I'm writing an integration test where an application context xml is initialized during startup. There are several test methods in the test class which make use of a specific bean 'X'(already defined in the xml). My actual requirement is to mock bean X only for one of the test methods.
Inside a test method: I tried creating a separate application context using ClassPathXMLApplicationContext with only the mock bean 'M'.
Now I have two Application Contexts (AC):
1. One created during test case startup (which contains the actual bean X) and
2. One created using ClassPathXMLApplicationContext within the test method (which has the mock bean M).
I want to replaced the actual bean definition 'X' within AC:1, using the mock bean definition 'M' from AC:2.
Can somebody throw some light on this please?
There is not a clear way to replace a a bean in a refreshed ApplicationContext
unless you close it and refresh it again.
To emulate it, the common approach is to use a Proxy
of the bean that you want to replace and change the target at runtime.
You can do it easily using the framework aop support classes:
<bean id="realBean" class="RealClass" />
<bean id="mockBean" class="MockClass" />
<bean id="targetSource" class="org.springframework.aop.target.HotSwappableTargetSource">
<constructor-arg ref="realBean" />
</bean>
<bean id="bean" class="org.springframework.aop.framework.ProxyFactoryBean">
<property name="targetSource" ref="targetSource" />
</bean>
@Test
public void testWithMockBean() {
Object real = targetSource.swap(mock);
....
// do your test work
...
targetSource.swap(real);
}
You can :
- use the Profile annotation if you have spring 3.1.
- use the Primary annotation
- use qualifiers
- wire the bean yourself in the spring context
and i'm sure there are even more options.
Create a testApplicationContext with
<beans>
<import resource="classpath*:appContext.xml" />
<bean id="mockbeanOfX" class=....../>
</beans>
and then load this test application context in your testcase. Now you can get the mock bean from the application context and pass it whereever needed.