Multiple property files within multiple modules/projects

[black666]

Let's say I have the following modules/projects:

-) myAppDAO
-) myAppJabber
-) myApp

Each project has its own spring context. Since I need to load db / jabber connection properties, I have a PropertyPlaceholderConfigurer set up for both of them (each in their own context file):

<bean id="dbProperties" class="org.springframework.beans.factory.config.PropertyPlaceholderConfigurer">
	<property name="ignoreResourceNotFound" value="true" />
	<property name="locations">
		<list>
			<value>classpath:/db.default.properties</value>
			<value>classpath:/db.properties</value>
		</list>
	</property>
</bean>

<bean id="jabberProperties" class="org.springframework.beans.factory.config.PropertyPlaceholderConfigurer">
	<property name="ignoreResourceNotFound" value="true" />
	<property name="locations">
		<list>
			<value>classpath:/jabber.default.properties</value>
			<value>classpath:/jabber.properties</value>
		</list>
	</property>
</bean>

The problem comes in when I'm using both modules in my main application where I load the context files from every module - creating one big application context. Now it seems like only one PropertyPlaceholderConfigurer gets used and I get exceptions when I try to inject a property from the other one into a bean: "Could not resolve placeholder 'db.host'"

When I add the jabber.properties in the PropertyPlaceHolderConfigurer of the dao module (or vice versa), everything works just fine. It also works if I remove the PropertyPlaceHolderConfigurer from both modules and just add one big one in the main application. Both ways suck imo.

What would be the correct way to load a dedicated property file for each project/module and still use them alltogether in one context?

[jamestastic]

You can have multiple <contextroperty-placeholder /> elements instead of explicitly declaring multiple PropertiesPlaceholderConfigurer beans.

[black666]

Mhmm.. I just tried it, but I got the same result.

In the context file of the DAO module I specified:

<context:property-placeholder location="classpath:/db.default.properties, classpath:/db.properties" ignore-resource-not-found="true"/>

Same with the context file in the jabber module:

<context:property-placeholder location="classpath:/jabber.default.properties, classpath:/jabber.properties" ignore-resource-not-found="true"/>

But once I load both context files into my main application context, only one propertyplaceholder works. In my case it's the one from the DAO module since I load its context file first. Loading of the jabber module context file then fails with with the usual "Could not resolve placeholder 'jabber.host'"

[black666]

Turns out that I was missing ignore-resource-not-found="true" .. now it works like expected. It even works with the previous notation where a specified sperate beans for the PPHC.

[kevinstembridge]

I was having the same problem and found this thread.

I think you meant to say in your last comment that you were missing the ignoreUnresolvablePlaceholders=true property as opposed to the ignoreResourceNotFound property. That's what got it working for me.