How to load 2 Spring Context Configurations with property placeholders in single a test class

This is my directory layout:

.
├── pom.xml
└── src
    ├── main
    │   ├── java
    │   │   └── biz
    │   │       └── tugay
    │   │           ├── Bar.java
    │   │           └── Foo.java
    │   └── resources
    │       ├── bar.xml
    │       └── foo.xml
    └── test
        ├── java
        │   └── biz
        │       └── tugay
        │           ├── MultiContextTest.java
        │           ├── SingleContextTestBar.java
        │           └── SingleContextTestFoo.java
        └── resources
            ├── bar.properties
            └── foo.properties

foo.xml

<context:property-placeholder location="classpath:foo.properties"/>
<bean id="foo" class="biz.tugay.Foo">
    <property name="foo" value="${foo}"/>
</bean>

Foo.java

package biz.tugay;

public class Foo {

    private String foo;

    public String getFoo() {
        return foo;
    }

    public void setFoo(String foo) {
        this.foo = foo;
    }
}

foo.properties

foo=foo

bar.xml, Bar.java and bar.properties are pretty much same with where instead of foo it has bar.

This is a Test class I have which runs just fine and prints foo.

@RunWith(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.class)
@ContextConfiguration(locations = {"classpath:foo.xml"})
public class SingleContextTestFoo {

    @Autowired
    private Foo foo;

    @Test
    public void fooTest() {
        System.out.println(foo.getFoo()); // prints foo
    }
}

The equivalent test class, where I load bar.xml works just fine as well.

@RunWith(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.class)
@ContextConfiguration(locations = {"classpath:bar.xml"})
public class SingleContextTestBar {

    @Autowired
    private Bar bar;

    @Test
    public void barTest() {
        System.out.println(bar.getBar()); // prints bar
    }
}

My Question I simply want to load both contexts and both beans and print getFoo() and getBar(). Here is what I am trying:

@RunWith(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.class)
@ContextConfiguration(locations = {"classpath:foo.xml", "classpath:bar.xml"})

public class MultiContextTest {

    @Autowired
    private Foo foo;

    @Autowired
    private Bar bar;

    @Test
    public void fooBarTest() {
        System.out.println(foo.getFoo());
        System.out.println(bar.getBar());
    }
}

and the output:

