Servlet context isn't set only when building a WAR

Question

We are moving from Spring WebInitializer to Spring boot 2.5.0 SpringBootServletInitializer

We need to add a context path for our Servlet dispatcher, with the following code:

@SpringBootApplication(exclude = { JmsAutoConfiguration.class, ActiveMQAutoConfiguration.class,
            SecurityAutoConfiguration.class, ManagementWebSecurityAutoConfiguration.class })
    public class WebServerConfig extends SpringBootServletInitializer implements ApplicationContextAware {
    @Bean
   public WebServerFactoryCustomizer<ConfigurableServletWebServerFactory> webServerFactoryCustomizer() {
       return factory -> {
           factory.setRegisterDefaultServlet(true);
           factory.setContextPath("/servlet");
       };
   }
}

When running Maven WAR regular Tomcat 8.5, the Servlet context isn't set, log:

o.a.c.c.C.[Catalina].[localhost].[/]     : Initializing Spring DispatcherServlet 'dispatcherServlet'

Regular Main

public static void main(String[] args) {
    SpringApplication.run(WebServerConfig.class, args);
}

When running embedded Tomcat code works as expected:

o.a.c.c.C.[.[localhost].[/servlet]       : Initializing Spring DispatcherServlet 'dispatcherServlet'

Maven pom:

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-web</artifactId>
    <version>${springframework.boot-version}</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-tomcat</artifactId>
    <version>${springframework.boot-version}</version>
    <scope>provided</scope>
</dependency>

I also have configure method:

@Override
protected SpringApplicationBuilder configure(
  SpringApplicationBuilder builder) {
    return builder.sources(WebServerConfig.class);
}

Am I missing code/property to enable Servlet context when building a WAR?

I found older question and question2 without a real answer except using different war name.

You need to override/implement the `configure` method of the `SpringBootServletInitializer` else it won't do anything. — M. Deinum, Jun 01 '21 at 05:53
From those snippets it is impossible to tell, and your config also looks weird. Also depending on your Spring Boot version Tomcat 8.5 might be too low and you require tomcat 9. — M. Deinum, Jun 01 '21 at 05:56
And ofcourse the `WebServerFactoryCustomizer` doesn't apply when deploying as a war file. That is for controlling the creation of the embedded tomcat, spring Boot cannot control an external tomcat. So the context path (which is something different than a servletcontext (which threw me off) will not be set). — M. Deinum, Jun 01 '21 at 05:58
@M.Deinum with tomcat 9 same results, so what is the equivalent to Spring `ServletRegistration.Dynamic dispatcher = servletContext.addServlet("Mydispatcher", ds); dispatcher.addMapping("/servlet/*");` — Ori Marko, Jun 01 '21 at 06:10
Ofcourse you will get the same results, as I mentioned that thing doesn't apply. Remove that line and add `spring.mvc.servlet.path=/servlet/*` to your `application.properties` (at least that is what your code snippet of the servlet registration implies which again is different than the context path, so which is it you want to set?). — M. Deinum, Jun 01 '21 at 06:25

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Jun 02 '21 at 08:29

1

Use the below application property to set the context path for spring boot application. If you are using yaml configuration.

server:
   servlet:
     context-path: /servlet

If you are using application.properties

server.servlet.context-path = /servlet

answered Jun 02 '21 at 08:29

kiranNswamy

126
9

It affects only embedded tomcat and not when deploy war – Ori Marko Jun 02 '21 at 08:31
1

your war file name will be the first context path example application.war then your context path would be host:port/applicaiton/contextpathInProperty/controllermappinngPath. Give the war name as root conext path – kiranNswamy Jun 02 '21 at 08:32
I use root so My filename is ROOT.war – Ori Marko Jun 02 '21 at 08:33
you want to change the root context in war or after the root path? – kiranNswamy Jun 02 '21 at 08:52
It sounds that same, I'm building spring boot application and deploy to war and I need /servlet as context path although my war is ROOT.war – Ori Marko Jun 02 '21 at 10:22
change your war name to servert.war then it will work. I mentioned above the war name will be your context path. – kiranNswamy Jun 02 '21 at 11:40
Thank you, but it's not a full solution, we have another application as MY.war that we need the context path to be servlet/MY – Ori Marko Jun 06 '21 at 12:21

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 06 '21 at 12:22

We fixed the issue by adding property inside SpringApplicationBuilder:

@Override
protected SpringApplicationBuilder configure(SpringApplicationBuilder builder) {
    Properties bootProperties = new Properties();
    bootProperties.setProperty("spring.mvc.servlet.path", "/servlet");
    return builder.sources(WebServerConfig.class).properties(bootProperties);
}

Servlet context isn't set only when building a WAR

2 Answers2