Failed to load ApplicationContext (JUnit Spring)

Question

I'm trying to start working with a Spring project. It is a legacy project and supposed to be working. When I try to pass the tests, it all comes down. It always returns: IllegalStateException: Failed to load ApplicationContext I don't know what the error could be but it is supposed to be working.

I am using a Tomcat 8.0 Server Eclipse: Mars.2 Release (4.5.2)

Trace of one of the errors: (full trace: here )

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:228)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.createTest(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.java:217)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner$1.runReflectiveCall(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.java:276)
at org.junit.internal.runners.model.ReflectiveCallable.run(ReflectiveCallable.java:12)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.methodBlock(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.java:278)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.runChild(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.java:236)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.runChild(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.java:87)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$3.run(ParentRunner.java:238)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$1.schedule(ParentRunner.java:63)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.runChildren(ParentRunner.java:236)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.access$000(ParentRunner.java:53)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$2.evaluate(ParentRunner.java:229)
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:309)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.run(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.java:180)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit4.runner.JUnit4TestReference.run(JUnit4TestReference.java:86)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.TestExecution.run(TestExecution.java:38)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.runTests(RemoteTestRunner.java:459)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.runTests(RemoteTestRunner.java:675)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.run(RemoteTestRunner.java:382)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.main(RemoteTestRunner.java:192)

Answer 1

As always, the root cause is at the bottom of the stack trace:

Caused by: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Circular placeholder reference 'hibernate.hbm2ddl.auto' in property definitions
    at org.springframework.util.PropertyPlaceholderHelper.parseStringValue(PropertyPlaceholderHelper.java:141)
    at org.springframework.util.PropertyPlaceholderHelper.parseStringValue(PropertyPlaceholderHelper.java:162)
    at org.springframework.util.PropertyPlaceholderHelper.replacePlaceholders(PropertyPlaceholderHelper.java:126)
    at org.springframework.core.env.AbstractPropertyResolver.doResolvePlaceholders(AbstractPropertyResolver.java:204)
    at org.springframework.core.env.AbstractPropertyResolver.resolveRequiredPlaceholders(AbstractPropertyResolver.java:178)
    at org.springframework.core.env.AbstractPropertyResolver.resolveNestedPlaceholders(AbstractPropertyResolver.java:195)
    at org.springframework.core.env.PropertySourcesPropertyResolver.getProperty(PropertySourcesPropertyResolver.java:87)
    at org.springframework.core.env.PropertySourcesPropertyResolver.getProperty(PropertySourcesPropertyResolver.java:60)
    at org.springframework.core.env.AbstractEnvironment.getProperty(AbstractEnvironment.java:511)
    at config.PersistenceConfig.entityManagerFactory(PersistenceConfig.java:51)
    at config.PersistenceConfig$$EnhancerBySpringCGLIB$$c115ef53.CGLIB$entityManagerFactory$1(<generated>)
    at config.PersistenceConfig$$EnhancerBySpringCGLIB$$c115ef53$$FastClassBySpringCGLIB$$d280a0b5.invoke(<generated>)
    at org.springframework.cglib.proxy.MethodProxy.invokeSuper(MethodProxy.java:228)
    at org.springframework.context.annotation.ConfigurationClassEnhancer$BeanMethodInterceptor.intercept(ConfigurationClassEnhancer.java:318)
    at config.PersistenceConfig$$EnhancerBySpringCGLIB$$c115ef53.entityManagerFactory(<generated>)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:497)
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.SimpleInstantiationStrategy.instantiate(SimpleInstantiationStrategy.java:162)
    ... 82 more

That is, your method config.PersistenceConfig.entityManagerFactory(PersistenceConfig.java:51) tries to look up a property hibernate.hbm2ddl.auto , whose value is defined by a placeholder that refers to itself.