junit/spring properties not loading with application context

Question

While running a junit test, I cannot get the application context to load properties from external properties files.

Given the following:

TestClass

@RunWith(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.class)
@ContextConfiguration(locations = "classpath:spring/app-config.xml")
public class JdbcWatsonDaoTests {

    @Autowired
    JdbMyDao jdbcMyDao;

    @Before
    public void setUp() throws Exception {
    }

    @Test
    public void testMethod() {
        doSomeStuff();
    }
}

app-config.xml

<util:properties id="aProperties" location="classpath:spring/a.properties" />
<util:properties id="bProperties" location="classpath:spring/b.properties" />

<bean id="oracleDataSource" class="org.apache.commons.dbcp.BasicDataSource" destroy-method="close">
    <property name="driverClassName" value="oracle.jdbc.driver.OracleDriver"/>
    <property name="url" value="${oracle.url}"/>
    <property name="username" value="${oracle.username}"/>
    <property name="password" value="${oracle.password}"/>
</bean>

and the a.properties and b.properties files are in the same location as app-config.xml...

I've found that when running the test, the properties placeholders (the literal "${property}" )are what is being sent to the oracle server instead of the values in the properties files.

I've also tried using a bean configuration using PropertyPlaceholderConfigurer instead of , but it still doesn't find/include properties.

I am using eclipse helios, spring 3.0.5, newest release m2eclipse and 4.4 junit. I had to downgrade junit for a different maven/junit bug.

When published within tomcat, the properties are read and properly used. I only see the problem when running a junit test.

Are you running the tests through a maven build or thorugh eclipse > run as > junit test? — mR_fr0g
eclipse>run as>junit test maven at this point is only managing dependencies. I only brought it up because I've encountered another bug with it that had to do with build path order. — camada

Ralph Ralph · Accepted Answer · 2010-11-18T15:56:50

According to your exception:

org.springframework.jdbc.CannotGetJdbcConnectionException: Could not get JDBC Connection; nested exception is org.apache.commons.dbcp.SQLNestedException: Cannot create PoolableConnectionFactory (ORA-01017: invalid username/password; logon denied

Your probelm is NOT that the properties are not found, if the properties are not found the exception would be something like org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanDefinitionStoreException: ... Could not resolve placeholder 'oracle.username'

And this is because you need to configure a PropertyPlaceholderConfigurer instead of a PropertiesFactoryBean (this is what util:properties does http://static.springsource.org/spring/docs/3.0.x/spring-framework-reference/htmlsingle/spring-framework-reference.html#xsd-config-body-schemas-util-properties)

<bean id="propertyPlaceHolderConfigurer"
        class="org.springframework.beans.factory.config.PropertyPlaceholderConfigurer">
        <property name="locations">
            <list>
                <value>classpath:spring/a.properties</value>
                <value>classpath:spring/a.properties</value>
            </list>
        </property>
    </bean>

junit/spring properties not loading with application context

4 Answers