expression="annotation(@Service)" poincut not well formed

[Paul Newport]

What's wrong with this pointcut ? And is this the best way of making services transactional ?

<aop:config>
		<aop:pointcut id="services"   expression="annotation(@Service)" />
		<aop:advisor id="transactions" advice-ref="jpaTxAdvice"
			pointcut-ref="services" />
	</aop:config>

If I remove the advisor, I get no XML errors, so it looks like the advisor doesn't like the format of my pointcut.

Pointcut is not well-formed: expecting 'name pattern' at character position 19
annotation(@Service)
                   ^

	at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.doCreateBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:445)
	at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory$1.run(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:383)
	at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(AccessController.java:193)
	at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.createBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:353)
	at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory$1.getObject(AbstractBeanFactory.java:245)
	at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultSingletonBeanRegistry.getSingleton(DefaultSingletonBeanRegistry.java:169)
	at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.getBean(AbstractBeanFactory.java:242)
	at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.getBean(AbstractBeanFactory.java:164)
	at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultListableBeanFactory.preInstantiateSingletons(DefaultListableBeanFactory.java:400)
	at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.finishBeanFactoryInitialization(AbstractApplicationContext.java:736)
	at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.refresh(AbstractApplicationContext.java:369)
	at org.springframework.test.AbstractSingleSpringContextTests.createApplicationContext(AbstractSingleSpringContextTests.java:243)
	at org.springframework.test.AbstractSingleSpringContextTests.loadContextLocations(AbstractSingleSpringContextTests.java:212)
	at org.springframework.test.AbstractSingleSpringContextTests.loadContext(AbstractSingleSpringContextTests.java:187)
	at org.springframework.test.AbstractSpringContextTests.getContext(AbstractSpringContextTests.java:140)
	at org.springframework.test.AbstractSingleSpringContextTests.setUp(AbstractSingleSpringContextTests.java:100)
	at junit.framework.TestCase.runBare(TestCase.java:125)
	at org.springframework.test.ConditionalTestCase.runBare(ConditionalTestCase.java:76)
	at junit.framework.TestResult$1.protect(TestResult.java:106)
	at junit.framework.TestResult.runProtected(TestResult.java:124)
	at junit.framework.TestResult.run(TestResult.java:109)
	at junit.framework.TestCase.run(TestCase.java:118)
	at junit.framework.TestSuite.runTest(TestSuite.java:208)
	at junit.framework.TestSuite.run(TestSuite.java:203)
	at org.junit.internal.runners.OldTestClassRunner.run(OldTestClassRunner.java:35)
	at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit4.runner.JUnit4TestReference.run(JUnit4TestReference.java:38)
	at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.TestExecution.run(TestExecution.java:38)
	at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.runTests(RemoteTestRunner.java:460)
	at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.runTests(RemoteTestRunner.java:673)
	at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.run(RemoteTestRunner.java:386)
	at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.junit.runner.RemoteTestRunner.main(RemoteTestRunner.java:196)
Caused by: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Pointcut is not well-formed: expecting 'name pattern' at character position 19
annotation(@Service)
                   ^

	at org.aspectj.weaver.tools.PointcutParser.resolvePointcutExpression(PointcutParser.java:333)
	at org.aspectj.weaver.tools.PointcutParser.parsePointcutExpression(PointcutParser.java:308)
	at org.springframework.aop.aspectj.AspectJExpressionPointcut.buildPointcutExpression(AspectJExpressionPointcut.java:197)
	at org.springframework.aop.aspectj.AspectJExpressionPointcut.checkReadyToMatch(AspectJExpressionPointcut.java:184)
	at org.springframework.aop.aspectj.AspectJExpressionPointcut.getClassFilter(AspectJExpressionPointcut.java:165)
	at org.springframework.aop.support.AopUtils.canApply(AopUtils.java:189)
	at org.springframework.aop.support.AopUtils.canApply(AopUtils.java:244)
	at org.springframework.aop.support.AopUtils.findAdvisorsThatCanApply(AopUtils.java:278)
	at org.springframework.aop.framework.autoproxy.AbstractAdvisorAutoProxyCreator.findAdvisorsThatCanApply(AbstractAdvisorAutoProxyCreator.java:113)
	at org.springframework.aop.framework.autoproxy.AbstractAdvisorAutoProxyCreator.findEligibleAdvisors(AbstractAdvisorAutoProxyCreator.java:85)
	at org.springframework.aop.framework.autoproxy.AbstractAdvisorAutoProxyCreator.getAdvicesAndAdvisorsForBean(AbstractAdvisorAutoProxyCreator.java:66)
	at org.springframework.aop.framework.autoproxy.AbstractAutoProxyCreator.postProcessAfterInitialization(AbstractAutoProxyCreator.java:296)
	at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.applyBeanPostProcessorsAfterInitialization(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:331)
	at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.initializeBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:1266)
	at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.doCreateBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:438)
	... 30 more

[Marten Deinum]

If you want transactional stuff I would suggest the @Transactional annotation and the tx:annotation-driven element. It is especially for that purpose.

Next to that you might want to try the fully qualified classname of the @Service annotation and the pointcut expression is @annotation not annotation.. (@org.springframework.stereotype.Service).

[Paul Newport]

If you want transactional stuff I would suggest the @Transactional annotation and the tx:annotation-driven element. It is especially for that purpose.

Next to that you might want to try the fully qualified classname of the @Service annotation and the pointcut expression is @annotation not annotation.. (@org.springframework.stereotype.Service).

OK, thanks for that. What's the point of the @service annotation then ? It doesn't seem to do much at all other than act as a possible place holder for pointcuts.

[Marten Deinum]

Check the chapter for component scanning and automatic component registering. Chapter 3.11 is the one to read. I suggest you readup on that stuff and what it is to be used for.

[Paul Newport]

Check the chapter for component scanning and automatic component registering. Chapter 3.11 is the one to read. I suggest you readup on that stuff and what it is to be used for.

I understand component scanning but thought @service would do something more, like make the component transactional.

I'm trying to understand whether it is better to annotate with @transactional or annotate with @service and then put in a pointcut to advise stuff annotated with @service (which perhaps is less verbose).

[Marten Deinum]

It is less verbose but also less powerfull... How would you differentiate between a method which required a new transaction or nested transaction when called. Or a method needs no transaction? If you do it with the @Service annotation everything is transactional with the same settings...

@Service is for use with the component scanning and it also types your pojo (you could also annotate it with @Component for the same behavior but @Service makes clear it is a service like @Controller, @Repository etc. do for other types).

[Paul Newport]

It is less verbose but also less powerfull... How would you differentiate between a method which required a new transaction or nested transaction when called. Or a method needs no transaction? If you do it with the @Service annotation everything is transactional with the same settings...

@Service is for use with the component scanning and it also types your pojo (you could also annotate it with @Component for the same behavior but @Service makes clear it is a service like @Controller, @Repository etc. do for other types).

OK thanks, all clear now. As you can see I am at the bottom of the AOP annotations learning curve !