Expression evaluator should accept raw collection value for parameterized method argument [SPR-7831]

[spring-projects-issues]

Ken Abbott opened SPR-7831 and commented

The evaluator incorrectly throws org.springframework.expression.spel.SpelEvaluationException: EL1004E: when matching a method parameter of parameterized type to an actual argument of the raw type. E.g.

public Object someMethod(List<TaskInstance> tasks); //inferred element type is TaskInstance

List rawList = new List(); //inferred element type is Object

In a Spring weblow, expression "someObject.someMethod(rawList)" fails with EL1004E. The error is in org.springframework.core.convert.TypeDescriptor.isAssignableTo(), which incorrectly checks the element type of the collection.

if (isCollection() && targetType.isCollection() || isArray() && targetType.isArray()) {
     return targetType.getType().isAssignableFrom(getType()) &&
               getElementTypeDescriptor().isAssignableTo(targetType.getElementTypeDescriptor());
}

According to rules of type erasure for parameterized types, only the raw types must match. This is a major issue because some data providers (e.g. jBPM, Ibatis) create and return raw collection types.

Stack trace follows:
org.springframework.webflow.execution.ActionExecutionException: Exception thrown executing [AnnotatedAction@f4388b targetAction = [EvaluateAction@1ac5211 expression = redemptionModel.setInstructionGroupAccountViews(flowScope.instructionGroups), resultExpression = [null]], attributes = map[[empty]]] in state 'null' of flow 'redemption-detail-flow' -- action execution attributes were 'map[[empty]]'
at org.springframework.webflow.execution.ActionExecutor.execute(ActionExecutor.java:60)
at org.springframework.webflow.engine.ActionList.execute(ActionList.java:155)
at org.springframework.webflow.engine.Flow.start(Flow.java:534)
at org.springframework.webflow.engine.impl.FlowExecutionImpl.start(FlowExecutionImpl.java:364)
at org.springframework.webflow.engine.impl.FlowExecutionImpl.start(FlowExecutionImpl.java:222)
at org.springframework.webflow.executor.FlowExecutorImpl.launchExecution(FlowExecutorImpl.java:140)
at org.springframework.webflow.mvc.servlet.FlowHandlerAdapter.handle(FlowHandlerAdapter.java:193)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doDispatch(DispatcherServlet.java:790)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doService(DispatcherServlet.java:719)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.processRequest(FrameworkServlet.java:644)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.doGet(FrameworkServlet.java:549)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:617)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:717)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:290)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
at org.displaytag.filter.ResponseOverrideFilter.doFilter(ResponseOverrideFilter.java:125)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:235)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
at com.fmr.commons.cs203.servlet.CS203CoreServletFilter.doFilter(CS203CoreServletFilter.java:86)
at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.invokeDelegate(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:237)
at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.doFilter(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:167)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:235)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
at com.opensymphony.module.sitemesh.filter.PageFilter.doFilter(PageFilter.java:39)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:235)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:368)
at com.fidelity.shares.web.common.Log4jMDCFilter.doFilter(Log4jMDCFilter.java:70)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:380)
at com.fidelity.shares.web.security.SecurityTokenFilter.doFilterHttp(SecurityTokenFilter.java:77)
at com.fidelity.shares.web.security.SecurityTokenFilter.doFilter(SecurityTokenFilter.java:34)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:380)
at com.fidelity.shares.web.security.TimeoutFilter.doFilterHttp(TimeoutFilter.java:111)
at com.fidelity.shares.web.security.TimeoutFilter.doFilter(TimeoutFilter.java:51)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:380)
at org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.FilterSecurityInterceptor.invoke(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:109)
at org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.FilterSecurityInterceptor.doFilter(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:83)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:380)
at org.springframework.security.web.access.ExceptionTranslationFilter.doFilter(ExceptionTranslationFilter.java:97)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:380)
at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.AnonymousAuthenticationFilter.doFilter(AnonymousAuthenticationFilter.java:78)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:380)
at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.logout.LogoutFilter.doFilter(LogoutFilter.java:105)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:380)
at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.AbstractAuthenticationProcessingFilter.doFilter(AbstractAuthenticationProcessingFilter.java:187)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:380)
at org.springframework.security.web.context.SecurityContextPersistenceFilter.doFilter(SecurityContextPersistenceFilter.java:79)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:380)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:169)
at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.invokeDelegate(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:237)
at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.doFilter(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:167)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:235)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:233)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:191)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:128)
at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:102)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:109)
at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:293)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.process(Http11Processor.java:849)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Protocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.process(Http11Protocol.java:583)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.JIoEndpoint$SocketProcessor.run(JIoEndpoint.java:379)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.runTask(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:886)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:908)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:619)
Caused by: org.springframework.binding.expression.EvaluationException: An ELException occurred getting the value for expression 'redemptionModel.setInstructionGroupAccountViews(flowScope.instructionGroups)' on context [class org.springframework.webflow.engine.impl.RequestControlContextImpl]
at org.springframework.binding.expression.spel.SpringELExpression.getValue(SpringELExpression.java:86)
at org.springframework.webflow.action.EvaluateAction.doExecute(EvaluateAction.java:75)
at org.springframework.webflow.action.AbstractAction.execute(AbstractAction.java:188)
at org.springframework.webflow.execution.AnnotatedAction.execute(AnnotatedAction.java:145)
at org.springframework.webflow.execution.ActionExecutor.execute(ActionExecutor.java:51)
... 64 more
Caused by: org.springframework.expression.spel.SpelEvaluationException: EL1004E:(pos 16): Method call: Method setInstructionGroupAccountViews(java.util.ArrayList) cannot be found on com.fidelity.shares.web.admin.model.event.redemption.RedemptionDetailModel type
at org.springframework.expression.spel.ast.MethodReference.findAccessorForMethod(MethodReference.java:185)
at org.springframework.expression.spel.ast.MethodReference.getValueInternal(MethodReference.java:107)
at org.springframework.expression.spel.ast.CompoundExpression.getValueInternal(CompoundExpression.java:57)
at org.springframework.expression.spel.ast.SpelNodeImpl.getTypedValue(SpelNodeImpl.java:102)
at org.springframework.expression.spel.standard.SpelExpression.getValue(SpelExpression.java:97)
at org.springframework.binding.expression.spel.SpringELExpression.getValue(SpringELExpression.java:78)
... 68 more

