Spring Application Context Not getting Property from application.properties file

Question

I am creating a console app with spring and gradle. I would like to include information in my application.properties file for my program to access.

Above is a picture of what my class structure looks like for this tool.

Here is the applicationContext file

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<beans xmlns="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans"
       xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:util="http://www.springframework.org/schema/util"

       xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans
            http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans.xsd
            http://www.springframework.org/schema/util
            http://www.springframework.org/schema/util/spring-util-3.0.xsd">
    <util:properties id="app_properties" location="classpath:config/application.properties"/>
</beans>

and here is the application.properties file

tenant.cache.refresh=10

I am now trying to use this key in my main class (Driver)

public class Driver {

    @Value("#{app_properties['tenant.cache.refresh']}")
    private static Integer cacheRefreshTime;

    private static final org.slf4j.Logger LOGGER = LoggerFactory.getLogger(Driver.class);
    public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
        ApplicationContext applicationContext = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext("applicationContext.xml");
        System.out.println(cacheRefreshTime);
    }

When I do this null is printed illustrating the cacheRefreshTime is not being initialized.

The stack trace for this looks like

11:04:09.552 [main] DEBUG o.s.core.env.StandardEnvironment - Adding [systemProperties] PropertySource with lowest search precedence
11:04:09.558 [main] DEBUG o.s.core.env.StandardEnvironment - Adding [systemEnvironment] PropertySource with lowest search precedence
11:04:09.558 [main] DEBUG o.s.core.env.StandardEnvironment - Initialized StandardEnvironment with PropertySources [systemProperties,systemEnvironment]
11:04:09.561 [main] INFO  o.s.c.s.ClassPathXmlApplicationContext - Refreshing org.springframework.context.support.ClassPathXmlApplicationContext@4de6b200: startup date [Wed Jul 30 11:04:09 PDT 2014]; root of context hierarchy
11:04:09.590 [main] DEBUG o.s.core.env.StandardEnvironment - Adding [systemProperties] PropertySource with lowest search precedence
11:04:09.590 [main] DEBUG o.s.core.env.StandardEnvironment - Adding [systemEnvironment] PropertySource with lowest search precedence
11:04:09.590 [main] DEBUG o.s.core.env.StandardEnvironment - Initialized StandardEnvironment with PropertySources [systemProperties,systemEnvironment]
11:04:09.600 [main] INFO  o.s.b.f.xml.XmlBeanDefinitionReader - Loading XML bean definitions from class path resource [applicationContext.xml]
11:04:09.615 [main] DEBUG o.s.b.f.xml.DefaultDocumentLoader - Using JAXP provider [com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.jaxp.DocumentBuilderFactoryImpl]
11:04:09.641 [main] DEBUG o.s.b.f.xml.PluggableSchemaResolver - Loading schema mappings from [META-INF/spring.schemas]
11:04:09.646 [main] DEBUG o.s.b.f.xml.PluggableSchemaResolver - Loaded schema mappings: {http://www.springframework.org/schema/jee/spring-jee-3.2.xsd=org/springframework/ejb/config/spring-jee-3.2.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/util/spring-util.xsd=org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/spring-util-4.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/task/spring-task.xsd=org/springframework/scheduling/config/spring-task-4.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans-3.1.xsd=org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/spring-beans-3.1.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/cache/spring-cache.xsd=org/springframework/cache/config/spring-cache-4.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/aop/spring-aop-3.0.xsd=org/springframework/aop/config/spring-aop-3.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/task/spring-task-3.1.xsd=org/springframework/scheduling/config/spring-task-3.1.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/aop/spring-aop-2.0.xsd=org/springframework/aop/config/spring-aop-2.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/aop/spring-aop-4.0.xsd=org/springframework/aop/config/spring-aop-4.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/tool/spring-tool-2.5.xsd=org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/spring-tool-2.5.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans.xsd=org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/spring-beans-4.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/jee/spring-jee-2.5.xsd=org/springframework/ejb/config/spring-jee-2.5.