java.lang.IllegalStateException: Failed to load ApplicationContext
    at org.springframework.test.context.cache.DefaultCacheAwareContextLoaderDelegate.loadContext(DefaultCacheAwareContextLoaderDelegate.java:124)
    at org.springframework.test.context.support.DefaultTestContext.getApplicationContext(DefaultTestContext.java:83)
    at org.springframework.test.context.support.DependencyInjectionTestExecutionListener.injectDependencies(DependencyInjectionTestExecutionListener.java:117)
    at org.springframework.test.context.support.DependencyInjectionTestExecutionListener.prepareTestInstance(DependencyInjectionTestExecutionListener.java:83)
    at org.springframework.test.context.TestContextManager.prepareTestInstance(TestContextManager.java:230)
    at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.createTest(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.java:228)
    at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner$1.runReflectiveCall(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.java:287)
    at org.junit.internal.runners.model.ReflectiveCallable.run(ReflectiveCallable.java:12)
    at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.methodBlock(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.java:289)
    at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.runChild(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.java:247)
    at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.runChild(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.java:94)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$3.run(ParentRunner.java:290)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$1.schedule(ParentRunner.java:71)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.runChildren(ParentRunner.java:288)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.access$000(ParentRunner.java:58)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$2.evaluate(ParentRunner.java:268)
    at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.statements.RunBeforeTestClassCallbacks.evaluate(RunBeforeTestClassCallbacks.java:61)
    at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.statements.RunAfterTestClassCallbacks.evaluate(RunAfterTestClassCallbacks.java:70)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.run(ParentRunner.java:363)
    at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.run(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.java:191)
    at org.junit.runner.JUnitCore.run(JUnitCore.java:137)
    at com.intellij.junit4.JUnit4IdeaTestRunner.startRunnerWithArgs(JUnit4IdeaTestRunner.java:68)
    at com.intellij.rt.execution.junit.IdeaTestRunner$Repeater.startRunnerWithArgs(IdeaTestRunner.java:47)
    at com.intellij.rt.execution.junit.JUnitStarter.prepareStreamsAndStart(JUnitStarter.java:242)
    at com.intellij.rt.execution.junit.JUnitStarter.main(JUnitStarter.java:70)
Caused by: org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanDefinitionStoreException: Invalid bean definition with name 'bar' defined in class path resource [bar.xml]: Could not resolve placeholder 'bar' in value "${bar}"; nested exception is java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Could not resolve placeholder 'bar' in value "${bar}"
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.config.PlaceholderConfigurerSupport.doProcessProperties(PlaceholderConfigurerSupport.java:223)
    at org.springframework.context.support.PropertySourcesPlaceholderConfigurer.processProperties(PropertySourcesPlaceholderConfigurer.java:180)
    at org.springframework.context.support.PropertySourcesPlaceholderConfigurer.postProcessBeanFactory(PropertySourcesPlaceholderConfigurer.java:152)
    at org.springframework.context.support.PostProcessorRegistrationDelegate.invokeBeanFactoryPostProcessors(PostProcessorRegistrationDelegate.java:283)
    at org.springframework.context.support.PostProcessorRegistrationDelegate.invokeBeanFactoryPostProcessors(PostProcessorRegistrationDelegate.java:163)
    at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.invokeBeanFactoryPostProcessors(AbstractApplicationContext.java:687)
    at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.refresh(AbstractApplicationContext.java:525)
    at org.springframework.test.context.support.AbstractGenericContextLoader.loadContext(AbstractGenericContextLoader.java:128)
    at org.springframework.test.context.support.AbstractGenericContextLoader.loadContext(AbstractGenericContextLoader.java:60)
    at org.springframework.test.context.support.AbstractDelegatingSmartContextLoader.delegateLoading(AbstractDelegatingSmartContextLoader.java:106)
    at org.springframework.test.context.support.AbstractDelegatingSmartContextLoader.loadContext(AbstractDelegatingSmartContextLoader.java:249)
    at org.springframework.test.context.cache.DefaultCacheAwareContextLoaderDelegate.loadContextInternal(DefaultCacheAwareContextLoaderDelegate.java:98)
    at org.springframework.test.context.cache.DefaultCacheAwareContextLoaderDelegate.loadContext(DefaultCacheAwareContextLoaderDelegate.java:116)
    ... 24 more
Caused by: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Could not resolve placeholder 'bar' in value "${bar}"
    at org.springframework.util.PropertyPlaceholderHelper.parseStringValue(PropertyPlaceholderHelper.java:174)
    at org.springframework.util.PropertyPlaceholderHelper.replacePlaceholders(PropertyPlaceholderHelper.java:126)
    at org.springframework.core.env.AbstractPropertyResolver.doResolvePlaceholders(AbstractPropertyResolver.java:236)
    at org.springframework.core.env.AbstractPropertyResolver.resolveRequiredPlaceholders(AbstractPropertyResolver.java:210)
    at org.springframework.context.support.PropertySourcesPlaceholderConfigurer$2.resolveStringValue(PropertySourcesPlaceholderConfigurer.java:172)
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanDefinitionVisitor.resolveStringValue(BeanDefinitionVisitor.java:282)
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanDefinitionVisitor.resolveValue(BeanDefinitionVisitor.java:204)
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanDefinitionVisitor.visitPropertyValues(BeanDefinitionVisitor.java:141)
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanDefinitionVisitor.visitBeanDefinition(BeanDefinitionVisitor.java:82)
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.config.PlaceholderConfigurerSupport.doProcessProperties(PlaceholderConfigurerSupport.java:220)
    ... 36 more


