org.springframework.test.context
Annotation Type ContextConfiguration

@Documented
@Inherited
@Retention(value=RUNTIME)
@Target(value=TYPE)
public @interface ContextConfiguration

ContextConfiguration defines class-level metadata that is used to determine how to load and configure an ApplicationContext for test classes.

Prior to Spring 3.1, only path-based resource locations were supported. As of Spring 3.1, context loaders may choose to support either path-based or class-based resources (but not both). Consequently @ContextConfiguration can be used to declare either path-based resource locations (via the locations() or value() attribute) or configuration classes (via the classes() attribute).

Since:

2.5

Author:

Sam Brannen

See Also:

ContextLoader, SmartContextLoader, ContextConfigurationAttributes, MergedContextConfiguration, ApplicationContext, ActiveProfiles

Optional Element Summary

Class<?>[]	classes The configuration classes to use for loading an ApplicationContext.
boolean	inheritLocations Whether or not resource locations or configuration classes from superclasses should be inherited.
Class<? extends ContextLoader>	loader The type of ContextLoader (or SmartContextLoader) to use for loading an ApplicationContext.
String[]	locations The resource locations to use for loading an ApplicationContext.
String[]	value Alias for locations().

value

public abstract String[] value

Alias for locations().

This attribute may not be used in conjunction with locations() or classes(), but it may be used instead of locations().

Since:

3.0

Default:

{}

locations

public abstract String[] locations

The resource locations to use for loading an ApplicationContext.

Check out the Javadoc for AbstractContextLoader.modifyLocations() for details on how a location String will be interpreted at runtime, in particular in case of a relative path. Also, check out the documentation on AbstractContextLoader.generateDefaultLocations() for details on the default locations that are going to be used if none are specified.

Note that the above-mentioned default rules only apply for a standard AbstractContextLoader subclass such as GenericXmlContextLoader which is the effective default implementation used at runtime if locations are configured. See the documentation for loader() for further details regarding default loaders.

This attribute may not be used in conjunction with value() or classes(), but it may be used instead of value().

Since:

2.5

Default:

{}

classes

public abstract Class<?>[] classes

The configuration classes to use for loading an ApplicationContext.

Check out the Javadoc for AnnotationConfigContextLoader.detectDefaultConfigurationClasses() for details on how default configuration classes will be detected if none are specified. See the documentation for loader() for further details regarding default loaders.

This attribute may not be used in conjunction with locations() or value().

Since:

3.1

See Also:

Configuration, AnnotationConfigContextLoader

Default:

{}

inheritLocations

public abstract boolean inheritLocations

Whether or not resource locations or configuration classes from superclasses should be inherited.

The default value is true. This means that an annotated class will inherit the resource locations or configuration classes defined by annotated superclasses. Specifically, the resource locations or configuration classes for an annotated class will be appended to the list of resource locations or configuration classes defined by annotated superclasses. Thus, subclasses have the option of extending the list of resource locations or configuration classes.

If inheritLocations is set to false, the resource locations or configuration classes for the annotated class will shadow and effectively replace any resource locations or configuration classes defined by superclasses.

In the following example that uses path-based resource locations, the ApplicationContext for ExtendedTest will be loaded from "base-context.xml" and "extended-context.xml", in that order. Beans defined in "extended-context.xml" may therefore override those defined in "base-context.xml".

 @ContextConfiguration("base-context.xml")
 public class BaseTest {
     // ...
 }
 
 @ContextConfiguration("extended-context.xml")
 public class ExtendedTest extends BaseTest {
     // ...
 }
 

Similarly, in the following example that uses configuration classes, the ApplicationContext for ExtendedTest will be loaded from the BaseConfig and ExtendedConfig configuration classes, in that order. Beans defined in ExtendedConfig may therefore override those defined in BaseConfig.

 @ContextConfiguration(classes=BaseConfig.class)
 public class BaseTest {
     // ...
 }
 
 @ContextConfiguration(classes=ExtendedConfig.class)
 public class ExtendedTest extends BaseTest {
     // ...
 }
 

Since:

2.5

Default:

true

loader

public abstract Class<? extends ContextLoader> loader

The type of ContextLoader (or SmartContextLoader) to use for loading an ApplicationContext.

If not specified, the loader will be inherited from the first superclass that is annotated with @ContextConfiguration and specifies an explicit loader. If no class in the hierarchy specifies an explicit loader, a default loader will be used instead.

The default concrete implementation chosen at runtime will be DelegatingSmartContextLoader. For further details on the default behavior of various concrete ContextLoaders, check out the Javadoc for AbstractContextLoader, GenericXmlContextLoader, and AnnotationConfigContextLoader.

Since:

2.5

Default:

org.springframework.test.context.ContextLoader.class