Struts 2 JUnit Plugin v2.2.3: Test Class Extending StrutsTestCase; 'request' is null - plugins

Question

I am attempting to use the Struts2 JUnit Plugin (v2.2.3 w/ Struts2 v2.2.3) and have run into several issues.
I attempted to use the Struts2 JUnit Plugin Tutorial as a guide. The first change I needed to make (not in the guide) is to annotate my test class with:
#RunWith(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.class)
#ContextConfiguration(locations={"classpath*:applicationContext-test.xml"})
because I was getting the error when trying to run my unit test:
SEVERE: [56:51.239] ********** FATAL ERROR STARTING UP STRUTS-SPRING INTEGRATION **********
Looks like the Spring listener was not configured for your web app!
Nothing will work until WebApplicationContextUtils returns a valid ApplicationContext.
You might need to add the following to web.xml:
<listener>
<listener-class>org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoaderListener</listener-class>
</listener>
SEVERE: [56:51.254] Dispatcher initialization failed
This is different than the tutorial- does anyone know why I needed to do this?
I also had to add the following Spring Jars (I have the necessary Struts2 jars included in my classpath):
spring-beans-2.5.6.jar
spring-context-2.5.6.jar
spring-core-2.5.6.jar
spring-test-2.5.6.jar
spring-web-2.5.6.jar
I do not use Spring w/in my struts app, but I assume these jars are needed to use the mock request object and such in the StrutsTestCase.
My Test class:
package com.actions;
import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
import java.util.List;
import javax.servlet.ServletException;
import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
import org.apache.struts2.StrutsTestCase;
import org.junit.Test;
import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
import org.springframework.test.context.ContextConfiguration;
import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner;
import com.beans.LabelValueBean;
#RunWith(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.class)
#ContextConfiguration(locations={"classpath*:applicationContext-test.xml"})
public class DocumentCategoryTest extends StrutsTestCase {
private static Logger log = Logger.getLogger(DocumentCategoryTest .class);
/**
* Testing RetrieveDocumentTypesForDocumentCategory
* Expecting the List<LabelValueBean> is not null
* #throws ServletException
* #throws UnsupportedEncodingException
*/
#Test
public void testRetrieveDocumentTypesForDocumentCategory() throws UnsupportedEncodingException, ServletException {
final String docCategory = "Employment";
//set parameters
request.setParameter("documentCategoryDescription", docCategory);
//execute the action
executeAction("/recipient/RetrieveDocumentTypesForDocumentCategory.action");
//retrieve the document types
#SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
List<LabelValueBean> testDocTypeList = (List<LabelValueBean>) findValueAfterExecute("documentTypes");
//make sure the document type list is not null and has at least one document type
assertNotNull(testDocTypeList);
assertTrue("At least one document type should exist for category 'Employment'", testDocTypeList.size() > 0);
//print types
log.debug("Document types for category '" + docCategory + "'");
log.debug(testDocTypeList);
}
}
When I execute the action, I get a NullPointerException on the request.setParameter piece of code:
java.lang.NullPointerException
at com.actions.DocumentCategoryTest.testRetrieveDocumentTypesForDocumentCategory(DocumentCategoryTest.java:38)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Unknown Source)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringTestMethod.invoke(SpringTestMethod.java:160)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringMethodRoadie.runTestMethod(SpringMethodRoadie.java:233)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringMethodRoadie$RunBeforesThenTestThenAfters.run(SpringMethodRoadie.java:333)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringMethodRoadie.runWithRepetitions(SpringMethodRoadie.java:217)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringMethodRoadie.runTest(SpringMethodRoadie.java:197)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringMethodRoadie.run(SpringMethodRoadie.java:143)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.invokeTestMethod(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.java:160)
at org.junit.internal.runners.JUnit4ClassRunner.runMethods(JUnit4ClassRunner.java:51)
at org.junit.internal.runners.JUnit4ClassRunner$1.run(JUnit4ClassRunner.java:44)
at org.junit.internal.runners.ClassRoadie.runUnprotected(ClassRoadie.java:27)
at org.junit.internal.runners.ClassRoadie.runProtected(ClassRoadie.java:37)
at org.junit.internal.runners.JUnit4ClassRunner.run(JUnit4ClassRunner.java:42)
at org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.run(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.java:97)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit4.runner.JUnit4TestReference.run(JUnit4TestReference.java:49)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.TestExecution.run(TestExecution.java:38)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.runTests(RemoteTestRunner.java:467)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.runTests(RemoteTestRunner.java:683)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.run(RemoteTestRunner.java:390)
