springfox: Failed to start bean 'documentationPluginsBootstrapper'; nested exception is java.lang.NullPointerException in 2.5.0-SNAPSHOT

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I recommend switching to Springdoc

Yes, with Spring Boot 2.6.0 it does not work, with 2.5.6 or 2.5.7 it does.

Strange, for me it works with Spring 2.5.5 but not with 2.6.0

Found a hint at https://stackoverflow.com/questions/70036953/springboot-2-6-0-spring-fox-3-failed-to-start-bean-documentationpluginsboot to set spring.mvc.pathmatch.matching-strategy to ant-path-matcher but the problem persists:

Caused by: org.springframework.context.ApplicationContextException: Failed to start bean 'documentationPluginsBootstrapper'; nested exception is java.lang.NullPointerException at org.springframework.context.support.DefaultLifecycleProcessor.doStart(DefaultLifecycleProcessor.java:181) at org.springframework.context.support.DefaultLifecycleProcessor.access$200(DefaultLifecycleProcessor.java:54) at org.springframework.context.support.DefaultLifecycleProcessor$LifecycleGroup.start(DefaultLifecycleProcessor.java:356) at java.base/java.lang.Iterable.forEach(Iterable.java:75) at org.springframework.context.support.DefaultLifecycleProcessor.startBeans(DefaultLifecycleProcessor.java:155) at org.springframework.context.support.DefaultLifecycleProcessor.onRefresh(DefaultLifecycleProcessor.java:123) at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.finishRefresh(AbstractApplicationContext.java:935) at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.refresh(AbstractApplicationContext.java:586) at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.refresh(SpringApplication.java:730) at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.refreshContext(SpringApplication.java:412) at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.run(SpringApplication.java:302) at org.springframework.boot.test.context.SpringBootContextLoader.loadContext(SpringBootContextLoader.java:120) at org.springframework.test.context.cache.DefaultCacheAwareContextLoaderDelegate.loadContextInternal(DefaultCacheAwareContextLoaderDelegate.java:99) at org.springframework.test.context.cache.DefaultCacheAwareContextLoaderDelegate.loadContext(DefaultCacheAwareContextLoaderDelegate.java:124) ... 69 more Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException at springfox.documentation.spring.web.WebMvcPatternsRequestConditionWrapper.getPatterns(WebMvcPatternsRequestConditionWrapper.java:56) at springfox.documentation.RequestHandler.sortedPaths(RequestHandler.java:113) at springfox.documentation.spi.service.contexts.Orderings.lambda$byPatternsCondition$3(Orderings.java:89) at java.base/java.util.Comparator.lambda$comparing$77a9974f$1(Comparator.java:469) at java.base/java.util.TimSort.countRunAndMakeAscending(TimSort.java:355) at java.base/java.util.TimSort.sort(TimSort.java:220) at java.base/java.util.Arrays.sort(Arrays.java:1515) at java.base/java.util.ArrayList.sort(ArrayList.java:1750) at java.base/java.util.stream.SortedOps$RefSortingSink.end(SortedOps.java:392) at java.base/java.util.stream.Sink$ChainedReference.end(Sink.java:258) at java.base/java.util.stream.Sink$ChainedReference.end(Sink.java:258) at java.base/java.util.stream.Sink$ChainedReference.end(Sink.java:258) at java.base/java.util.stream.Sink$ChainedReference.end(Sink.java:258) at java.base/java.util.stream.AbstractPipeline.copyInto(AbstractPipeline.java:485) at java.base/java.util.stream.AbstractPipeline.wrapAndCopyInto(AbstractPipeline.java:474) at java.base/java.util.stream.ReduceOps$ReduceOp.evaluateSequential(ReduceOps.java:913) at java.base/java.util.stream.AbstractPipeline.evaluate(AbstractPipeline.java:234) at java.base/java.util.stream.ReferencePipeline.collect(ReferencePipeline.java:578) at springfox.documentation.spring.web.plugins.WebMvcRequestHandlerProvider.requestHandlers(WebMvcRequestHandlerProvider.java:81) at java.base/java.util.stream.ReferencePipeline$3$1.accept(ReferencePipeline.java:195) at java.base/java.util.ArrayList$ArrayListSpliterator.forEachRemaining(ArrayList.java:1655) at java.base/java.util.stream.AbstractPipeline.copyInto(AbstractPipeline.java:484) at java.base/java.util.stream.AbstractPipeline.wrapAndCopyInto(AbstractPipeline.java:474) at java.base/java.util.stream.ReduceOps$ReduceOp.evaluateSequential(ReduceOps.java:913) at java.base/java.util.stream.AbstractPipeline.evaluate(AbstractPipeline.java:234) at java.base/java.util.stream.ReferencePipeline.collect(ReferencePipeline.java:578) at springfox.documentation.spring.web.plugins.AbstractDocumentationPluginsBootstrapper.withDefaults(AbstractDocumentationPluginsBootstrapper.java:107) at springfox.documentation.spring.web.plugins.AbstractDocumentationPluginsBootstrapper.buildContext(AbstractDocumentationPluginsBootstrapper.java:91) at springfox.documentation.spring.web.plugins.AbstractDocumentationPluginsBootstrapper.bootstrapDocumentationPlugins(AbstractDocumentationPluginsBootstrapper.java:82) at springfox.documentation.spring.web.plugins.DocumentationPluginsBootstrapper.start(DocumentationPluginsBootstrapper.java:100) at org.springframework.context.support.DefaultLifecycleProcessor.doStart(DefaultLifecycleProcessor.java:178)

No sure back to 2.5.7 is the best option, at least not in my project. We need to find a solution in 2.6.0 version.

