Attribute mysteriously missing from Spring Web Flow flowscope

Question

I have an app that uses Spring Webflow 2.0 (in an app that uses Spring 2.5.7).

Most of the flows were created a long time ago and have worked fine except for this occasional, seemingly random, error.

The error occurs a few times a day and the following exception is thrown:

ognl.NoSuchPropertyException: org.springframework.webflow.engine.impl.RequestControlContextImpl.project

"project" is an attribute that we add to to the flowscope.

The flow definition file looks like this

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<flow xmlns="http://www.springframework.org/schema/webflow"
  xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
  xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.springframework.org/schema/webflow
                      http://www.springframework.org/schema/webflow/spring-webflow-2.0.xsd">
    <on-start>
    <set name="flowScope.projectId" value="requestParameters.projectId" type="java.lang.Long"/>
    <set name="flowScope.modify" value="requestParameters.modify" type="java.lang.Boolean"/>
    <set name="flowScope.modelNameSpace" value="requestParameters.modelNameSpace" type="java.lang.String"/>
    <evaluate expression="getProjectPutInFlowScopeRedirectToRecentProjectifNullAction"/>
</on-start>

<action-state id="SET_SITE_ON_FLOW">
    <set name="flowScope.site" value="flowScope.project.site"/>
    <transition to="PROJECT_ADDRESS_PRESENT"/>
</action-state>
...

The Action getProjectPutInFlowScopeRedirectToRecentProjectifNullAction gets the projectId from the flow and then looks up the project.

It asserts the presence of a projectId and then looks up the project in our database. If the project is null, a different exception is thrown. Thus this action assures that the attribute "project" is not null before Spring Web Flow continues to the next step.

This bug does not occur when user clicks back or attempts to access a flow abnormally. It happens when the starts the flow from a link that normally works.

Here is the full stack trace.

