org.springframework.test.context
Interface ContextLoader

All Known Implementing Classes:

AbstractContextLoader, AbstractGenericContextLoader, GenericPropertiesContextLoader, GenericXmlContextLoader

public interface ContextLoader

Strategy interface for loading an application context.

Clients of a ContextLoader should call processLocations() prior to calling loadContext() in case the ContextLoader provides custom support for modifying or generating locations. The results of processLocations() should then be supplied to loadContext().

Concrete implementations must provide a public no-args constructor.

Spring provides the following out-of-the-box implementations:

• GenericXmlContextLoader
• GenericPropertiesContextLoader

Since:

2.5

Author:

Sam Brannen, Juergen Hoeller

Method Summary

ApplicationContext	loadContext(String... locations) Loads a new context based on the supplied locations, configures the context, and finally returns the context in fully refreshed state.
String[]	processLocations(Class<?> clazz, String... locations) Processes application context resource locations for a specified class.

Method Detail

processLocations

String[] processLocations(Class<?> clazz,
                          String... locations)

Processes application context resource locations for a specified class.

Concrete implementations may choose to modify the supplied locations, generate new locations, or simply return the supplied locations unchanged.

Parameters:

clazz - the class with which the locations are associated: used to determine how to process the supplied locations

locations - the unmodified locations to use for loading the application context (can be null or empty)

Returns:

an array of application context resource locations

loadContext

ApplicationContext loadContext(String... locations)
                               throws Exception

Loads a new context based on the supplied locations, configures the context, and finally returns the context in fully refreshed state.

Configuration locations are generally considered to be classpath resources by default.

Concrete implementations should register annotation configuration processors with bean factories of application contexts loaded by this ContextLoader. Beans will therefore automatically be candidates for annotation-based dependency injection using @Autowired and @Resource.

Any ApplicationContext loaded by a ContextLoader must register a JVM shutdown hook for itself. Unless the context gets closed early, all context instances will be automatically closed on JVM shutdown. This allows for freeing external resources held by beans within the context, e.g. temporary files.

Parameters:

locations - the resource locations to use to load the application context

Returns:

a new application context

Throws:

Exception - if context loading failed