Metric View in declarative config need included and excluded Block for attribute_keys

[maxiking203]

Describe the bug

I create a metric view using the declarative configuration to include some labels via the included directive in the attributes_key block.
I haven't needed an excluded block so far.

meter_provider:
  readers:
    - periodic:
        exporter:
          otlp_http:
            endpoint: http://localhost:4318/v1/metrics
  views:
    - selector:
        instrument_name: http.server.request.duration
      stream:
        attribute_keys:
          included:
            - url.full
            - http.request.method
            - http.response.status_code
            - error.type
            - server.address
            - server.port
            - http.target
            - http.path
            - url.path

Now I wanted to test the latest version of the Java agent. With the new version 2.27.0, I now get the following error without an excluded block being set:

  [otel.javaagent 2026-04-23 10:18:02:341 +0200] [main] INFO io.opentelemetry.exporter.internal.http.HttpExporter - Calling shutdown() multiple times.
OpenTelemetry Javaagent failed to start
io.opentelemetry.sdk.autoconfigure.spi.ConfigurationException: excluded must not be empty
        at io.opentelemetry.sdk.autoconfigure.IncubatingUtil.toConfigurationException(IncubatingUtil.java:76)
        at io.opentelemetry.sdk.autoconfigure.IncubatingUtil.create(IncubatingUtil.java:69)
        at io.opentelemetry.sdk.autoconfigure.IncubatingUtil.configureFromFile(IncubatingUtil.java:39)
        at io.opentelemetry.sdk.autoconfigure.AutoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdkBuilder.maybeConfigureFromFile(AutoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdkBuilder.java:598)
        at io.opentelemetry.sdk.autoconfigure.AutoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdkBuilder.buildImpl(AutoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdkBuilder.java:450)
        at io.opentelemetry.sdk.autoconfigure.AutoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdkBuilder.build(AutoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdkBuilder.java:431)
        at io.opentelemetry.javaagent.tooling.OpenTelemetryInstaller.installOpenTelemetrySdk(OpenTelemetryInstaller.java:36)
        at io.opentelemetry.javaagent.tooling.AgentInstaller.installBytebuddyAgent(AgentInstaller.java:154)
        at io.opentelemetry.javaagent.tooling.AgentInstaller.installBytebuddyAgent(AgentInstaller.java:101)
        at io.opentelemetry.javaagent.tooling.AgentStarterImpl.start(AgentStarterImpl.java:102)
        at io.opentelemetry.javaagent.bootstrap.AgentInitializer$2.run(AgentInitializer.java:68)
        at io.opentelemetry.javaagent.bootstrap.AgentInitializer$2.run(AgentInitializer.java:61)
        at io.opentelemetry.javaagent.bootstrap.AgentInitializer.execute(AgentInitializer.java:84)
        at io.opentelemetry.javaagent.bootstrap.AgentInitializer.initialize(AgentInitializer.java:60)
        at io.opentelemetry.javaagent.OpenTelemetryAgent.startAgent(OpenTelemetryAgent.java:59)
        at io.opentelemetry.javaagent.OpenTelemetryAgent.premain(OpenTelemetryAgent.java:46)
        at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.DirectMethodHandleAccessor.invoke(DirectMethodHandleAccessor.java:103)
        at java.base/java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:580)
        at java.instrument/sun.instrument.InstrumentationImpl.loadClassAndStartAgent(InstrumentationImpl.java:560)
        at java.instrument/sun.instrument.InstrumentationImpl.loadClassAndCallPremain(InstrumentationImpl.java:572)
Caused by: io.opentelemetry.javaagent.shaded.io.opentelemetry.api.incubator.config.DeclarativeConfigException: excluded must not be empty
        at io.opentelemetry.sdk.extension.incubator.fileconfig.IncludeExcludeFactory.create(IncludeExcludeFactory.java:32)
        at io.opentelemetry.sdk.extension.incubator.fileconfig.ViewFactory.create(ViewFactory.java:35)
        at io.opentelemetry.sdk.extension.incubator.fileconfig.MeterProviderFactory.lambda$create$1(MeterProviderFactory.java:67)
        at java.base/java.util.ArrayList.forEach(ArrayList.java:1596)
        at io.opentelemetry.sdk.extension.incubator.fileconfig.MeterProviderFactory.create(MeterProviderFactory.java:61)
        at io.opentelemetry.sdk.extension.incubator.fileconfig.OpenTelemetryConfigurationFactory.create(OpenTelemetryConfigurationFactory.java:87)
        at io.opentelemetry.sdk.extension.incubator.fileconfig.OpenTelemetryConfigurationFactory.create(OpenTelemetryConfigurationFactory.java:25)
        at io.opentelemetry.sdk.extension.incubator.fileconfig.DeclarativeConfiguration.createAndMaybeCleanup(DeclarativeConfiguration.java:279)
        at io.opentelemetry.sdk.extension.incubator.fileconfig.DeclarativeConfiguration.create(DeclarativeConfiguration.java:169)
        at io.opentelemetry.sdk.extension.incubator.fileconfig.DeclarativeConfiguration.create(DeclarativeConfiguration.java:155)
        at io.opentelemetry.sdk.autoconfigure.IncubatingUtil.create(IncubatingUtil.java:66)
        ... 18 more

The only workaround is to add any label to an excluded block.
Is this absolutely necessary with the new version? Or should the block actually remain optional?

Steps to reproduce

• use declarative configuration
• implement a view in meter_provider
• try to implement only a included block in attribute_keys
• enable Debug Logging
• start Applikation with javaagent using declarative configuration

Expected behavior

It should be optional to implement an excluded Block, when using an included Block

Actual behavior

Without an excluded Block it is not possible to start the agent, if you want to included attributes.

Javaagent or library instrumentation version

2.27.0

Environment

JDK: openjdk 21.0.10 2026-01-20 LTS
OS: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.7

Additional context

No response

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[laurit]

Transfering to https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-java