This version is still in development and is not considered stable yet. For the latest stable version, please use Spring Framework 6.1.3!

Functions

You can extend SpEL by registering user-defined functions that can be called within the expression string. The function is registered through the EvaluationContext. The following example shows how to register a user-defined function to be invoked via reflection (i.e. a Method):

Java
Kotlin

Method method = ...;

EvaluationContext context = SimpleEvaluationContext.forReadOnlyDataBinding().build();
context.setVariable("myFunction", method);

val method: Method = ...

val context = SimpleEvaluationContext.forReadOnlyDataBinding().build()
context.setVariable("myFunction", method)

For example, consider the following utility method that reverses a string:

Java
Kotlin

public abstract class StringUtils {

	public static String reverseString(String input) {
		StringBuilder backwards = new StringBuilder(input.length());
		for (int i = 0; i < input.length(); i++) {
			backwards.append(input.charAt(input.length() - 1 - i));
		}
		return backwards.toString();
	}
}

fun reverseString(input: String): String {
	val backwards = StringBuilder(input.length)
	for (i in 0 until input.length) {
		backwards.append(input[input.length - 1 - i])
	}
	return backwards.toString()
}

You can then register and use the preceding method, as the following example shows:

Java
Kotlin

ExpressionParser parser = new SpelExpressionParser();

EvaluationContext context = SimpleEvaluationContext.forReadOnlyDataBinding().build();
context.setVariable("reverseString",
		StringUtils.class.getDeclaredMethod("reverseString", String.class));

String helloWorldReversed = parser.parseExpression(
		"#reverseString('hello')").getValue(context, String.class);

val parser = SpelExpressionParser()

val context = SimpleEvaluationContext.forReadOnlyDataBinding().build()
context.setVariable("reverseString", ::reverseString::javaMethod)

val helloWorldReversed = parser.parseExpression(
		"#reverseString('hello')").getValue(context, String::class.java)

The use of MethodHandle is also supported. This enables potentially more efficient use cases if the MethodHandle target and parameters have been fully bound prior to registration, but partially bound handles are also supported.

Consider the String#formatted(String, Object…) instance method, which produces a message according to a template and a variable number of arguments.

You can register and use the formatted method as a MethodHandle, as the following example shows:

Java
Kotlin

ExpressionParser parser = new SpelExpressionParser();
EvaluationContext context = SimpleEvaluationContext.forReadOnlyDataBinding().build();

MethodHandle mh = MethodHandles.lookup().findVirtual(String.class, "formatted",
		MethodType.methodType(String.class, Object[].class));
context.setVariable("message", mh);

String message = parser.parseExpression("#message('Simple message: <%s>', 'Hello World', 'ignored')")
		.getValue(context, String.class);
//returns "Simple message: <Hello World>"

val parser = SpelExpressionParser()
val context = SimpleEvaluationContext.forReadOnlyDataBinding().build()

val mh = MethodHandles.lookup().findVirtual(String::class.java, "formatted",
		MethodType.methodType(String::class.java, Array<Any>::class.java))
context.setVariable("message", mh)

val message = parser.parseExpression("#message('Simple message: <%s>', 'Hello World', 'ignored')")
		.getValue(context, String::class.java)

As hinted above, binding a MethodHandle and registering the bound MethodHandle is also supported. This is likely to be more performant if both the target and all the arguments are bound. In that case no arguments are necessary in the SpEL expression, as the following example shows:

Java
Kotlin

ExpressionParser parser = new SpelExpressionParser();
EvaluationContext context = SimpleEvaluationContext.forReadOnlyDataBinding().build();

String template = "This is a %s message with %s words: <%s>";
Object varargs = new Object[] { "prerecorded", 3, "Oh Hello World!", "ignored" };
MethodHandle mh = MethodHandles.lookup().findVirtual(String.class, "formatted",
		MethodType.methodType(String.class, Object[].class))
		.bindTo(template)
		.bindTo(varargs); //here we have to provide arguments in a single array binding
context.setVariable("message", mh);

String message = parser.parseExpression("#message()")
		.getValue(context, String.class);
//returns "This is a prerecorded message with 3 words: <Oh Hello World!>"

val parser = SpelExpressionParser()
val context = SimpleEvaluationContext.forReadOnlyDataBinding().build()

val template = "This is a %s message with %s words: <%s>"
val varargs = arrayOf("prerecorded", 3, "Oh Hello World!", "ignored")

val mh = MethodHandles.lookup().findVirtual(String::class.java, "formatted",
		MethodType.methodType(String::class.java, Array<Any>::class.java))
		.bindTo(template)
		.bindTo(varargs) //here we have to provide arguments in a single array binding
context.setVariable("message", mh)

val message = parser.parseExpression("#message()")
		.getValue(context, String::class.java)