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/jdbc/spring-jdbc-3.1.xsd=org/springframework/jdbc/config/spring-jdbc-3.1.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/tool/spring-tool-3.1.xsd=org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/spring-tool-3.1.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/jee/spring-jee-3.1.xsd=org/springframework/ejb/config/spring-jee-3.1.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/aop/spring-aop.xsd=org/springframework/aop/config/spring-aop-4.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/tx/spring-tx-3.2.xsd=org/springframework/transaction/config/spring-tx-3.2.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/context/spring-context-3.2.xsd=org/springframework/context/config/spring-context-3.2.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans-2.0.xsd=org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/spring-beans-2.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/util/spring-util-3.2.xsd=org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/spring-util-3.2.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/lang/spring-lang-3.2.xsd=org/springframework/scripting/config/spring-lang-3.2.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans-4.0.xsd=org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/spring-beans-4.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans-3.0.xsd=org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/spring-beans-3.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/cache/spring-cache-3.2.xsd=org/springframework/cache/config/spring-cache-3.2.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/task/spring-task-3.0.xsd=org/springframework/scheduling/config/spring-task-3.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/task/spring-task-4.0.xsd=org/springframework/scheduling/config/spring-task-4.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/tx/spring-tx-2.5.xsd=org/springframework/transaction/config/spring-tx-2.5.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/context/spring-context-2.5.xsd=org/springframework/context/config/spring-context-2.5.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/jdbc/spring-jdbc-4.0.xsd=org/springframework/jdbc/config/spring-jdbc-4.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/jdbc/spring-jdbc-3.0.xsd=org/springframework/jdbc/config/spring-jdbc-3.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/tool/spring-tool-3.0.xsd=org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/spring-tool-3.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/tx/spring-tx.xsd=org/springframework/transaction/config/spring-tx-4.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/lang/spring-lang.xsd=org/springframework/scripting/config/spring-lang-4.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/tool/spring-tool-2.0.xsd=org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/spring-tool-2.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/util/spring-util-2.5.xsd=org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/spring-util-2.5.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/lang/spring-lang-2.5.xsd=org/springframework/scripting/config/spring-lang-2.5.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/tool/spring-tool-4.0.xsd=org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/spring-tool-4.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/aop/spring-aop-3.2.xsd=org/springframework/aop/config/spring-aop-3.2.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/jee/spring-jee-3.0.xsd=org/springframework/ejb/config/spring-jee-3.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/tx/spring-tx-3.1.xsd=org/springframework/transaction/config/spring-tx-3.1.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/jee/spring-jee-2.0.xsd=org/springframework/ejb/config/spring-jee-2.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/context/spring-context-3.1.xsd=org/springframework/context/config/spring-context-3.1.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/jee/spring-jee-4.0.xsd=org/springframework/ejb/config/spring-jee-4.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/util/spring-util-3.1.xsd=org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/spring-util-3.1.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/lang/spring-lang-3.1.xsd=org/springframework/scripting/config/spring-lang-3.1.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/cache/spring-cache-3.1.xsd=org/springframework/cache/config/spring-cache-3.1.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/context/spring-context.xsd=org/springframework/context/config/spring-context-4.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/jee/spring-jee.xsd=org/springframework/ejb/config/spring-jee-4.