Testing Spring MVC: Null view when using standaloneSetup() - spring

Question

I cannot get spring mvc test framework to run correctly in standaloneSetup configuration, it always result in a null View. i am using thymeleaf as the view technology in a spring boot v1.2.7 application.
It works fine in a full environment : webAppContextSetup
Here is my setup method
#Before
public void setup() {
MockitoAnnotations.initMocks(this);
this.mockMvc = MockMvcBuilders
.standaloneSetup(brandsController)
.setCustomArgumentResolvers(new PageableHandlerMethodArgumentResolver())
.build();
}
I tried to add a view resolver with no success, it results in a NullPointerException as the view is null.
#Before
public void setup() {
MockitoAnnotations.initMocks(this);
this.mockMvc = MockMvcBuilders
.standaloneSetup(brandsController)
.setCustomArgumentResolvers(new PageableHandlerMethodArgumentResolver())
.setViewResolvers(new ThymeleafViewResolver())
.build();
}
The exception
org.springframework.web.util.NestedServletException: Request processing failed; nested exception is java.lang.NullPointerException
at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.processRequest(FrameworkServlet.java:982)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.doGet(FrameworkServlet.java:861)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:622)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.service(FrameworkServlet.java:846)
at org.springframework.test.web.servlet.TestDispatcherServlet.service(TestDispatcherServlet.java:65)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:729)
at org.springframework.mock.web.MockFilterChain$ServletFilterProxy.doFilter(MockFilterChain.java:167)
at org.springframework.mock.web.MockFilterChain.doFilter(MockFilterChain.java:134)
at org.springframework.test.web.servlet.MockMvc.perform(MockMvc.java:156)
at org.commerceforge.estore.tests.mvc.web.unit.BrandsControllerTests.testBrandsIndexPage(BrandsControllerTests.java:90)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:606)
at org.junit.runners.model.FrameworkMethod$1.runReflectiveCall(FrameworkMethod.java:50)
at org.junit.internal.runners.model.ReflectiveCallable.run(ReflectiveCallable.java:12)
at org.junit.runners.model.FrameworkMethod.invokeExplosively(FrameworkMethod.java:47)
at org.junit.internal.runners.statements.InvokeMethod.evaluate(InvokeMethod.java:17)
at org.junit.internal.runners.statements.RunBefores.evaluate(RunBefores.java:26)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.statements.RunBeforeTestMethodCallbacks.evaluate(RunBeforeTestMethodCallbacks.java:75)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.statements.RunAfterTestMethodCallbacks.evaluate(RunAfterTestMethodCallbacks.java:86)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.statements.SpringRepeat.evaluate(SpringRepeat.java:84)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.runLeaf(ParentRunner.java:325)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.runChild(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.java:254)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.runChild(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.java:89)
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:193)
at org.junit.runner.JUnitCore.run(JUnitCore.java:137)
at com.intellij.junit4.JUnit4IdeaTestRunner.startRunnerWithArgs(JUnit4IdeaTestRunner.java:117)
at com.intellij.rt.execution.junit.JUnitStarter.prepareStreamsAndStart(JUnitStarter.java:234)
at com.intellij.rt.execution.junit.JUnitStarter.main(JUnitStarter.java:74)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:606)
at com.intellij.rt.execution.application.AppMain.main(AppMain.java:144)
Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
at org.thymeleaf.spring4.view.ThymeleafView.renderFragment(ThymeleafView.java:202)
at org.thymeleaf.spring4.view.ThymeleafView.render(ThymeleafView.java:190)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.render(DispatcherServlet.java:1244)
at org.springframework.test.web.servlet.TestDispatcherServlet.render(TestDispatcherServlet.java:105)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.processDispatchResult(DispatcherServlet.java:1027)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doDispatch(DispatcherServlet.java:971)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doService(DispatcherServlet.java:893)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.processRequest(FrameworkServlet.java:970)
the test:
#Test
public void testBrandsIndexPage() throws Exception {
when(brandService.findAll(any(Store.class), any(Pageable.class))).thenReturn(Builders.Brands.buildPage(10));
this.mockMvc.perform(get("/brands"))
.andExpect(status().isOk())
.andExpect(view().name("brands/index"))
.andExpect(model().attribute("brands", instanceOf(Page.class)))
.andDo(print())
.andReturn()
//.andExpect(content().string(containsString("Brands list")))
;
}
This test run fine, it only fails when i uncomment the last line which test the content of the response as the view is null
the print method produces:
ModelAndView:
View name = brands/index
View = null
Attribute = store
value = Id: null, Name: null
errors = []
Attribute = brands
value = Page 0 of 1 containing org.commerceforge.estore.app.model.Brand instances
errors = []
Any help is much appreciated.