SpEL : Indexed access within an expression with null variables is no longer a SpelEvaluationException [SPR-16544]

[spring-projects-issues]

DJ Kulkarni opened SPR-16544 and commented

Evaluating a spelExpression which contains indexed access to StandardEvaluationContext variables throws a java.lang.IllegalStateException, when no variables are set.

Previously the exception used to be a friendly SpelEvaluationException with SpelMessage.CANNOT_INDEX_INTO_NULL_VALUE.

See attached a project for testing. Change the springVersion in build.gradle to 4.3.14.RELEASE and the tests are green.

A commit for #20276, specifically in org.springframework.expression.spel.ast.Indexer seems to have introduced the change in behavior.

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Affects: 5.0 GA, 5.0.1, 5.0.2, 5.0.3, 5.0.4

Attachments:

• SpELExceptionAnomaly.zip (55.55 kB)

Issue Links:

• Extend null-safety to field level [SPR-15720] #20276 Extend null-safety to field level

Referenced from: commits fa670dd

[spring-projects-issues]

Juergen Hoeller commented

This turned out to be an assertion that was set too early. I've moved it to after the null-target check within Indexer.getValueRef where a non-null TypeDescriptor is actually needed.