    StackTrace: org.springframework.webflow.execution.ActionExecutionException: Exception thrown executing [AnnotatedAction@232e860e targetAction = [SetAction@4363132d name = flowScope.site, value = project.site, type = [null]], attributes = map[[empty]]] in state 'SET_SITE_ON_FLOW' of flow 'trace-over-aerial-image' -- action execution attributes were 'map[[empty]]'
        at org.springframework.webflow.execution.ActionExecutor.execute(ActionExecutor.java:60)
        at org.springframework.webflow.engine.ActionState.doEnter(ActionState.java:101)
        at org.springframework.webflow.engine.State.enter(State.java:194)
        at org.springframework.webflow.engine.Flow.start(Flow.java:535)
        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:875)
        at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doService(DispatcherServlet.java:807)
        at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.processRequest(FrameworkServlet.java:571)
        at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.doGet(FrameworkServlet.java:501)
        at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:620)
        at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:727)
        at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:303)
        at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:208)
        at org.apache.tomcat.websocket.server.WsFilter.doFilter(WsFilter.java:52)
        at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:241)
        at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:208)
        at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:378)
        at org.springframework.security.securechannel.ChannelProcessingFilter.doFilterHttp(ChannelProcessingFilter.java:116)
        at org.springframework.security.ui.SpringSecurityFilter.doFilter(SpringSecurityFilter.java:53)
        at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:390)
        at org.springframework.security.intercept.web.FilterSecurityInterceptor.invoke(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:109)
        at org.springframework.security.intercept.web.FilterSecurityInterceptor.doFilter(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:83)
        at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:390)
        at com.REMOVED.partner.security.PartnerPageAccessRegulator.doFilter(PartnerPageAccessRegulator.java:102)
        at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:390)
        at org.springframework.security.ui.ExceptionTranslationFilter.doFilterHttp(ExceptionTranslationFilter.java:101)
        at org.springframework.security.ui.SpringSecurityFilter.doFilter(SpringSecurityFilter.java:53)
        at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:390)
        at org.springframework.security.providers.anonymous.AnonymousProcessingFilter.doFilterHttp(AnonymousProcessingFilter.java:105)
        at org.springframework.security.ui.SpringSecurityFilter.doFilter(SpringSecurityFilter.java:53)
        at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:390)
        at org.springframework.security.ui.AbstractProcessingFilter.doFilterHttp(AbstractProcessingFilter.java:278)
        at org.springframework.security.ui.SpringSecurityFilter.doFilter(SpringSecurityFilter.java:53)
        at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:390)
        at org.springframework.security.ui.logout.LogoutFilter.doFilterHttp(LogoutFilter.java:89)
        at org.springframework.security.ui.SpringSecurityFilter.doFilter(SpringSecurityFilter.java:53)
        at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:390)
        at com.REMOVED.servlet.AnalyticsFilter.doFilter(AnalyticsFilter.java:59)
        at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:390)
        at com.REMOVED.billing.servlet.BillingSystemModelAttributeFilter.executeFilter(BillingSystemModelAttributeFilter.java:77)
        at com.REMOVEDservlet.AbstractModelAttributeFilter.doFilter(AbstractModelAttributeFilter.java:32)
        at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:390)
        at com.REMOVED.servlet.AppOrFrontEndSiteFilter.doFilter(AppOrFrontEndSiteFilter.java:61)
        at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:390)
        at com.REMOVED.partner.servlet.PartnerFilter.doFilter(PartnerFilter.java:117)
        at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:390)
        at com.REMOVED.servlet.GlobalModelFilter.doFilter(GlobalModelFilter.java:94)
        at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:390)
        at org.springframework.security.context.HttpSessionContextIntegrationFilter.doFilterHttp(HttpSessionContextIntegrationFilter.java:235)
        at org.springframework.security.ui.SpringSecurityFilter.doFilter(SpringSecurityFilter.java:53)
        at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:390)
        at org.springframework.security.concurrent.ConcurrentSessionFilter.doFilterHttp(ConcurrentSessionFilter.java:99)
        at org.springframework.security.ui.SpringSecurityFilter.doFilter(SpringSecurityFilter.java:53)
        at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:390)
        at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:175)
        at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.invokeDelegate(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:236)
        at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.doFilter(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:167)
        at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:241)
        at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:208)
        at org.springframework.web.filter.CharacterEncodingFilter.doFilterInternal(CharacterEncodingFilter.java:96)
        at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:76)
        at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:241)
        at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:208)
        at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:220)
        at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:122)
        at org.apache.catalina.authenticator.AuthenticatorBase.invoke(AuthenticatorBase.java:503)
        at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:170)
        at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:103)
        at org.apache.catalina.valves.AccessLogValve.invoke(AccessLogValve.java:950)
        at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:116)
        at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:421)
        at org.apache.coyote.ajp.AjpProcessor.process(AjpProcessor.java:190)
        at org.apache.coyote.AbstractProtocol$AbstractConnectionHandler.process(AbstractProtocol.java:611)
        at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.JIoEndpoint$SocketProcessor.run(JIoEndpoint.java:314)
        at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1145)
        at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:615)
        at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.TaskThread$WrappingRunnable.run(TaskThread.java:61)
        at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:745)
Caused by: org.springframework.binding.expression.PropertyNotFoundException: Property not found
        at org.springframework.binding.expression.ognl.OgnlExpression.getValue(OgnlExpression.java:87)
        at org.springframework.webflow.action.SetAction.doExecute(SetAction.java:75)
        at org.springframework.webflow.action.AbstractAction.execute(AbstractAction.java:188)
        at org.springframework.webflow.execution.AnnotatedAction.execute(AnnotatedAction.java:145)
        at org.springframework.webflow.execution.ActionExecutor.execute(ActionExecutor.java:51)
        ... 80 more
Caused by: ognl.NoSuchPropertyException: org.springframework.webflow.engine.impl.RequestControlContextImpl.project
        at ognl.ObjectPropertyAccessor.getProperty(ObjectPropertyAccessor.java:122)
        at org.springframework.webflow.expression.WebFlowOgnlExpressionParser$RequestContextPropertyAccessor.getProperty(WebFlowOgnlExpressionParser.java:118)
        at ognl.OgnlRuntime.getProperty(OgnlRuntime.java:1657)
        at ognl.ASTProperty.getValueBody(ASTProperty.java:92)
        at ognl.SimpleNode.evaluateGetValueBody(SimpleNode.java:170)
        at ognl.SimpleNode.getValue(SimpleNode.java:210)
        at ognl.ASTChain.getValueBody(ASTChain.java:109)
        at ognl.SimpleNode.evaluateGetValueBody(SimpleNode.java:170)
        at ognl.SimpleNode.getValue(SimpleNode.java:210)
        at ognl.Ognl.getValue(Ognl.java:333)
        at org.springframework.binding.expression.ognl.OgnlExpression.getValue(OgnlExpression.java:85)
        ... 84 more

score 0 · Answer 1 · edited May 23 '17 at 11:58

Maybe user session is timing out? Not sure if this syntax will work for Spring Webflow 2.0 but Try this

Break apart <evaluate expression="getProjectPutInFlowScopeRedirectToRecentProjectifNullAction"/>

to (just outside of the end of the on-start tag)

  <decision-state id="chkNullProject">
        <on-entry>
            <set name="flowScope.project" value="someService.findMyProject(flowScope.projectId)"/>
        </on-entry>

        <if test="flowScope.project != null" then="SET_SITE_ON_FLOW" else="redirectToRecentProject"/>
  </decision-state>

  <action-state id="SET_SITE_ON_FLOW">
    <set name="flowScope.site" value="flowScope.project.site"/>
    <transition to="PROJECT_ADDRESS_PRESENT"/>
  </action-state>

  <end-state id="redirectToRecentProject" view="externalRedirect:/projects/id/#{flowScope.recentProjectId}"/>

See if that makes the intermittent exception behavior go away.

Also create a FlowExecutionListenerAdapter to investigate further the contents of the (RequestContext context) when this behavior is occurring.

Catch "dead" session in Spring webflow

Thanks. I've tried this. Waiting now to see if the error happens again. — Ceniza, May 19 '15 at 20:17

Attribute mysteriously missing from Spring Web Flow flowscope

1 Answers1