Why can't we autowire the static instance variable in the Spring bean. I know there is another way to achieve this but just want to know why cant we do it in below way.
e.g.
#Autowired
public static Test test;
We can't autowire static fields in spring because the Spring context might not be loaded when the java class loader loads the static values.
In that case the class loader won't properly inject the static fields in the bean and will fail.
Because using static fields encourages the usage of static methods. And static methods are evil. The main purpose of dependency injection is to let the container create objects for you and wire them. Also it makes testing easier.
Once you start to use static methods, you no longer need to create an instance of object and testing is much harder. Also you cannot create several instances of a given class, each with a different dependency being injected (because the field is implicitly shared and creates global state - also evil).
According to OOP concept, it will be bad design if static variables are autowired.
Static variable is not a property of Object, but it is a property of a Class.
Spring auto wiring is done on objects, and that makes the design clean in my opinion.
You can deploy the auto wired bean object as singleton, and achieve the same as defining it static.
By this solution you can autowired static fields in spring.
#Component
public class TestClass {
private static Test test;
#Autowired
public void setTest(Test test) {
TestClass.test = test;
}
}
Related
My question is simple. Which approach is more efficient?
method 1:
#Autowired
private CustomerRepository customerRepo;
method 2:
private final CustomerRepository custormerRepo;
public StudentService(CustomerRepository customerRepo) {
this.customerRepo = customerRepo;
}
As I see the DI in the method2 is more recent. But I wanted to ask you which one should I use?
TL;DR: Method 2 is much more flexible.
Method 1 is an example of field injection and method 2 is an example of constructor injection.
Field injection has some drawbacks that constructor injection avoids. Here are some advantages of constructor injection:
Immutability:
You can't do this is plain Java:
#Autowired
private final CustomerRepository customerRepo;
// No constructor that sets "customerRepo".
So, Spring offers constructor injection:
private final CustomerRepository customerRepo;
#Autowired
public StudentService(final CustomerRepository customerRepo) {
this.customerRepo = customerRepo;
}
Immutability is sometimes preferred. One reason is that it helps with thread-safety. Another is security.
Personally, I follow the rule, "if it can be final, it should be final."
Testing:
You won't need reflection to set the dependencies. Yes, many mocking frameworks handle this for you, but with constructor injection, you have the option to call new on the constructor.
Nasty NullPointerExceptions:
An object is created by calling its constructor, right? We usually want our arguments to be non-null at the time they are passed in. With constructor injection, the Spring IoC container makes sure that all the arguments passed in the constructor are available before passing them into the constructor.
use constructor injection, Spring also recommends it
In your main code, you should use method 2 as field injection (method 1) is not recommended. (see here for reasons)
In your test code, it's okay to use method 1.
I suggest you suggest something better. By using the Lombok library's #RequiredArgConstructor you are thus avoiding the boilerplate code. and if you wonder why #Autowired not reccomended , because of when you want to write unit testing in your application and there will be problem , where if you use #Autowired.
In addition to what the other answers have said about immutability, another benefit of constructor injection is to be able to avoid NPE is the field is not initialized. Using autowired, from a test, you’d create the class and then must remember to set the field. Using constructor injection, you can’t not initialize the field. This is more prominent in Kotlin where autowired fields are declared as lateinit var and throw a runtime exception if used before initialized. But a constructor argument can be declared as not null type which prevents you from even explicitly passing null.
This is the code that I have:
#Component
#Configuration
#PropertySource("application.properties")
public class Program {
#Value("${app.title}")
private String appTitle;
public Program() {
System.out.println(appTitle);
}
}
The application.properties has
app.title=The Program
The output is null insteaf of The Program.
So, what am I missing? I have tried several examples; none worked.