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/aop/spring-aop-2.5.xsd=org/springframework/aop/config/spring-aop-2.5.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/jdbc/spring-jdbc.xsd=org/springframework/jdbc/config/spring-jdbc-4.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans-3.2.xsd=org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/spring-beans-3.2.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/tx/spring-tx-2.0.xsd=org/springframework/transaction/config/spring-tx-2.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/aop/spring-aop-3.1.xsd=org/springframework/aop/config/spring-aop-3.1.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/tx/spring-tx-4.0.xsd=org/springframework/transaction/config/spring-tx-4.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/task/spring-task-3.2.xsd=org/springframework/scheduling/config/spring-task-3.2.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/context/spring-context-4.0.xsd=org/springframework/context/config/spring-context-4.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/tx/spring-tx-3.0.xsd=org/springframework/transaction/config/spring-tx-3.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/context/spring-context-3.0.xsd=org/springframework/context/config/spring-context-3.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/tool/spring-tool.xsd=org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/spring-tool-4.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/util/spring-util-3.0.xsd=org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/spring-util-3.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/lang/spring-lang-3.0.xsd=org/springframework/scripting/config/spring-lang-3.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/util/spring-util-2.0.xsd=org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/spring-util-2.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/cache/spring-cache-4.0.xsd=org/springframework/cache/config/spring-cache-4.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/lang/spring-lang-2.0.xsd=org/springframework/scripting/config/spring-lang-2.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/util/spring-util-4.0.xsd=org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/spring-util-4.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/lang/spring-lang-4.0.xsd=org/springframework/scripting/config/spring-lang-4.0.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/jdbc/spring-jdbc-3.2.xsd=org/springframework/jdbc/config/spring-jdbc-3.2.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/tool/spring-tool-3.2.xsd=org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/spring-tool-3.2.xsd, http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans-2.5.xsd=org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/spring-beans-2.5.xsd}
11:04:09.651 [main] DEBUG o.s.b.f.xml.PluggableSchemaResolver - Found XML schema [http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans.xsd] in classpath: org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/spring-beans-4.0.xsd
11:04:09.689 [main] DEBUG o.s.b.f.xml.PluggableSchemaResolver - Found XML schema [http://www.springframework.org/schema/util/spring-util-3.0.xsd] in classpath: org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/spring-util-3.0.xsd
11:04:09.693 [main] DEBUG o.s.b.f.xml.PluggableSchemaResolver - Found XML schema [http://www.springframework.org/schema/tool/spring-tool-3.0.xsd] in classpath: org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/spring-tool-3.0.xsd
11:04:09.701 [main] DEBUG o.s.b.f.x.DefaultBeanDefinitionDocumentReader - Loading bean definitions
11:04:09.711 [main] DEBUG o.s.b.f.x.DefaultNamespaceHandlerResolver - Loaded NamespaceHandler mappings: {http://www.springframework.org/schema/p=org.springframework.beans.factory.xml.SimplePropertyNamespaceHandler, http://www.springframework.org/schema/util=org.springframework.beans.factory.xml.UtilNamespaceHandler, http://www.springframework.org/schema/jee=org.springframework.ejb.config.JeeNamespaceHandler, http://www.springframework.org/schema/aop=org.springframework.aop.config.AopNamespaceHandler, http://www.springframework.org/schema/jdbc=org.springframework.jdbc.config.JdbcNamespaceHandler, http://www.springframework.org/schema/cache=org.springframework.cache.config.CacheNamespaceHandler, http://www.springframework.org/schema/c=org.springframework.beans.factory.xml.SimpleConstructorNamespaceHandler, http://www.springframework.org/schema/tx=org.springframework.transaction.config.TxNamespaceHandler, http://www.springframework.org/schema/task=org.springframework.scheduling.config.TaskNamespaceHandler, http://www.springframework.org/schema/lang=org.springframework.scripting.config.LangNamespaceHandler, http://www.springframework.org/schema/context=org.springframework.context.config.ContextNamespaceHandler}