at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.main(RemoteTestRunner.java:197)
This is because, for some reason, request is null in StrutsTestCase. Why is this? I'm doing exactly as the tutorial dictates!
My action class extends another class (BaseAction) that extends ActionSupport and implements SessionAware.
package com.actions;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Map;
import java.util.Set;
import java.util.TreeSet;
import org.apache.commons.lang.StringUtils;
import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
import com.actions.BaseAction;
/**
* Retrieves the document types for the passed in document category
*/
public class DocumentIndexingData extends BaseAction {
private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
private static Logger log = Logger.getLogger(DocumentIndexingData.class);
/*=========================================================================
* FIELDS
*=========================================================================*/
/**
* The description to use to look up the document types for that category
*/
private String documentCategoryDescription;
/**
* List of document types for a category
*/
private List<LabelValueBean> documentTypes;
/*=========================================================================
* PUBLIC METHODS
*=========================================================================*/
/**
* Retrieves & sets list of document types for document category with passed in ID
*
* #return If there is an error, document type will be set to ERROR; SUCCESS is always returned by this method
*/
public String retrieveDocumentTypesForDocumentCategory() {
List<LabelValueBean> docTypes = new ArrayList<LabelValueBean>();
//retrieve document types for passed in category ID
log.debug("looking up document types for category: " + getDocumentCategoryDescription());
////////////////
//retrieve the document types for the document category here...
////////////////
this.setDocumentTypes(docTypes);
log.debug("document types found: " + getDocumentTypes());
return SUCCESS;
}
/*=========================================================================
* GETTERS/SETTERS
*=========================================================================*/
/**
* Retrieves the list of document types
*
* #return list of document types
*/
public List<LabelValueBean> getDocumentTypes() {
return documentTypes;
}
/**
* Sets the list of document types
*
* #param documentTypes
*/
public void setDocumentTypes(List<LabelValueBean> documentTypes) {
this.documentTypes = documentTypes;
}
/**
* Retrieves the document category to retrieve document types for
*
* #return the document category
*/
public String getDocumentCategoryDescription() {
return documentCategoryDescription;
}
/**
* Sets the document category to retrieve document types for
*
* #param documentCategoryDescription the document category to retrieve document types for
*/
public void setDocumentCategoryDescription(String documentCategoryDescription) {
this.documentCategoryDescription = documentCategoryDescription;
}
}
struts.xml entry:
<!-- indexing attributes action -->
<action name="RetrieveDocumentTypesForDocumentCategory" class="com.actions.DocumentIndexingData" method="retrieveDocumentTypesForDocumentCategory">
<result type="json">
<param name="root">documentTypes</param>
</result>
</action>
I'm following the tutorial pretty closely, why is request null? Thank you so much for any help!
UPDATE (My Solution! via #Alex):
I now only have the following Struts JARs included on my classpath:
struts2-junit-plugin-2.2.3.jar
spring-beans-2.5.6.jar
spring-context-2.5.6.jar
spring-core-2.5.6.jar
spring-test-2.5.6.jar
spring-web-2.5.6.jar
Sample test:
public class MyTest extends StrutsTestCase {
#Test
public void testMyAction() throws Exception {
request.setParameter("aParameter", "aValue");
//create action proxy
ActionProxy proxy = getActionProxy("/test/MyAction");
assertNotNull(proxy);
MyAction action = (MyAction) proxy.getAction();
assertNotNull(action);
//execute the action
String result = proxy.execute();
//make assertions, expecting success and no error messags
assertTrue("There should be no field errors: " + action.getFieldErrors(), action.getFieldErrors().size() == 0);
assertTrue("There should be no action errors: " + action.getActionErrors(), action.getActionErrors().size() == 0);
assertEquals("Result did not match expected value; ", Action.SUCCESS, result);
}
}

Answer 1

I do not use Spring w/in my struts app, but I assume these jars are needed to use the mock request object and such in the StrutsTestCase.
Given the exception messages you're seeing above your application believes that it uses Spring. Do you have the Struts2-Spring-Plugin on your classpath? If you're not using Spring for IoC then you shouldn't include it on your classpath.
You should be able to test your actions by following guide you've referenced without any spring jars if you don't use Spring. Try removing all the spring jars and the struts2-spring-plugin jar. You also certainly don't need:
#RunWith(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.class)
#ContextConfiguration(locations={"classpath*:applicationContext-test.xml"})
in your test class if you don't use spring.
Also check that your struts.xml doesn't contain this line:
<constant name="struts.objectFactory"
value="org.apache.struts2.spring.StrutsSpringObjectFactory"/>