---

Affects: 3.0.5

Referenced from: commits 3bed6cf, 78646f1

Backported to: 3.2.6

15 votes, 15 watchers

[spring-projects-issues]

Paul Bacsik commented

Indeed I have the same issue:

Caused by: org.springframework.expression.spel.SpelEvaluationException: EL1004E:(pos 6): Method call: Method setUmsaetze(java.util.ArrayList) cannot be found on ...RfmBB type
at org.springframework.expression.spel.ast.MethodReference.findAccessorForMethod(MethodReference.java:185)

where RfmBB#setUmsaetze is:

public void setUmsaetze(List<RfmUmsatzKat> umsaetze) {

[spring-projects-issues]

Tim Fulmer commented

Got the same thing here too. For us it was more like:

<evaluate expression="service.getStuff()" result="flowScope.results" result-type="java.util.List"/>
<evaluate expression="flowScope.stuffBB.generateDropDown(flowScope.results)"/>

Where getStuff returning and generateDropDown accepting parameterized lists. The parameter is the same on both lists. Attempting to give result-type a parameterized list got me an EL exception, it doesn't accept the syntax. Removing the result-type config attribute had no effect. I finally had to make the backing bean accept a non-parameterized list, immediately wrapping it in a parameterized list at top of method.

Anyway, thanks for the defect. I don't even want to think about how long it would have taken me to debug it down to the Spring version update we did recently. Hopefully info above will help out a bit until this gets fixed.

[spring-projects-issues]

Sebastian Erbert commented

Any update on this issue?

We had to patch this class to get it work, but a fix in spring itself would be nicer.

[spring-projects-issues]

Tomas Jetelina commented

Same problem when trying to inject result of method call defined in super class. If method is implemented in extended class it works.

@Value("#{controller.getUDA()}")
private UDAAdapter uda;

class Parent
{
public UDAAdapter getUDA(){...}
}
// this is controller bean
class Child extends Parent
{
// works if defined here
}

org.springframework.expression.spel.SpelEvaluationException: EL1004E:(pos 11): Method call: Method getUDA() cannot be found on 'extended' type

[spring-projects-issues]

Nicolas Mommaerts commented

We have several projects using the same version of Spring (3.0.5), some exhibit this bug, some don't.. Can't point out why
Edit: I know why, those project don't happen to have methods with generic list declared and called from webflow

[spring-projects-issues]

Juergen Hoeller commented

As far as I can tell, this works fine in 4.0 GA and 3.2.6. It probably got fixed as a side effect of an earlier change, but anyway, it works for those recent versions now. If you keep having an issue here, please reproduce it against those recent generations of Spring.

Juergen