View Constructor with Dependency Injection throws NPE

Kaspar4 · March 1, 2019, 8:46am

Yesterday I pushed my new Vaadin 13 Spring application to my server. When I then opened my app in the browser, the login and the dashboard view worked fine, but whenever I tried to navigate to a View that has a constructor with injected dependencies, it threw a NullPointerException. This never happens to me when I run the app locally!

I am at a total loss here and have no idea how to fix this. I have tried all possible variations how to annotate the injections for the view constructor. They all work when I run it locally, they all don’t work on my server.

annotate the whole constructor with @Inject or @Autowired
annotate every injected spring component parameter with @Autowired
No annotation at all on the constructor

Here are the exception message and the stack trace:

Error creating bean with name ‘path.to.ViewWithInjection’: Bean instantiation via constructor failed; nested exception is org.springframework.beans.BeanInstantiationException: Failed to instantiate [path.to.ViewWithInjection]
: Constructor threw exception; nested exception is java.lang.NullPointerException

org.springframework.beans.factory.support.ConstructorResolver.instantiate(ConstructorResolver.java:304)
org.springframework.beans.factory.support.ConstructorResolver.autowireConstructor(ConstructorResolver.java:285)
org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.autowireConstructor(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:1308)
org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.createBeanInstance(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:1154)
org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.doCreateBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:538)
org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.createBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:498)
org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.createBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:304)
com.vaadin.flow.spring.SpringInstantiator.getOrCreate(SpringInstantiator.java:88)
com.vaadin.flow.di.Instantiator.createRouteTarget(Instantiator.java:158)
com.vaadin.flow.router.internal.AbstractNavigationStateRenderer.lambda$getRouteTarget$1(AbstractNavigationStateRenderer.java:116)
com.vaadin.flow.router.internal.AbstractNavigationStateRenderer$$Lambda$732.000000007C0ED790.get(Unknown Source)
java.util.Optional.orElseGet(Unknown Source)
com.vaadin.flow.router.internal.AbstractNavigationStateRenderer.getRouteTarget(AbstractNavigationStateRenderer.java:115)
com.vaadin.flow.router.internal.AbstractNavigationStateRenderer.handle(AbstractNavigationStateRenderer.java:167)
com.vaadin.flow.router.Router.handleNavigation(Router.java:221)
com.vaadin.flow.router.Router.navigate(Router.java:192)
com.vaadin.flow.router.Router.lambda$initializeUI$caa7783a$1(Router.java:93)
com.vaadin.flow.router.Router$$Lambda$717.000000007C0AEE30.onHistoryStateChange(Unknown Source)
com.vaadin.flow.server.communication.rpc.NavigationRpcHandler.handle(NavigationRpcHandler.java:66)
com.vaadin.flow.server.communication.ServerRpcHandler.handleInvocationData(ServerRpcHandler.java:379)
com.vaadin.flow.server.communication.ServerRpcHandler.lambda$handleInvocations$0(ServerRpcHandler.java:368)
com.vaadin.flow.server.communication.ServerRpcHandler$$Lambda$994.00000000A093B760.accept(Unknown Source)
java.util.ArrayList.forEach(Unknown Source)
com.vaadin.flow.server.communication.ServerRpcHandler.handleInvocations(ServerRpcHandler.java:368)
com.vaadin.flow.server.communication.ServerRpcHandler.handleRpc(ServerRpcHandler.java:310)
com.vaadin.flow.server.communication.UidlRequestHandler.synchronizedHandleRequest(UidlRequestHandler.java:89)
com.vaadin.flow.server.SynchronizedRequestHandler.handleRequest(SynchronizedRequestHandler.java:40)
com.vaadin.flow.server.VaadinService.handleRequest(VaadinService.java:1545)
com.vaadin.flow.server.VaadinServlet.service(VaadinServlet.java:227)
com.vaadin.flow.spring.SpringServlet.service(SpringServlet.java:65)
javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:790)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.servlet.ServletWrapper.service(ServletWrapper.java:1255)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.servlet.ServletWrapper.handleRequest(ServletWrapper.java:743)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.servlet.ServletWrapper.handleRequest(ServletWrapper.java:440)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.filter.WebAppFilterChain.invokeTarget(WebAppFilterChain.java:182)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.filter.WebAppFilterChain.doFilter(WebAppFilterChain.java:78)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.filter.WebAppFilterManager.doFilter(WebAppFilterManager.java:996)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.filter.WebAppFilterManager.invokeFilters(WebAppFilterManager.java:1134)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.filter.WebAppFilterManager.invokeFilters(WebAppFilterManager.java:1005)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.webapp.WebAppRequestDispatcher.dispatch(WebAppRequestDispatcher.java:1410)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.webapp.WebAppRequestDispatcher.forward(WebAppRequestDispatcher.java:171)