11:04:09.723 [main] DEBUG o.s.b.f.xml.XmlBeanDefinitionReader - Loaded 1 bean definitions from location pattern [applicationContext.xml]
11:04:09.723 [main] DEBUG o.s.c.s.ClassPathXmlApplicationContext - Bean factory for org.springframework.context.support.ClassPathXmlApplicationContext@4de6b200: org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultListableBeanFactory@e0e2081: defining beans [app_properties]; root of factory hierarchy
11:04:09.737 [main] DEBUG o.s.c.s.ClassPathXmlApplicationContext - Unable to locate MessageSource with name 'messageSource': using default [org.springframework.context.support.DelegatingMessageSource@693a2c6a]
11:04:09.739 [main] DEBUG o.s.c.s.ClassPathXmlApplicationContext - Unable to locate ApplicationEventMulticaster with name 'applicationEventMulticaster': using default [org.springframework.context.event.SimpleApplicationEventMulticaster@43f49e84]
11:04:09.740 [main] DEBUG o.s.b.f.s.DefaultListableBeanFactory - Pre-instantiating singletons in org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultListableBeanFactory@e0e2081: defining beans [app_properties]; root of factory hierarchy
11:04:09.740 [main] DEBUG o.s.b.f.s.DefaultListableBeanFactory - Creating shared instance of singleton bean 'app_properties'
11:04:09.741 [main] DEBUG o.s.b.f.s.DefaultListableBeanFactory - Creating instance of bean 'app_properties'
11:04:09.751 [main] DEBUG o.s.b.f.s.DefaultListableBeanFactory - Eagerly caching bean 'app_properties' to allow for resolving potential circular references
11:04:09.785 [main] DEBUG o.s.b.f.s.DefaultListableBeanFactory - Invoking afterPropertiesSet() on bean with name 'app_properties'
11:04:09.785 [main] INFO  o.s.b.f.config.PropertiesFactoryBean - Loading properties file from class path resource [config/application.properties]
11:04:09.786 [main] DEBUG o.s.b.f.s.DefaultListableBeanFactory - Finished creating instance of bean 'app_properties'
11:04:09.788 [main] DEBUG o.s.c.s.ClassPathXmlApplicationContext - Unable to locate LifecycleProcessor with name 'lifecycleProcessor': using default [org.springframework.context.support.DefaultLifecycleProcessor@10ea348e]
11:04:09.788 [main] DEBUG o.s.b.f.s.DefaultListableBeanFactory - Returning cached instance of singleton bean 'lifecycleProcessor'
11:04:09.789 [main] DEBUG o.s.c.e.PropertySourcesPropertyResolver - Searching for key 'spring.liveBeansView.mbeanDomain' in [systemProperties]
11:04:09.789 [main] DEBUG o.s.c.e.PropertySourcesPropertyResolver - Searching for key 'spring.liveBeansView.mbeanDomain' in [systemEnvironment]
11:04:09.790 [main] DEBUG o.s.c.e.PropertySourcesPropertyResolver - Could not find key 'spring.liveBeansView.mbeanDomain' in any property source. Returning [null]
null

Any ideas how to fix this? Thanks in advance.

I tried to make the field not static and I also tried adding the PropertyPlaceholderConfigurer. My applicationContext looks like

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<beans xmlns="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans"
       xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
       xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans
                           http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans.xsd">

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

When I run this code I get the same stack trace. Null is still printed. I created a seperate class that has a non static field and simply has a method that prints that field. My main class then creates an instance of that dummy class and calls the print field method. At which point null is printed.

In my applicationContext file I get an error on line 7 when I try to say class ="org.spring..."

It says class or interface excepted. As though it is not finding the class. However I have included the following dependencies in by build.gralde

    compile "org.springframework:spring-context"
compile "org.springframework:spring-context-support"

My code compiles and runs fine the problem is the field is null despite the stack trace saying that application.properites was found and loaded.

ApplicationContext applicationContext = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext("applicationContext.xml");
@Value("#{app_properties['tenant.cache.refresh']}")
private Integer cacheRefreshTime;

Answer 1

Spring does not (though it could) work static fields. Make it an instance field, create a bean of the type that includes it and check it. Note that you will need a PropertyPlaceholderConfigurer to do the processing. Simply creating a Properties bean is not enough.

You also need annotation processing with

<context:annotation-config />