Hi Team,

I am currently using spring boot 2.7.12 version But facing the same issue as above . I used ANT_PATH too but doesn’t work Please help .

spring.mvc.pathmatch.matching-strategy = ANT_PATH_MATCHER

solved my issue Now

Guy i got the same problem. in My case with the h2 database, the solution was add the line “spring.mvc.pathmatch.matching-strategy=ant-path-matcher” at application.properties file … here its my complete file : https://github.com/felipe0059/ToDo-List/blob/versao-deploy/src/main/resources/application.properties

I recommend switching to Springdoc

worked like charm

Worked for me too on Sprint boot 2.6.3. The switch was fluid esp with instructions on how to migrate from swaggerfox: https://springdoc.org/#migrating-from-springfox

Have a look at https://github.com/springfox/springfox/issues/3462 It worked for me in Spring Boot 2.6.0. So it should work in 2.6.1 too.

Setting spring.mvc.pathmatch.matching-strategy = ANT_PATH_MATCHER in the properties file worked for me https://webfuse.in/blogs/org-springframework-context-applicationcontextexception-failed-to-start-bean-documentationpluginsbootstrapper-nested-exception-is-java-lang-nullpointerexception/

I recommend switching to Springdoc

worked like charm

I am running on Java 11.0.8 and my project folder is based on Springboot 2.7.13
pom.xml

<dependency>
    <groupId>io.springfox</groupId>
    <artifactId>springfox-boot-starter</artifactId>
    <version>3.0.0</version>
</dependency>

<dependency>
    <groupId>io.swagger.core.v3</groupId>
    <artifactId>swagger-annotations</artifactId>
    <version>2.1.9</version>
</dependency>

SwaggerConfig.java

import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
import springfox.documentation.builders.ApiInfoBuilder;
import springfox.documentation.builders.PathSelectors;
import springfox.documentation.builders.RequestHandlerSelectors;
import springfox.documentation.service.ApiInfo;
import springfox.documentation.spi.DocumentationType;
import springfox.documentation.spring.web.plugins.Docket;
import springfox.documentation.swagger2.annotations.EnableSwagger2;

@Configuration
@EnableSwagger2
public class SwaggerConfig {

    @Bean
    public Docket api() {
        return new Docket(DocumentationType.SWAGGER_2)
                .select()
                .apis(RequestHandlerSelectors.basePackage("com.example.demo")) // Update with your controller package
                .paths(PathSelectors.any())
                .build()
                .apiInfo(apiInfo());
    }

    private ApiInfo apiInfo() {
        return new ApiInfoBuilder()
                .title("Your API Documentation")
                .description("API documentation for your Spring Boot project")
                .version("1.0.0")
                .build();
    }
}

DemoApplication.java --Where the Springboot starts–

...
@SpringBootApplication
@EnableSwagger2 //<-- add these annotation
@EnableWebMvc   //<--
public class DemoApplication {


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

}

You can use the @EnableWebMvc annotation either for the controller classes (adding the annotation for every controller) or just the main class.

You can remove this if you have this set in the application.properties file.
It works without it.

#spring.mvc.pathmatch.matching-strategy = ANT_PATH_MATCHER

Same here with spring boot 2.6.2 and springfox 3.0.0.

Just hit the same issue with Spring Boot 2.6.0. Switched back to 2.5.7 and set the following dependencies:

implementation('io.springfox:springfox-swagger2:3.0.0')
implementation('io.springfox:springfox-swagger-ui:2.8.0')

Thanks @natnael-bedru It worked for me with java 11.0.17, Springboot 2.7.16 and

		<dependency>
			<groupId>io.springfox</groupId>
			<artifactId>springfox-swagger2</artifactId>
			<version>3.0.0</version>
		</dependency>
		<dependency>
			<groupId>io.springfox</groupId>
			<artifactId>springfox-boot-starter</artifactId>
			<version>3.0.0</version>
		</dependency>

Hi @girish-vm

Even I am in the same situation, please help me if you find the solution. No workarounds fixed the issue. After adding the spring beans manually I am getting a white label error for swagger-ui page.

I have changed our Spring Boot project version from 2.5.0-SNAPSHOT to 2.5.0-M3 It is works now.

I think the reason is that Spring Boot version 2.5.0-SNAPSHOT is unstable