Since appTitle is an autowired field, it is not set until after the object is initially constructed. This is why the value is still null in your example. The bean construction process in this scenario is as follows:
The Program constructor is called, creating a new Program instance
The appTitle field is set on the newly constructed bean to ${app.title}
The ideal fix for this depends on your goals. If you truly need the value within the constructor, you can pass it in as an autowired constructor parameter. The value will then be available within the constructor:
#Component
#Configuration
#PropertySource("application.properties")
public class Program {
public Program(#Value("${app.title}") appTitle) {
System.out.println(appTitle);
}
}
If you don't need it in the constructor itself, but need it for the proper initialization of the bean, you could alternatively use the #javax.annotation.PostConstruct annotation to make use of it after the object's construction but before it is made available for use elsewhere:
#Component
#Configuration
#PropertySource("application.properties")
public class Program {
#Value("${app.title}")
private String appTitle;
#PostConstruct
public void printAppTitle() {
System.out.println(appTitle);
}
}
Finally, if you don't need the value at construction time, but need it during the life of the bean, what you have will work; it just won't be available within the body of the constructor itself:
#Component
#Configuration
#PropertySource("application.properties")
public class Program {
#Value("${app.title}")
private String appTitle;
}
Nothing wrong, just don't do it in a constructor...
Other answers on this question are written assuming the goal is creating a Spring-managed bean that uses the given property in its creation. However, based on your comments in another answer, it looks like the question you want answered is how to access an externalized property (one provided by #Value) within a no-argument constructor. This is based on your expectation that a Java inversion of control (IoC) container such as Spring should allow accessing externalized properties (and presumably other dependencies) within a no-argument constructor. That being the case, this answer will address the specific question of accessing the property within a no-argument constructor.
While there are certainly ways this goal could be achieved, none of them would be idiomatic usage of the Spring framework. As you discovered, autowired fields (i.e. fields initialized using setter injection) cannot be accessed within the constructor.
There are two parts to explaining why this is. First, why does it work the way it does, programmatically? Second, why was it designed the way it was?
The setter-based dependency injection section of the Spring docs addresses the first question:
Setter-based DI is accomplished by the container calling setter methods on your beans after invoking a no-argument constructor or a no-argument static factory method to instantiate your bean.
In this case, it means that first the object is created using the no-argument constructor. Second, once the object is constructed, the appTitle is initialized on the constructed bean. Since the field isn't initialized until after the object is constructed, it will have its default value of null within the constructor.
The second question is why Spring is designed this way, rather than somehow having access to the property within the constructor. The constructor-based or setter-based DI? sidebar within the Spring documentation makes it clear that constructor arguments are in fact the idiomatic approach when dealing with mandatory dependencies in general.
Since you can mix constructor-based and setter-based DI, it is a good rule of thumb to use constructors for mandatory dependencies and setter methods or configuration methods for optional dependencies. [...]
The Spring team generally advocates constructor injection, as it lets you implement application components as immutable objects and ensures that required dependencies are not null. Furthermore, constructor-injected components are always returned to the client (calling) code in a fully initialized state. [...]
Setter injection should primarily only be used for optional dependencies that can be assigned reasonable default values within the class. [...]
A property needed to construct the object certainly would be categorized as a mandatory dependency. Therefore, idiomatic Spring usage would be to pass in this required value in the constructor.
So in summary, trying to access an application property within a no-argument constructor is not supported by the Spring framework, and in fact runs contrary to the recommended use of the framework.