org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.ServletForwardingController.handleRequestInternal(ServletForwardingController.java:141)
org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.AbstractController.handleRequest(AbstractController.java:177)
org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.SimpleControllerHandlerAdapter.handle(SimpleControllerHandlerAdapter.java:52)
org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doDispatch(DispatcherServlet.java:1038)
org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doService(DispatcherServlet.java:942)
org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.processRequest(FrameworkServlet.java:1005)
org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.doPost(FrameworkServlet.java:908)
javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:707)
org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.service(FrameworkServlet.java:882)
javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:790)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.servlet.ServletWrapper.service(ServletWrapper.java:1255)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.servlet.ServletWrapper.handleRequest(ServletWrapper.java:743)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.servlet.ServletWrapper.handleRequest(ServletWrapper.java:440)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.filter.WebAppFilterChain.invokeTarget(WebAppFilterChain.java:182)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.filter.WebAppFilterChain.doFilter(WebAppFilterChain.java:93)
org.springframework.boot.web.servlet.support.ErrorPageFilter.doFilter(ErrorPageFilter.java:130)
org.springframework.boot.web.servlet.support.ErrorPageFilter.access$000(ErrorPageFilter.java:66)
org.springframework.boot.web.servlet.support.ErrorPageFilter$1.doFilterInternal(ErrorPageFilter.java:105)
org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:107)
org.springframework.boot.web.servlet.support.ErrorPageFilter.doFilter(ErrorPageFilter.java:123)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.filter.FilterInstanceWrapper.doFilter(FilterInstanceWrapper.java:201)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.filter.WebAppFilterChain.doFilter(WebAppFilterChain.java:90)
org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:320)
org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.FilterSecurityInterceptor.invoke(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:127)
org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.FilterSecurityInterceptor.doFilter(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:91)
org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
org.springframework.security.web.access.ExceptionTranslationFilter.doFilter(ExceptionTranslationFilter.java:119)
org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
org.springframework.security.web.session.SessionManagementFilter.doFilter(SessionManagementFilter.java:137)
org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
org.springframework.security.web.authentication.AnonymousAuthenticationFilter.doFilter(AnonymousAuthenticationFilter.java:111)
org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
org.springframework.security.web.servletapi.SecurityContextHolderAwareRequestFilter.doFilter(SecurityContextHolderAwareRequestFilter.java:170)
org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
org.springframework.security.web.savedrequest.RequestCacheAwareFilter.doFilter(RequestCacheAwareFilter.java:63)
org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
org.springframework.security.web.authentication.AbstractAuthenticationProcessingFilter.doFilter(AbstractAuthenticationProcessingFilter.java:200)
org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
org.springframework.security.web.authentication.logout.LogoutFilter.doFilter(LogoutFilter.java:116)
org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
org.springframework.web.filter.CorsFilter.doFilterInternal(CorsFilter.java:96)
org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:107)
org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
org.springframework.security.web.header.HeaderWriterFilter.doFilterInternal(HeaderWriterFilter.java:74)