java.lang.IllegalStateException: Failed to load ApplicationContext

    at org.springframework.test.context.cache.DefaultCacheAwareContextLoaderDelegate.loadContext(DefaultCacheAwareContextLoaderDelegate.java:124)
    at org.springframework.test.context.support.DefaultTestContext.getApplicationContext(DefaultTestContext.java:83)
    at org.springframework.test.context.support.DependencyInjectionTestExecutionListener.injectDependencies(DependencyInjectionTestExecutionListener.java:117)
    at org.springframework.test.context.support.DependencyInjectionTestExecutionListener.prepareTestInstance(DependencyInjectionTestExecutionListener.java:83)
    at org.springframework.test.context.TestContextManager.prepareTestInstance(TestContextManager.java:230)
    at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.createTest(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.java:228)
    at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner$1.runReflectiveCall(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.java:287)
    at org.junit.internal.runners.model.ReflectiveCallable.run(ReflectiveCallable.java:12)
    at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.methodBlock(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.java:289)
    at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.runChild(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.java:247)
    at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.runChild(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.java:94)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$3.run(ParentRunner.java:290)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$1.schedule(ParentRunner.java:71)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.runChildren(ParentRunner.java:288)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.access$000(ParentRunner.java:58)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$2.evaluate(ParentRunner.java:268)
    at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.statements.RunBeforeTestClassCallbacks.evaluate(RunBeforeTestClassCallbacks.java:61)
    at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.statements.RunAfterTestClassCallbacks.evaluate(RunAfterTestClassCallbacks.java:70)
    at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.run(ParentRunner.java:363)
    at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.run(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.java:191)
    at org.junit.runner.JUnitCore.run(JUnitCore.java:137)
    at com.intellij.junit4.JUnit4IdeaTestRunner.startRunnerWithArgs(JUnit4IdeaTestRunner.java:68)
    at com.intellij.rt.execution.junit.IdeaTestRunner$Repeater.startRunnerWithArgs(IdeaTestRunner.java:47)
    at com.intellij.rt.execution.junit.JUnitStarter.prepareStreamsAndStart(JUnitStarter.java:242)
    at com.intellij.rt.execution.junit.JUnitStarter.main(JUnitStarter.java:70)
Caused by: org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanDefinitionStoreException: Invalid bean definition with name 'bar' defined in class path resource [bar.xml]: Could not resolve placeholder 'bar' in value "${bar}"; nested exception is java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Could not resolve placeholder 'bar' in value "${bar}"
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.config.PlaceholderConfigurerSupport.doProcessProperties(PlaceholderConfigurerSupport.java:223)
    at org.springframework.context.support.PropertySourcesPlaceholderConfigurer.processProperties(PropertySourcesPlaceholderConfigurer.java:180)
    at org.springframework.context.support.PropertySourcesPlaceholderConfigurer.postProcessBeanFactory(PropertySourcesPlaceholderConfigurer.java:152)
    at org.springframework.context.support.PostProcessorRegistrationDelegate.invokeBeanFactoryPostProcessors(PostProcessorRegistrationDelegate.java:283)
    at org.springframework.context.support.PostProcessorRegistrationDelegate.invokeBeanFactoryPostProcessors(PostProcessorRegistrationDelegate.java:163)
    at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.invokeBeanFactoryPostProcessors(AbstractApplicationContext.java:687)
    at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.refresh(AbstractApplicationContext.java:525)
    at org.springframework.test.context.support.AbstractGenericContextLoader.loadContext(AbstractGenericContextLoader.java:128)
    at org.springframework.test.context.support.AbstractGenericContextLoader.loadContext(AbstractGenericContextLoader.java:60)
    at org.springframework.test.context.support.AbstractDelegatingSmartContextLoader.delegateLoading(AbstractDelegatingSmartContextLoader.java:106)
    at org.springframework.test.context.support.AbstractDelegatingSmartContextLoader.loadContext(AbstractDelegatingSmartContextLoader.java:249)
    at org.springframework.test.context.cache.DefaultCacheAwareContextLoaderDelegate.loadContextInternal(DefaultCacheAwareContextLoaderDelegate.java:98)
    at org.springframework.test.context.cache.DefaultCacheAwareContextLoaderDelegate.loadContext(DefaultCacheAwareContextLoaderDelegate.java:116)
    ... 24 more
Caused by: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Could not resolve placeholder 'bar' in value "${bar}"
    at org.springframework.util.PropertyPlaceholderHelper.parseStringValue(PropertyPlaceholderHelper.java:174)
    at org.springframework.util.PropertyPlaceholderHelper.replacePlaceholders(PropertyPlaceholderHelper.java:126)
    at org.springframework.core.env.AbstractPropertyResolver.doResolvePlaceholders(AbstractPropertyResolver.java:236)
    at org.springframework.core.env.AbstractPropertyResolver.resolveRequiredPlaceholders(AbstractPropertyResolver.java:210)
    at org.springframework.context.support.PropertySourcesPlaceholderConfigurer$2.resolveStringValue(PropertySourcesPlaceholderConfigurer.java:172)
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanDefinitionVisitor.resolveStringValue(BeanDefinitionVisitor.java:282)
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanDefinitionVisitor.resolveValue(BeanDefinitionVisitor.java:204)
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanDefinitionVisitor.visitPropertyValues(BeanDefinitionVisitor.java:141)
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanDefinitionVisitor.visitBeanDefinition(BeanDefinitionVisitor.java:82)
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.config.PlaceholderConfigurerSupport.doProcessProperties(PlaceholderConfigurerSupport.java:220)
    ... 36 more

Now, I understand the problem, but can not find the solution. How do I properly load 2 contexts in this test class?

Can be downloaded from here: http://www.filedropper.com/multi-prop

Solution

If your are adding <context:property-placeholder/> in multiple xml config, then you would need to add ignore-unresolvable="true" so that the resolution is passed to other context xmls in case any property hasn't been resolved. Otherwise it would expect all the properties to be resolved by the properties file defined in the first context xml that it encounters. So modify the <context:property-placeholder/> in foo.xml and bar.xml as below:

<context:property-placeholder location="classpath:foo.properties" ignore-unresolvable="true" order="1"/>

<context:property-placeholder location="classpath:bar.properties" ignore-unresolvable="false" order="2"/>

The below is via Baeldung :

In case multiple elements are present in the Spring context, there are a few best practices that should be followed:

the order attribute needs to be specified to fix the order in which these are processed by Spring

all property placeholders minus the last one (highest order) should have ignore-unresolvable=”true” to allow the resolution mechanism to pass to others in the context without throwing an exception