Spring boot @RequestBody with @Valid- ExceptionHandler for MethodArgumentNotValidException

Question

I want to use @Valid annotation with @RequestBody annotation and handle error inside my own method annotated with @ExceptionHandler annotation. I want always return instance of ReponseEntity. But when i'm creating ExceptionHandler for MethodArgumentNotValidException i cannot start my application. My controller looks like this:

@PostMapping("/places/report")
    public ResponseEntity<WrongPlaceReportDTO> report(@RequestHeader(value="Accept-Language") String acceptLanguage, 

        WrongPlaceReportDTO result = wrongPlaceReportService.save(wrongPlaceReportDto, Locale.forLanguageTag(acceptLanguage));
        return new ResponseEntity<WrongPlaceReportDTO>(result, HttpStatus.OK);
    }

My global exception handlers looks like this:

@ControllerAdvice
public class RestResponseEntityExceptionHandler extends ResponseEntityExceptionHandler {

    @ExceptionHandler(value = MethodArgumentNotValidException.class)
    public ResponseEntity<RestResponse<Void>> handleMethodArgumentNotValidException(MethodArgumentNotValidException error, WebRequest request)  {
       return parseErrors(error.getBindingResult());
    }

    private ResponseEntity<RestResponse<Void>> parseErrors(BindingResult bindingResult){
        return new ResponseEntity<RestResponse<Void>>(HttpStatus.BAD_REQUEST);
    }
}

And when i'm starting my SpringBoot application i'm getting this:

