Spring Boot Testing @WebMvcTest for a Controller appears to load other controllers in the context

Question

Here's my test case for a Spring Controller

@RunWith(SpringRunner.class)
@WebMvcTest(value = MyController.class)
public class MyControllerTest {

    @MockBean
    private MyService myService;
}

So this is a unit test specifically for the methods in MyController. But when I run the test, Spring appears to begin instantiating OtherController and all of it's dependencies.

I have tried updating the above as

@RunWith(SpringRunner.class)
@WebMvcTest(value = MyController.class, excludeFilters = @ComponentScan.Filter(value= OtherController.class, type = FilterType.ANNOTATION))


   public class MyControllerTest {

...
}

But spring still appears to wire it. Here's the error thrown by Spring as it tries to instantiate OtherController when I run the above test specifically.

2017-01-06 12:09:46.207  WARN 18092 --- [           main] o.s.w.c.s.GenericWebApplicationContext   : Exception encountered during context initialization - cancelling refresh attempt: org.springframework.beans.factory.UnsatisfiedDependencyException: Error creating bean with name 'otherController' defined in file [C:\..OtherController.class]: Unsatisfied dependency expressed through constructor parameter 0; nested exception is org.springframework.beans.factory.UnsatisfiedDependencyException: Error creating bean with name 'getOtherService' defined in com.my.myApplication: Unsatisfied dependency expressed through method 'getOtherService' parameter 0org.springframework.beans.factory.UnsatisfiedDependencyException: Error creating bean with name 'getOtherService' defined in com.myOrg.MyServiceApplication: Unsatisfied dependency expressed through method 'getPositionService' parameter 0

What could be causing this?

Answer 1

Chances are that you are triggering the bean scanning by accident via a @Componentscan or the likes.

For instance, as explained in this answer, Spring may be detecting your "production" @SpringBootApplication Application class, with all the component scans it brings about. If so make sure you "overwrite" your "production" Application class with your "test" one putting...

@SpringBootApplication
public class Application {
    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
        SpringApplication.run(Application.class, args);
    }
}

...in a location that would override the "Production" Application.

For instance, if your IDE doesn't get messed by class name clashes:

"production" -> src/main/java/com/mycompany/Application.java
             -> src/main/java/com/mycompany/controllers/MyController.java
"test"       -> src/test/java/com/mycompany/Application.java
             -> src/test/java/com/mycompany/controllers/MyControllerTest.java

As an alternative I also have found that in my case this works as well (i.e. placing the Application in the test controllers folder)

"production" -> src/main/java/com/mycompany/Application.java
             -> src/main/java/com/mycompany/controllers/MyController.java
"test"       -> src/test/java/com/mycompany/controllers/Application.java
             -> src/test/java/com/mycompany/controllers/MyControllerTest.java