(Level.SEVERE,e.getMessage());
      return this.getFeaturePath(cas,feature);
    }
  }

However, I get this error message while processing an Analysis Engine that calls
such methods:

"Invalid featurePath syntax for featurePath "uima.tcas.Annotation:begin". 
"begin" is not allowed.

What am I doing wrong with the initialize method?


Thank in advance,
jérôme