org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:107)
org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
org.springframework.security.web.context.SecurityContextPersistenceFilter.doFilter(SecurityContextPersistenceFilter.java:105)
org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
org.springframework.security.web.context.request.async.WebAsyncManagerIntegrationFilter.doFilterInternal(WebAsyncManagerIntegrationFilter.java:56)
org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:107)
org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy.doFilterInternal(FilterChainProxy.java:215)
org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:178)
org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.invokeDelegate(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:357)
org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.doFilter(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:270)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.filter.FilterInstanceWrapper.doFilter(FilterInstanceWrapper.java:201)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.filter.WebAppFilterChain.doFilter(WebAppFilterChain.java:90)
org.springframework.web.filter.CharacterEncodingFilter.doFilterInternal(CharacterEncodingFilter.java:200)
org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:107)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.filter.FilterInstanceWrapper.doFilter(FilterInstanceWrapper.java:201)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.filter.WebAppFilterChain.doFilter(WebAppFilterChain.java:90)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.filter.WebAppFilterManager.doFilter(WebAppFilterManager.java:996)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.filter.WebAppFilterManager.invokeFilters(WebAppFilterManager.java:1134)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.filter.WebAppFilterManager.invokeFilters(WebAppFilterManager.java:1005)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.servlet.CacheServletWrapper.handleRequest(CacheServletWrapper.java:75)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.WebContainer.handleRequest(WebContainer.java:927)
com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.osgi.DynamicVirtualHost$2.run(DynamicVirtualHost.java:279)
com.ibm.ws.http.dispatcher.internal.channel.HttpDispatcherLink$TaskWrapper.run(HttpDispatcherLink.java:1023)
com.ibm.ws.http.dispatcher.internal.channel.HttpDispatcherLink.wrapHandlerAndExecute(HttpDispatcherLink.java:417)
com.ibm.ws.http.dispatcher.internal.channel.HttpDispatcherLink.ready(HttpDispatcherLink.java:376)
com.ibm.ws.http.channel.internal.inbound.HttpInboundLink.handleDiscrimination(HttpInboundLink.java:532)
com.ibm.ws.http.channel.internal.inbound.HttpInboundLink.handleNewRequest(HttpInboundLink.java:466)
com.ibm.ws.http.channel.internal.inbound.HttpInboundLink.processRequest(HttpInboundLink.java:331)
com.ibm.ws.http.channel.internal.inbound.HttpICLReadCallback.complete(HttpICLReadCallback.java:70)
com.ibm.ws.tcpchannel.internal.WorkQueueManager.requestComplete(WorkQueueManager.java:501)
com.ibm.ws.tcpchannel.internal.WorkQueueManager.attemptIO(WorkQueueManager.java:571)
com.ibm.ws.tcpchannel.internal.WorkQueueManager.workerRun(WorkQueueManager.java:926)
com.ibm.ws.tcpchannel.internal.WorkQueueManager$Worker.run(WorkQueueManager.java:1015)
com.ibm.ws.threading.internal.ExecutorServiceImpl$RunnableWrapper.run(ExecutorServiceImpl.java:232)
java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(Unknown Source)
java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(Unknown Source)
java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)

I am using cloudfoundry (cf-maven-plugin:1.1.3) to push to my IBM Cloud, and liberty (liberty-maven-plugin:2.4) to run locally.
My Vaadin Version is 13.0.0.beta3 but with 12.0.7 the same happens. This is the first time I wanted to run a Vaadin Flow application on a server so I’m not saying that this caused by a new minor version raise.
Springframework version in use is 5.1.2.RELEASE (edit: raised to 5.1.5.RELEASE - no changes)

How can I make dependency injection work in my view constructors, when the app runs on the server?

Kaspar4 · March 8, 2019, 3:06pm

It turns out that the error was not caused by the Dependency Injection at all.
The NPE was caused by a strange Locale that was set by the server. I used UI.getCurrent().getLocale() to get the locale, and apparently that locale was en-US although my server is in Germany and my browser is set to ch-DE. Since I do not have a resource bundle for en-US it threw a NPE.

After I checked better if the given Locale is supported, I can set the UI Locale to a default Locale (defined by me) if it is not supported by my bundles.