Autowired Repository is Null in Custom Constraint Validator

Question

I have a Spring based webapp. I am using several repository classes with annotations @Repository, @Transactional in my Controllers. That part works fine.

I created a

Answer 1

Which ValidatorFactory are you using. Or to put it another way, hot to you bootstrap Bean Validation? Per default Bean Validation (and Hibernate Validator as reference implentation) does not inject dependencies into ConstraintValidator instances. At least in Bean Validation 1.0.

To enable dependency injection you have to configure a custom ConstraintValidatorFactory. Spring offers SpringConstraintValidatorFactory which is the default when using LocalValidatorFactoryBean - see http://static.springsource.org/spring/docs/3.0.0.RC3/reference/html/ch05s07.html

Also, are you using JPA? I assume so, in which case auto validation on life cycle events automatically. Instead of trying to remove event listeners you can just use the property javax.persistence.validation.mode and set it to NONE. I am wondering whether the right validator is used on life cycle based validation.

It would all depend on your overall Spring configuration and use.