I've learned a lot recently about Spring and one thing i think i might be misunderstanding is the #Autowired annotation, especially when using it in constructors. You see, the app i'm developing is a service so basically EVERYTHING is initialized within a constructor. The only actual user-driven events that happen are buttons that restart certain modules of the service. This is my main method :
ConfigurableApplicationContext ctx = new SpringApplicationBuilder(MDHIS_Service.class)
.headless(false).web(false).run(args);
java.awt.EventQueue.invokeLater(() ->
{
MDHIS_Service frame = ctx.getBean(MDHIS_Service.class);
frame.setSize(1024, 768);
frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
frame.setVisible(true);
});
This is the constructor of my main class, where basically everything happens. I have omitted the calls to the methods initializing each module to shorten it :
#Autowired
public MDHIS_Service(GlobalParamService globalParamService, LogEntryService logentryService, InterfaceService interfaceService,
ConnectionService connectionService, OutboundMessageService outboundMessageService, OutboundMessageHistoryService outboundMessageHistoryService,
InboundMessageService inboundMessageService, FacilityService facilityService, ModuleStatusService moduleStatusService,
SequenceService sequenceService)
{
this.globalParamService = globalParamService;
this.logEntryService = logentryService;
this.interfaceService = interfaceService;
this.connectionService = connectionService;
this.outboundMessageService = outboundMessageService;
this.outboundMessageHistoryService = outboundMessageHistoryService;
this.inboundMessageService = inboundMessageService;
this.facilityService = facilityService;
this.moduleStatusService = moduleStatusService;
this.sequenceService = sequenceService;
}
My main class has a private final global variable for each service. Each module is a separate thread and i'm finding myself having to pass those variables to the constructor of each module which in term stores them into it own private final variables. The way i'm doing things right now #Autowired is pretty much useless since i'm having to pass the instance around. Is there a way to better use #Autowired? This service is used as the backend for a large web app and i find myself making much better use of the annotation in there. I did a lot of research on this topic and i did try the #PostContruct annotation but all i ever got was null services.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!
I figured out my problem, and it was a pretty dumb one. First off, i had not annotated my main class with #Component so Spring never bothered to inject the dependencies in it. Secondly, I did not realize that a method annotated with #PostContruct would run by itself after the constructor runs WITHOUT NEEDING TO EXPLICITELY BE CALLED!
I moved all my initialization code to an init method annotated with #PostConstruct and annotated my main class with #Component, everything is working now!
You typicall don't have to use a constructor + #Autorwired, you can directly use autowired on fields and spring would fill the dependencies for you:
#Component
public class MDHIS_Service {
#Autowired
private GlobalParamService globalParamService;
}
What is important to understand is that for spring to work, you must let it create the objects for you, and not calling the constructors explicitely. It would then fill the dependencies as needed. This is done by declaring the service as a component (for example with the #Component annotation) and never create the service yourself but getting them from dependency injection.
The first object you start with has to have been created by spring and returned by the application context.
What you gain in exchange is that you don't have to forwared everything explicitely. A sub-sub-sub service quite distant from the root of the application can depend on anything it has visibility without you having to forward the reference all the way.
I would advise to take a look a the spring reference documentation, it quite detailled and complete:
https://docs.spring.io/spring/docs/current/spring-framework-reference/core.html#spring-core
Edit: I'll try to clarify a bit with an example... What do the init code of the various service actually does ?
Maybe it set the dependencies. Then just autowire them:
#Component
MySubService {
#Autowired MySubSubService mySubSubService;
}
Maybe it does some more thing than setting fields so you can add on top an init method that do it and this init method can eventually call the other services.
#Component
MySubService {
#Autowired MySubSubService mySubSubService;
#PostConstruct
public void init() {
//Init code that may use mySubSubService.
}
}
You don't have to declare a constructor and forward dependencies yourself, sprint does it for you.
The only case where you'd have problem is if finally you need some parameters that are not dependency to the init method. But even in that case you could do it from you main code. That's actually what you did with the main service calling the various setters rather than messing with the constructor to set theses values.
Java configuration allows us to manage bean creation within a configuration file. Annotated #Component, #Service classes used with component scanning does the same. However, I'm concerned about using these two mechanisms at the same time.
Should Java configuration and annotated component scans be avoided in the same project? I ask because the result is unclear in the following scenario:
#Configuration
public class MyConfig {
#Bean
public Foo foo() {
return new Foo(500);
}
}
...
#Component
public class Foo {
private int value;
public Foo() {
}
public Foo(int value) {
this.value = value;
}
}
...
public class Consumer {
#Autowired
Foo foo;
...
