How to solve this infinite recursion (StackoverflowError) when I use writeValueAsString() method of Jackson ObjectMapper() class?

Question

I am absolutly new in JSON and how Java handle convert into this format.

So I have the following problem into a Spring MVC application I have this controller method that correctly handle AJAX request toward the /provinceDiUnaRegione.json resource:

@RequestMapping(value = "/provinceDiUnaRegione.json")
@ResponseBody
public String getProvince(String codiceRegione) {

    System.out.println("INTO getProvince()");

    List<Twb1013Provincia> provinceDiUnaRegioneList =  geograficaService.getListaProvinceDiUnaRegione(codiceRegione);

    try {
        String listaProvince = new ObjectMapper().writeValueAsString(provinceDiUnaRegioneList);
        return listaProvince;
    } catch (JsonProcessingException e) {
        // TODO Auto-generated catch block
        e.printStackTrace();
    } 

    return "";

}

As you can see this method retrieve a list of Twb1013Provincia objects and then use this line to convert the retrieved list into a JSON String (correct me if it is wrong)

String listaProvince = new ObjectMapper().writeValueAsString(provinceDiUnaRegioneList);

The problem is that when this line is performed I obtain this exception:

com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.JsonMappingException: Infinite recursion (StackOverflowError) (through reference chain: it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Twb1012Regione["tpg1029Provnuoists"]->org.hibernate.collection.internal.PersistentBag[0]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafiche.Tpg1029Provnuoist["twb1012Regione"]->it.myCompany.myProject.anagrafic...

So doing some analysis it seems to me that the problem is that I am trying to convert a list of Twb1013Provincia objects that are something like this:

@Entity
@Table(name="anagrafiche.TWB1013_PROVINCIA")
@NamedQuery(name="Twb1013Provincia.findAll", query="SELECT t FROM Twb1013Provincia t")
public class Twb1013Provincia implements Serializable {
    private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

    @Id
    @Column(name="COD_PRV")
    private String codPrv;

    //bi-directional many-to-one association to Twb1012Regione
    @ManyToOne
    @JoinColumn(name="COD_REG")
    private Twb1012Regione twb1012Regione;

    .................................................
    .................................................
    OTHER FIELDS
    .................................................
    .................................................
}

The problems seems that, as you can see, this class contain a Twb1012Regione twb1012Regione; field and that this Twb1012Regione class contain in turn a reference to the original Twb1013Provincia (the object to convert), something like this:

@Entity
@Table(name="anagrafiche.TWB1012_REGIONE")
@NamedQuery(name="Twb1012Regione.findAll", query="SELECT t FROM Twb1012Regione t")
public class Twb1012Regione implements Serializable {
    private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

    @Id
    @Column(name="COD_REG")
    private String codReg;

    //bi-directional many-to-one association to Twb1013Provincia
    @OneToMany(mappedBy="twb1012Regione")
    private List<Twb1013Provincia> twb1013Provincias;

    .................................................
    .................................................
    OTHER FIELDS
    .................................................
    .................................................
}

So the problems seems to be that when I try to convert a Twb1013Provincia object it find inside it a Twb1012Regione field that itself contain an Twb1013Provincia...so enter in an infinite loop and the conversion is impossible.

So how can I solve this issue? Exist a way to exclude the Twb1012Regione field from the Twb1013Provincia object conversion?

Or better can I specify the list of the Twb1013Provincia class fields that have to be converted in JSON format? (I need to convert only 2 fields of this class)

Tnx

Have you tried adding JSONignore annotation to avoid serializing dependent object to JSON? — TheMP, Sep 18 '15 at 08:59

score 11 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 18 '15 at 09:00

11

You can exclude a field from serializing using @JsonIgnore annotation.

Try:

@JsonIgnore
private Twb1012Regione twb1012Regione;

answered Sep 18 '15 at 09:00

Amila

5,195
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1

Also you can use the transient keyword from plain Java, and declare that attribute as private transient, to avoid its serialization into the Json string. – crigore Sep 18 '15 at 09:57
There are other options besides JsonIgnore: 1. Use JsonManagedReference, JsonBackReference 2. Use JsonIdentityInfo 3. Use JsonIgnore 4. Use JsonView see [Jackson – Bidirectional Relationships](https://www.baeldung.com/jackson-bidirectional-relationships-and-infinite-recursion) – Namo Aug 21 '21 at 13:41

How to solve this infinite recursion (StackoverflowError) when I use writeValueAsString() method of Jackson ObjectMapper() class?

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