Spring mvc validation exception handler called before the controller method

Question

I have the following code:

public class StudentController extends BaseController { @RequestMapping(value = "/student/edit", method = RequestMethod.POST) public String submitForm(@Valid @ModelAttribute(MODEL_ATTRIBUTE_STUDENT) StudentDTO edited, BindingResult bindingResult, RedirectAttributes attributes) { if (bindingResult.hasErrors()) { return STUDENT_EDIT_FORM_VIEW; } //some logic... } @InitBinder public void initBinder(WebDataBinder binder) { SimpleDateFormat dateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("MM/dd/yyyy"); dateFormat.setLenient(false); // true passed to CustomDateEditor constructor means convert empty String to null binder.registerCustomEditor(Date.class, new CustomDateEditor(dateFormat, true)); } } public class BaseController { @ExceptionHandler(Exception.class) protected ModelAndView handleAllException(Exception ex) { Long errorId = System.currentTimeMillis() + RandomInteger.generate(1, Integer.MAX_VALUE); //do something... Map<String, String> parameters = new HashMap<>(); parameters.put("flash_message", "Things blew up...!"); return new ModelAndView("/errorpage", parameters); } } 

Now that there is a binding error (example in the user date field entered on February 40, 2013), I expected the following block to be executed:

 if (bindingResult.hasErrors()) { return STUDENT_EDIT_FORM_VIEW; } 

but instead, the ExceptionHandler is executed, and errorpage.html .. is returned!

I do not use spring (form: form) tags in the view. I am using thymeleaf + boostrap + jquery EDIT: The following is the exception -

 org.springframework.validation.BindException: org.springframework.validation.BeanPropertyBindingResult: 1 errors Field error in object 'student' on field 'responseDate': rejected value [02/30/2014]; codes [typeMismatch.student.responseDate,typeMismatch.responseDate,typeMismatch.java.util.Date,typeMismatch]; arguments [org.springframework.context.support.DefaultMessageSourceResolvable: codes [student.responseDate,responseDate]; arguments []; default message [responseDate]]; default message [Failed to convert property value of type 'java.lang.String' to required type 'java.util.Date' for property 'responseDate'; nested exception is java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Could not parse date: Unparseable date: "02/30/2014"] at org.springframework.web.method.annotation.ModelAttributeMethodProcessor.resolveArgument(ModelAttributeMethodProcessor.java:110) at org.springframework.web.method.support.HandlerMethodArgumentResolverComposite.resolveArgument(HandlerMethodArgumentResolverComposite.java:77) at org.springframework.web.method.support.InvocableHandlerMethod.getMethodArgumentValues(InvocableHandlerMethod.java:162) at org.springframework.web.method.support.InvocableHandlerMethod.invokeForRequest(InvocableHandlerMethod.java:123) at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.ServletInvocableHandlerMethod.invokeAndHandle(ServletInvocableHandlerMethod.java:104) at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.invokeHandleMethod(RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.java:745) at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.handleInternal(RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.java:686) at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.AbstractHandlerMethodAdapter.handle(AbstractHandlerMethodAdapter.java:80) at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doDispatch(DispatcherServlet.java:925) at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doService(DispatcherServlet.java:856) at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.processRequest(FrameworkServlet.java:936) at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.doPost(FrameworkServlet.java:838) at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:647) at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.service(FrameworkServlet.java:812) 

The StudentDTO class has a set of dates that a student must enter. As follows

 public class StudentDTO { private Long id; private String state; private String region; private Date responseDate; private Date stayLiftedDate; ... ... //Then all getters and setters. } 

EDIT2:

This is what happens if I throw an error and write a stacktrace from the handleAllException () method of basecontroller

