Ambiguous @ExceptionHandler method mapped

Question

I am facing a strange problem Following are the two methods in my UserController class

 @RequestMapping(value = "/list", method = RequestMethod.GET)
    @ExceptionHandler(GenericException.class)
    public ModelAndView list(@ModelAttribute(Constants.KEY_USER_RIGHTS) Map<String, Rights> rights,@ModelAttribute(Constants.KEY_LOGGED_IN_USER) User user, HttpServletRequest request) {//details omitted}
 @RequestMapping(value = "/invite", method = RequestMethod.POST)
    @ExceptionHandler(GenericException.class)
    public ModelAndView create(@ModelAttribute(value = "preRegister") PreRegister preRegister,Model model,HttpServletRequest request){//details omitted}

When the request comes to this controller Its throwing an exception The stacktrace is as follows:

java.lang.IllegalStateException: Ambiguous @ExceptionHandler method mapped for [class com.hcdc.coedp.safe.exception.GenericException]: {public org.springframework.web.servlet.ModelAndView com.hcdc.coedp.safe.controller.UserController.list(java.util.Map,com.hcdc.coedp.safe.domain.User,javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest), public org.springframework.web.servlet.ModelAndView com.hcdc.coedp.safe.controller.UserController.create(com.hcdc.coedp.safe.domain.PreRegister,org.springframework.ui.Model,javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest)}.
    at org.springframework.web.method.annotation.ExceptionHandlerMethodResolver.addExceptionMapping(ExceptionHandlerMethodResolver.java:93)
    at org.springframework.web.method.annotation.ExceptionHandlerMethodResolver.<init>(ExceptionHandlerMethodResolver.java:61)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.ExceptionHandlerExceptionResolver.getExceptionHandlerMethod(ExceptionHandlerExceptionResolver.java:356)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.ExceptionHandlerExceptionResolver.doResolveHandlerMethodException(ExceptionHandlerExceptionResolver.java:306)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.handler.AbstractHandlerMethodExceptionResolver.doResolveException(AbstractHandlerMethodExceptionResolver.java:60)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.handler.AbstractHandlerExceptionResolver.resolveException(AbstractHandlerExceptionResolver.java:136)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.processHandlerException(DispatcherServlet.java:1148)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.processDispatchResult(DispatcherServlet.java:985)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doDispatch(DispatcherServlet.java:939)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doService(DispatcherServlet.java:856)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.processRequest(FrameworkServlet.java:915)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.doGet(FrameworkServlet.java:811)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:668)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.service(FrameworkServlet.java:796)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:770)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapper.service(StandardWrapper.java:1542)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:343)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:217)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:101)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:256)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:217)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:368)
    at org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.FilterSecurityInterceptor.invoke(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:109)
    at org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.FilterSecurityInterceptor.doFilter(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:83)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:380)
    at org.springframework.security.web.access.ExceptionTranslationFilter.doFilter(ExceptionTranslationFilter.java:97)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:380)
    at org.springframework.security.web.session.SessionManagementFilter.doFilter(SessionManagementFilter.java:100)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:380)
    at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.AnonymousAuthenticationFilter.doFilter(AnonymousAuthenticationFilter.java:78)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:380)
    at org.springframework.security.web.servletapi.SecurityContextHolderAwareRequestFilter.doFilter(SecurityContextHolderAwareRequestFilter.java:54)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:380)
    at org.springframework.security.web.savedrequest.RequestCacheAwareFilter.doFilter(RequestCacheAwareFilter.java:35)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:380)
    at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.www.BasicAuthenticationFilter.doFilter(BasicAuthenticationFilter.java:177)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:380)
    at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.AbstractAuthenticationProcessingFilter.doFilter(AbstractAuthenticationProcessingFilter.java:187)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:380)
    at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.logout.LogoutFilter.doFilter(LogoutFilter.java:105)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$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:346)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.doFilter(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:259)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:256)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:217)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.RequestContextFilter.doFilterInternal(RequestContextFilter.java:99)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:107)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:256)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:217)
    at org.springframework.orm.hibernate3.support.OpenSessionInViewFilter.doFilterInternal(OpenSessionInViewFilter.java:233)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:107)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:256)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:217)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:279)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:175)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.doInvoke(StandardPipeline.java:655)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:595)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:161)
    at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.doService(CoyoteAdapter.java:331)
    at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:231)
    at com.sun.enterprise.v3.services.impl.ContainerMapper$AdapterCallable.call(ContainerMapper.java:317)
    at com.sun.enterprise.v3.services.impl.ContainerMapper.service(ContainerMapper.java:195)
    at com.sun.grizzly.http.ProcessorTask.invokeAdapter(ProcessorTask.java:849)
    at com.sun.grizzly.http.ProcessorTask.doProcess(ProcessorTask.java:746)
    at com.sun.grizzly.http.ProcessorTask.process(ProcessorTask.java:1045)
    at com.sun.grizzly.http.DefaultProtocolFilter.execute(DefaultProtocolFilter.java:228)
    at com.sun.grizzly.DefaultProtocolChain.executeProtocolFilter(DefaultProtocolChain.java:137)
    at com.sun.grizzly.DefaultProtocolChain.execute(DefaultProtocolChain.java:104)
    at com.sun.grizzly.DefaultProtocolChain.execute(DefaultProtocolChain.java:90)
    at com.sun.grizzly.http.HttpProtocolChain.execute(HttpProtocolChain.java:79)
    at com.sun.grizzly.ProtocolChainContextTask.doCall(ProtocolChainContextTask.java:54)
    at com.sun.grizzly.SelectionKeyContextTask.call(SelectionKeyContextTask.java:59)
    at com.sun.grizzly.ContextTask.run(ContextTask.java:71)
    at com.sun.grizzly.util.AbstractThreadPool$Worker.doWork(AbstractThreadPool.java:532)
    at com.sun.grizzly.util.AbstractThreadPool$Worker.run(AbstractThreadPool.java:513)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:722)

Following is my GenericException class:

public class GenericException extends RuntimeException {

    private String exceptionMsg;

    public GenericException(String exceptionMsg) {
        this.exceptionMsg = exceptionMsg;
    }

    public String getExceptionMsg() {
        return exceptionMsg;
    }

    public void setExceptionMsg(String exceptionMsg) {
        this.exceptionMsg = exceptionMsg;
    }
}

I am having no clue whats gone wrong.So if anyone could explain me I'll be grateful.

Answer 1

I think the error message is perfectly clear - you should have only one method annotated as ExceptionHanlder for this exception. BTW, I don't think that either of these methods is a good candidate.

And another note - you should not have a field exceptionMsg in your GenericException - use inherited message field instead.