Script using TimeShift Function in a JSR223 PreProcessor throws Invalid octal number error on some iterations only - groovy

Question

In a JSR223 PreProcessor I am trying to generate some random dates (within some boundaries) so that I may use them in a HTTP Request.
I wrote the following code using the JMeter timeShift function :
${__timeShift(yyyy-MM-dd,${__time(yyyy-MM-dd,)},P${__Random(0,90)}D,,entryDate)};
log.info("entryDate " + "${entryDate}");
${__timeShift(yyyy-MM-dd,${entryDate},P${__Random(0,90)}D,,exitDate)};
log.info("exitDate " + "${exitDate}");
For testing purposes I just use 1 thread and let it run in a loop for 120 seconds. The problem is that when the code executes, on some iterations it is able to print the randomly calculated dates as I want (screenshot attached) and on some iterations it throws the error below.
Error example:
2023-01-04 21:01:31,903 ERROR o.a.j.m.JSR223PreProcessor: Problem in JSR223 script, JSR223 PreProcessor
javax.script.ScriptException: org.codehaus.groovy.control.MultipleCompilationErrorsException: startup failed:
Script472.groovy: 1: Invalid octal number # line 1, column 9 # line 1, column 9.
2023-02-08;
^
1 error
at org.codehaus.groovy.jsr223.GroovyScriptEngineImpl.eval(GroovyScriptEngineImpl.java:158) ~[groovy-jsr223-3.0.11.jar:3.0.11]
at javax.script.AbstractScriptEngine.eval(AbstractScriptEngine.java:233) ~[java.scripting:?]
at org.apache.jmeter.util.JSR223TestElement.processFileOrScript(JSR223TestElement.java:219) ~[ApacheJMeter_core.jar:5.5]
at org.apache.jmeter.modifiers.JSR223PreProcessor.process(JSR223PreProcessor.java:45) ~[ApacheJMeter_components.jar:5.5]
at org.apache.jmeter.threads.JMeterThread.runPreProcessors(JMeterThread.java:978) ~[ApacheJMeter_core.jar:5.5]
at org.apache.jmeter.threads.JMeterThread.executeSamplePackage(JMeterThread.java:561) ~[ApacheJMeter_core.jar:5.5]
at org.apache.jmeter.threads.JMeterThread.processSampler(JMeterThread.java:501) ~[ApacheJMeter_core.jar:5.5]
at org.apache.jmeter.threads.JMeterThread.run(JMeterThread.java:268) ~[ApacheJMeter_core.jar:5.5]
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:834) ~[?:?]
Caused by: org.codehaus.groovy.control.MultipleCompilationErrorsException: startup failed:
Script472.groovy: 1: Invalid octal number # line 1, column 9 # line 1, column 9.
2023-02-08;
^
1 error
at org.codehaus.groovy.control.ErrorCollector.failIfErrors(ErrorCollector.java:292) ~[groovy-3.0.11.jar:3.0.11]
at org.codehaus.groovy.control.ErrorCollector.addFatalError(ErrorCollector.java:148) ~[groovy-3.0.11.jar:3.0.11]
at org.apache.groovy.parser.antlr4.AstBuilder.collectSyntaxError(AstBuilder.java:4375) ~[groovy-3.0.11.jar:3.0.11]
at org.apache.groovy.parser.antlr4.AstBuilder.createParsingFailedException(AstBuilder.java:4358) ~[groovy-3.0.11.jar:3.0.11]
at org.apache.groovy.parser.antlr4.AstBuilder.convertException(AstBuilder.java:261) ~[groovy-3.0.11.jar:3.0.11]
at org.apache.groovy.parser.antlr4.AstBuilder.buildCST(AstBuilder.java:235) ~[groovy-3.0.11.jar:3.0.11]
at org.apache.groovy.parser.antlr4.AstBuilder.buildAST(AstBuilder.java:269) ~[groovy-3.0.11.jar:3.0.11]
at org.apache.groovy.parser.antlr4.Antlr4ParserPlugin.buildAST(Antlr4ParserPlugin.java:58) ~[groovy-3.0.11.jar:3.0.11]
at org.codehaus.groovy.control.SourceUnit.buildAST(SourceUnit.java:256) ~[groovy-3.0.11.jar:3.0.11]
at java.util.Iterator.forEachRemaining(Iterator.java:133) ~[?:?]
at java.util.Spliterators$IteratorSpliterator.forEachRemaining(Spliterators.java:1801) ~[?:?]
at java.util.stream.ReferencePipeline$Head.forEach(ReferencePipeline.java:658) ~[?:?]
at org.codehaus.groovy.control.CompilationUnit.buildASTs(CompilationUnit.java:666) ~[groovy-3.0.11.jar:3.0.11]
at org.codehaus.groovy.control.CompilationUnit.compile(CompilationUnit.java:632) ~[groovy-3.0.11.jar:3.0.11]
at groovy.lang.GroovyClassLoader.doParseClass(GroovyClassLoader.java:389) ~[groovy-3.0.11.jar:3.0.11]
at groovy.lang.GroovyClassLoader.lambda$parseClass$3(GroovyClassLoader.java:332) ~[groovy-3.0.11.jar:3.0.11]
at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.memoize.StampedCommonCache.compute(StampedCommonCache.java:163) ~[groovy-3.0.11.jar:3.0.11]
at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.memoize.StampedCommonCache.getAndPut(StampedCommonCache.java:154) ~[groovy-3.0.11.jar:3.0.11]
at groovy.lang.GroovyClassLoader.parseClass(GroovyClassLoader.java:330) ~[groovy-3.0.11.jar:3.0.11]
at groovy.lang.GroovyClassLoader.parseClass(GroovyClassLoader.java:314) ~[groovy-3.0.11.jar:3.0.11]
at groovy.lang.GroovyClassLoader.parseClass(GroovyClassLoader.java:257) ~[groovy-3.0.11.jar:3.0.11]
at org.codehaus.groovy.jsr223.GroovyScriptEngineImpl.getScriptClass(GroovyScriptEngineImpl.java:336) ~[groovy-jsr223-3.0.11.jar:3.0.11]
at org.codehaus.groovy.jsr223.GroovyScriptEngineImpl.eval(GroovyScriptEngineImpl.java:153) ~[groovy-jsr223-3.0.11.jar:3.0.11]
... 8 more
I would appreciate some help to understand why this is happening and how I may avoid it.

Answer 1

In order to avoid it you should stop using JMeter Functions and/or variables inside JSR223 Test Elements.
As per JSR223 Sampler documentation:
The JSR223 test elements have a feature (compilation) that can significantly increase performance. To benefit from this feature:
Use Script files instead of inlining them. This will make JMeter compile them if this feature is available on ScriptEngine and cache them.
Or Use Script Text and check Cache compiled script if available property.
When using this feature, ensure your script code does not use JMeter variables or JMeter function calls directly in script code as caching would only cache first replacement. Instead use script parameters.
So you can put your functions into "Parameters" section and use vars shorthand for JMeterVariables class instance for reading the generated dates as JMeter Variables syntax clashes with Groovy strings interpolation feature