Spring Boot Exceptions

Spring Boot Exceptions | Generated by AI

Home PDF

When working with Spring Boot or the broader Spring Framework, developers frequently encounter exceptions due to configuration issues, runtime errors, or improper use of APIs. Below is a list of common exceptions you might face, along with their typical causes and potential resolutions. These exceptions are grouped by category for clarity.

org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanCreationException:
- Cause: A bean failed to be created due to missing dependencies, misconfiguration, or instantiation errors.
- Example: Missing @Component, @Service, or @Autowired dependency not found.
- Resolution: Check bean definitions, ensure dependencies are available, and verify annotations.
org.springframework.beans.factory.NoSuchBeanDefinitionException:
- Cause: Spring cannot find a bean of the requested type or name in the application context.
- Example: Attempting to @Autowired a bean that isn’t defined or scanned.
- Resolution: Ensure the bean is annotated (e.g., @Component) and within the component scan path.
org.springframework.context.ApplicationContextException:
- Cause: General failure to initialize the Spring application context.
- Example: Invalid configuration in application.properties or a syntax error in a @Configuration class.
- Resolution: Review stack trace for root cause (e.g., invalid property or missing resource).
org.springframework.beans.factory.UnsatisfiedDependencyException:
- Cause: A dependency required by a bean cannot be satisfied.
- Example: Circular dependency or missing implementation for an interface.
- Resolution: Break circular dependencies (e.g., use @Lazy) or provide the missing dependency.

org.springframework.web.bind.MissingServletRequestParameterException:
- Cause: A required request parameter is missing in an HTTP request.
- Example: @RequestParam("id") is specified, but the client didn’t send id.
- Resolution: Make the parameter optional (required = false) or ensure the client includes it.
org.springframework.http.converter.HttpMessageNotReadableException:
- Cause: The request body cannot be deserialized (e.g., malformed JSON).
- Example: Sending invalid JSON to a @RequestBody endpoint.
- Resolution: Validate the request payload and ensure it matches the target object structure.
org.springframework.web.method.annotation.MethodArgumentTypeMismatchException:
- Cause: A method argument cannot be converted to the expected type.
- Example: Passing a string like "abc" to a parameter expecting an int.
- Resolution: Validate input or use custom converters.
org.springframework.web.servlet.NoHandlerFoundException:
- Cause: No controller mapping exists for the requested URL.
- Example: A typo in @RequestMapping or missing controller.
- Resolution: Verify endpoint mappings and ensure controllers are scanned.

3. Data Access (Spring Data/JPA/Hibernate) Exceptions

org.springframework.dao.DataIntegrityViolationException:
- Cause: A database operation violates a constraint (e.g., unique key or foreign key).
- Example: Inserting a duplicate primary key value.
- Resolution: Check data for uniqueness or handle the exception gracefully.
org.springframework.orm.jpa.JpaSystemException:
- Cause: General JPA-related runtime error, often wrapping a Hibernate exception.
- Example: Constraint violation or connection issue.
- Resolution: Inspect the nested exception (e.g., SQLException) for details.
org.hibernate.LazyInitializationException:
- Cause: Attempting to access a lazily-loaded entity outside an active session.
- Example: Accessing a @OneToMany relationship after the transaction ends.
- Resolution: Use eager fetching, fetch in the query (e.g., JOIN FETCH), or ensure an open session.
org.springframework.dao.InvalidDataAccessApiUsageException:
- Cause: Incorrect usage of Spring Data or JDBC APIs.
- Example: Passing a null parameter to a query expecting a value.
- Resolution: Validate query parameters and API usage.

org.springframework.security.access.AccessDeniedException:
- Cause: The authenticated user lacks permission for a resource.
- Example: Accessing a secured endpoint without the required role.
- Resolution: Check @PreAuthorize or security configuration and adjust roles/authorities.
org.springframework.security.authentication.BadCredentialsException:
- Cause: Authentication failed due to incorrect username or password.
- Example: User enters wrong credentials in a login form.
- Resolution: Ensure credentials are correct; customize error handling for user feedback.
org.springframework.security.authentication.DisabledException:
- Cause: The user account is disabled.
- Example: A UserDetails implementation returns isEnabled() == false.
- Resolution: Enable the account or update the user status.

5. Miscellaneous Runtime Exceptions

java.lang.IllegalStateException:
- Cause: Spring encounters an invalid state during execution.
- Example: Calling a method on a bean that hasn’t been fully initialized.
- Resolution: Check lifecycle methods or bean initialization order.
org.springframework.transaction.TransactionException:
- Cause: An issue occurred during transaction management.
- Example: Transaction rollback due to an unhandled exception.
- Resolution: Ensure proper @Transactional usage and handle exceptions within the transaction.
java.lang.NullPointerException:
- Cause: Attempting to access a null object reference.
- Example: An @Autowired dependency wasn’t injected due to misconfiguration.
- Resolution: Add null checks or debug why the dependency is missing.

6. Spring Boot-Specific Exceptions

org.springframework.boot.context.embedded.EmbeddedServletContainerException (older versions) or org.springframework.boot.web.server.WebServerException (newer versions):
- Cause: Failure to start the embedded web server (e.g., Tomcat, Jetty).
- Example: Port already in use (e.g., 8080).
- Resolution: Change the port in application.properties (server.port=8081) or free the occupied port.
org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.jdbc.DataSourceProperties$DataSourceBeanCreationException:
- Cause: Failure to configure the datasource.
- Example: Missing or incorrect spring.datasource.url/username/password.
- Resolution: Verify datasource properties in application.properties or application.yml.
org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication - Application run failed:
- Cause: Generic failure during Spring Boot startup.
- Example: Misconfiguration, missing beans, or dependency conflicts.
- Resolution: Check the full stack trace for the root cause.

Best Practices to Handle Exceptions

Global Exception Handling:

Use @ControllerAdvice with @ExceptionHandler to catch and handle exceptions consistently across your application.

Example:

@ControllerAdvice
public class GlobalExceptionHandler {
    @ExceptionHandler(DataIntegrityViolationException.class)
    public ResponseEntity<String> handleDataIntegrityViolation() {
        return ResponseEntity.status(HttpStatus.CONFLICT).body("Data integrity violation occurred.");
    }
}

Logging:
- Log exceptions with a framework like SLF4J/Logback to aid debugging.
Custom Exceptions:
- Define application-specific exceptions and map them to appropriate HTTP statuses.
Validation:
- Use @Valid and Bean Validation (e.g., @NotNull) to catch errors early and avoid runtime exceptions.
Debugging:
- Enable detailed logging (logging.level.org.springframework=DEBUG) in application.properties to trace issues.

Conclusion

These exceptions are among the most common you’ll encounter when using Spring Boot or the Spring Framework. Understanding their causes and resolutions can significantly speed up development and debugging. If you’re facing a specific exception and need a deeper dive, feel free to share the details, and I’ll provide a tailored explanation!

Back 2025.03.27 Donate