 java.lang.Exception: Sample Error at com.mycompany.controller.BaseController.handleAllException(BaseController.java:103) at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57) at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43) at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:606) at org.springframework.web.method.support.InvocableHandlerMethod.invoke(InvocableHandlerMethod.java:219) at org.springframework.web.method.support.InvocableHandlerMethod.invokeForRequest(InvocableHandlerMethod.java:132) at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.ServletInvocableHandlerMethod.invokeAndHandle(ServletInvocableHandlerMethod.java:104) at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.ExceptionHandlerExceptionResolver.doResolveHandlerMethodException(ExceptionHandlerExceptionResolver.java:321) at org.springframework.web.servlet.handler.AbstractHandlerMethodExceptionResolver.doResolveException(AbstractHandlerMethodExceptionResolver.java:60) at org.springframework.web.servlet.handler.AbstractHandlerExceptionResolver.resolveException(AbstractHandlerExceptionResolver.java:136) at org.springframework.web.servlet.handler.HandlerExceptionResolverComposite.resolveException(HandlerExceptionResolverComposite.java:73) at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.processHandlerException(DispatcherServlet.java:1148) at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.processDispatchResult(DispatcherServlet.java:985) at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doDispatch(DispatcherServlet.java:939) at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doService(DispatcherServlet.java:856) at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.processRequest(FrameworkServlet.java:936) at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.doPost(FrameworkServlet.java:838) at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:647) at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.service(FrameworkServlet.java:812) at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:728) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:305) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210) at org.apache.tomcat.websocket.server.WsFilter.doFilter(WsFilter.java:52) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:243) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210) at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:330) at org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.FilterSecurityInterceptor.invoke(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:118) at org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.FilterSecurityInterceptor.doFilter(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:84) at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:342) at org.springframework.security.web.access.ExceptionTranslationFilter.doFilter(ExceptionTranslationFilter.java:113) at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:342) at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.AnonymousAuthenticationFilter.doFilter(AnonymousAuthenticationFilter.java:113) at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:342) at org.springframework.security.web.servletapi.SecurityContextHolderAwareRequestFilter.doFilter(SecurityContextHolderAwareRequestFilter.java:154) at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:342) at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.AbstractAuthenticationProcessingFilter.doFilter(AbstractAuthenticationProcessingFilter.java:199) at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:342) at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.logout.LogoutFilter.doFilter(LogoutFilter.java:110) at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:342) at com.mycompany.security.CookieAuth.doFilter(CookieAuth.java:50) at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:342) at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy.doFilterInternal(FilterChainProxy.java:192) at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:160) at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.invokeDelegate(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:346) at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.doFilter(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:259) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:243) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210) at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:222) at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:123) at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:171) at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:100) at org.apache.catalina.valves.AccessLogValve.invoke(AccessLogValve.java:953) at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:118) at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:409) at org.apache.coyote.http11.AbstractHttp11Processor.process(AbstractHttp11Processor.java:1044) at org.apache.coyote.AbstractProtocol$AbstractConnectionHandler.process(AbstractProtocol.java:607) at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.JIoEndpoint$SocketProcessor.run(JIoEndpoint.java:313) at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1145) at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:615) at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:744) 

Answer 1

You will notice that the exception is ModelAttributeMethodProcessor#resolveArgument(..) in ModelAttributeMethodProcessor#resolveArgument(..) . It happens here

 if (binder.getBindingResult().hasErrors()) { if (isBindExceptionRequired(binder, parameter)) { throw new BindException(binder.getBindingResult()); } } 

So, if an error occurred parsing the date parameter (or any other error), and isBindExceptionRequest(..) returns true, BindingResult with a BindException and thrown. So what is isBindExceptionRequires(..) ?

It is implemented as such.

 protected boolean isBindExceptionRequired(WebDataBinder binder, MethodParameter parameter) { int i = parameter.getParameterIndex(); Class<?>[] paramTypes = parameter.getMethod().getParameterTypes(); boolean hasBindingResult = (paramTypes.length > (i + 1) && Errors.class.isAssignableFrom(paramTypes[i + 1])); return !hasBindingResult; } 

and as Javadoc says

Returns : true if the next argument to the method is not of type Error.

In other words, if your handler method is declared like this

 public String submitForm(@Valid @ModelAttribute(MODEL_ATTRIBUTE_STUDENT) StudentDTO edited, BindingResult bindingResult, RedirectAttributes attributes) { 

a BindException will not be thrown, since next to the @ModelAttribute parameter @ModelAttribute is a parameter of type Errors ( BindingResult is a subtype).

This means that you get an exception from some other handler method where you do not have a BindingResult following the command object parameter. Or there is something else in your configuration that you are not showing us.

Answer 2

working sample:

 @RequestMapping(value = "/student/edit", method = RequestMethod.POST) public String submitForm(@Valid @ModelAttribute(MODEL_ATTRIBUTE_STUDENT) StudentDTO edited, BindingResult bindingResult) { if (bindingResult.hasErrors()) { return STUDENT_EDIT_FORM_VIEW; } //some logic... }