org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanCreationException: Error creating bean with name 'handlerExceptionResolver' defined in class path resource [org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/web/WebMvcAutoConfiguration$EnableWebMvcConfiguration.class]: Bean instantiation via factory method failed; nested exception is org.springframework.beans.BeanInstantiationException: Failed to instantiate [org.springframework.web.servlet.HandlerExceptionResolver]: Factory method 'handlerExceptionResolver' threw exception; nested exception is java.lang.IllegalStateException: Ambiguous @ExceptionHandler method mapped for [class org.springframework.web.bind.MethodArgumentNotValidException]: {public org.springframework.http.ResponseEntity com.polibuda.pbl.endpoint.RestResponseEntityExceptionHandler.handleMethodArgumentNotValidException(org.springframework.web.bind.MethodArgumentNotValidException,org.springframework.web.context.request.WebRequest), public final org.springframework.http.ResponseEntity org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.ResponseEntityExceptionHandler.handleException(java.lang.Exception,org.springframework.web.context.request.WebRequest)}
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.ConstructorResolver.instantiateUsingFactoryMethod(ConstructorResolver.java:599) ~[spring-beans-4.3.9.RELEASE.jar:4.3.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.instantiateUsingFactoryMethod(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:1173) ~[spring-beans-4.3.9.RELEASE.jar:4.3.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.createBeanInstance(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:1067) ~[spring-beans-4.3.9.RELEASE.jar:4.3.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.doCreateBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:513) ~[spring-beans-4.3.9.RELEASE.jar:4.3.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.createBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:483) ~[spring-beans-4.3.9.RELEASE.jar:4.3.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory$1.getObject(AbstractBeanFactory.java:306) ~[spring-beans-4.3.9.RELEASE.jar:4.3.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultSingletonBeanRegistry.getSingleton(DefaultSingletonBeanRegistry.java:230) ~[spring-beans-4.3.9.RELEASE.jar:4.3.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.doGetBean(AbstractBeanFactory.java:302) ~[spring-beans-4.3.9.RELEASE.jar:4.3.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.getBean(AbstractBeanFactory.java:197) ~[spring-beans-4.3.9.RELEASE.jar:4.3.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultListableBeanFactory.preInstantiateSingletons(DefaultListableBeanFactory.java:761) ~[spring-beans-4.3.9.RELEASE.jar:4.3.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.finishBeanFactoryInitialization(AbstractApplicationContext.java:867) ~[spring-context-4.3.9.RELEASE.jar:4.3.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.refresh(AbstractApplicationContext.java:543) ~[spring-context-4.3.9.RELEASE.jar:4.3.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.boot.context.embedded.EmbeddedWebApplicationContext.refresh(EmbeddedWebApplicationContext.java:122) ~[spring-boot-1.5.4.RELEASE.jar:1.5.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.refresh(SpringApplication.java:693) [spring-boot-1.5.4.RELEASE.jar:1.5.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.refreshContext(SpringApplication.java:360) [spring-boot-1.5.4.RELEASE.jar:1.5.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.run(SpringApplication.java:303) [spring-boot-1.5.4.RELEASE.jar:1.5.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.run(SpringApplication.java:1118) [spring-boot-1.5.4.RELEASE.jar:1.5.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.run(SpringApplication.java:1107) [spring-boot-1.5.4.RELEASE.jar:1.5.4.RELEASE]
    at com.polibuda.pbl.Application.main(Application.java:11) [bin/:na]
Caused by: org.springframework.beans.BeanInstantiationException: Failed to instantiate [org.springframework.web.servlet.HandlerExceptionResolver]: Factory method 'handlerExceptionResolver' threw exception; nested exception is java.lang.IllegalStateException: Ambiguous @ExceptionHandler method mapped for [class org.springframework.web.bind.MethodArgumentNotValidException]: {public org.springframework.http.ResponseEntity com.polibuda.pbl.endpoint.RestResponseEntityExceptionHandler.handleMethodArgumentNotValidException(org.springframework.web.bind.MethodArgumentNotValidException,org.springframework.web.context.request.WebRequest), public final org.springframework.http.ResponseEntity org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.ResponseEntityExceptionHandler.handleException(java.lang.Exception,org.springframework.web.context.request.WebRequest)}
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.SimpleInstantiationStrategy.instantiate(SimpleInstantiationStrategy.java:189) ~[spring-beans-4.3.9.RELEASE.jar:4.3.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.ConstructorResolver.instantiateUsingFactoryMethod(ConstructorResolver.java:588) ~[spring-beans-4.3.9.RELEASE.jar:4.3.9.RELEASE]
    ... 18 common frames omitted
Caused by: java.lang.IllegalStateException: Ambiguous @ExceptionHandler method mapped for [class org.springframework.web.bind.MethodArgumentNotValidException]: {public org.springframework.http.ResponseEntity com.polibuda.pbl.endpoint.RestResponseEntityExceptionHandler.handleMethodArgumentNotValidException(org.springframework.web.bind.MethodArgumentNotValidException,org.springframework.web.context.request.WebRequest), public final org.springframework.http.ResponseEntity org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.ResponseEntityExceptionHandler.handleException(java.lang.Exception,org.springframework.web.context.request.WebRequest)}
    at org.springframework.web.method.annotation.ExceptionHandlerMethodResolver.addExceptionMapping(ExceptionHandlerMethodResolver.java:109) ~[spring-web-4.3.9.RELEASE.jar:4.3.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.web.method.annotation.ExceptionHandlerMethodResolver.<init>(ExceptionHandlerMethodResolver.java:76) ~[spring-web-4.3.9.RELEASE.jar:4.3.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.ExceptionHandlerExceptionResolver.initExceptionHandlerAdviceCache(ExceptionHandlerExceptionResolver.java:269) ~[spring-webmvc-4.3.9.RELEASE.jar:4.3.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.ExceptionHandlerExceptionResolver.afterPropertiesSet(ExceptionHandlerExceptionResolver.java:245) ~[spring-webmvc-4.3.9.RELEASE.jar:4.3.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.config.annotation.WebMvcConfigurationSupport.addDefaultHandlerExceptionResolvers(WebMvcConfigurationSupport.java:883) ~[spring-webmvc-4.3.9.RELEASE.jar:4.3.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.web.WebMvcAutoConfiguration$EnableWebMvcConfiguration.configureHandlerExceptionResolvers(WebMvcAutoConfiguration.java:450) ~[spring-boot-autoconfigure-1.5.4.RELEASE.jar:1.5.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.config.annotation.WebMvcConfigurationSupport.handlerExceptionResolver(WebMvcConfigurationSupport.java:826) ~[spring-webmvc-4.3.9.RELEASE.jar:4.3.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.web.WebMvcAutoConfiguration$EnableWebMvcConfiguration$$EnhancerBySpringCGLIB$$85dca415.CGLIB$handlerExceptionResolver$31(<generated>) ~[spring-boot-autoconfigure-1.5.4.RELEASE.jar:1.5.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.web.WebMvcAutoConfiguration$EnableWebMvcConfiguration$$EnhancerBySpringCGLIB$$85dca415$$FastClassBySpringCGLIB$$b06cae28.invoke(<generated>) ~[spring-boot-autoconfigure-1.5.4.RELEASE.jar:1.5.4.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.cglib.proxy.MethodProxy.invokeSuper(MethodProxy.java:228) ~[spring-core-4.3.9.RELEASE.jar:4.3.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.context.annotation.ConfigurationClassEnhancer$BeanMethodInterceptor.intercept(ConfigurationClassEnhancer.java:358) ~[spring-context-4.3.9.RELEASE.jar:4.3.9.RELEASE]
    at org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.web.WebMvcAutoConfiguration$EnableWebMvcConfiguration$$EnhancerBySpringCGLIB$$85dca415.handlerExceptionResolver(<generated>) ~[spring-boot-autoconfigure-1.5.4.RELEASE.jar:1.5.4.RELEASE]
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) ~[na:1.8.0_152]
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62) ~[na:1.8.0_152]
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43) ~[na:1.8.0_152]
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:498) ~[na:1.8.0_152]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.SimpleInstantiationStrategy.instantiate(SimpleInstantiationStrategy.java:162) ~[spring-beans-4.3.9.RELEASE.jar:4.3.9.RELEASE]
    ... 19 common frames omitted

For another type of exception everything works greate but i cannot create ExceptionHandler for MethodArgumentNotValidException. What i am doing wrong?

Answer 1

Spring is getting confused about which handler to use since the parent class method ResponseEntityExceptionHandler.handleException is already handling the exception of type MethodArgumentNotValidException.

Don't extend your class with ResponseEntityExceptionHandler and everything will work fine.

Answer 2

May be probably late but if you still want to extend ResponseEntityExceptionHandler, you can override any other method from ResponseEntityExceptionHandler that you want to change. for example my ExceptionHandler was not picking up HttpMessageNotReadableException and I still needed to use ResponseEntityExceptionHandler as we had other custom logic so I overrode another method responsible which for my case was adding this.

@Override
  protected ResponseEntity<Object> handleHttpMessageNotReadable(HttpMessageNotReadableException ex, HttpHeaders headers, HttpStatus status, WebRequest request) {
    return super.handleHttpMessageNotReadable(ex, headers, status, request);
  }