}
So, in the above situation, will the Consumer get a Foo instance with a 500 value or 0 value? I've tested locally and it appears that the Java configured Foo (with value 500) is created consistently. However, I'm concerned that my testing isn't thorough enough to be conclusive.
What is the real answer? Using both Java config and component scanning on #Component beans of the same type seems like a bad thing.
I think your concern is more like raised by the following use case:
You have a custom spring-starter-library that have its own #Configuration classes and #Bean definitions, BUT if you have #Component/#Service in this library, you will need to explicitly #ComponentScan these packages from your service, since the default #ComponentScan (see #SpringBootApplication) will perform component scanning from the main class, to all sub-packages of your app, BUT not the packages inside the external library. For that purpose, you only need to have #Bean definitions in your external library, and to inject these external configurations via #EnableSomething annotation used on your app's main class (using #Import(YourConfigurationAnnotatedClass.class) OR via using spring.factories in case you always need the external configuration to be used/injected.
Of course, you CAN have #Components in this library, but the explicit usage of #ComponentScan annotation may lead to unintended behaviour in some cases, so I would recommend to avoid that.
So, to answer your question -> You can have both approaches of defining beans, only if they're inside your app, but bean definitions outside your app (e.g. library) should be explicitly defined with #Bean inside a #Configuration class.
It is perfectly valid to have Java configuration and annotated component scans in the same project because they server different purposes.
#Component (#Service,#Repository etc) are used to auto-detect and auto-configure beans.
#Bean annotation is used to explicitly declare a single bean, instead of letting Spring do it automatically.
You can do the following with #Bean. But, this is not possible with #Component
#Bean
public MyService myService(boolean someCondition) {
if(someCondition) {
return new MyServiceImpl1();
}else{
return new MyServiceImpl2();
}
}
Haven't really faced a situation where both Java config and component scanning on the bean of the same type were required.
As per the spring documentation,
To declare a bean, simply annotate a method with the #Bean annotation.
When JavaConfig encounters such a method, it will execute that method
and register the return value as a bean within a BeanFactory. By
default, the bean name will be the same as the method name
So, As per this, it is returning the correct Foo (with value 500).
In general, there is nothing wrong with component scanning and explicit bean definitions in the same application context. I tend to use component scanning where possible, and create the few beans that need more setup with #Bean methods.
There is no upside to include classes in the component scan when you create beans of their type explicitly. Component scanning can easily be targeted at certain classes and packages. If you design your packages accordingly, you can component scan only the packages without "special" bean classes (or else use more advanced filters on scanning).
In a quick look I didn't find any clear information about bean definition precedence in such a case. Typically there is a deterministic and fairly stable order in which these are processed, but if it is not documented it maybe could change in some future Spring version.
I found many examples about setter dependency injection for class member variables, but found it difficult to find any examples about setter dependency injection for local variables inside methods using spring.
How can I do this?
Your given example of a SpellChecker being used by a TextEditor class could look like this before it is capable of Dependency Injection. You are creating a new instance of the class SpellChecker inside the method where you are using it.
public class TextEditor {
public void doSomething() {
new SpellChecker().checkSpelling();
}
}
If you want to decouple the code and be able to replace the SpellChecker by a mock for unit testing purposes or by another implementation provided by your Dependency Injection container you have to change the class and provide a field where this instance can be injected.
public class TextEditor {
#Autowired
private SpellChecker spellChecker;
public void doSomething() {
spellChecker.checkSpelling();
}
}
Since this is still not easy to test because you would need to use Reflection to inject a mock into that private field you can provide a Setter or make the field package visible by removing the modifier private from the field. So a unit test in the same package can access this field and provide the mock.
It doesn't seem to be possible to inject dependencies into local variables of methods or any local scope even static local scopes.
The reason to that is simply because there is no way to inject this via reflection, reflection doesn't provide any API allowing access to local variables of a method.
you can read more here: https://stackoverflow.com/a/24249500/11035655.