unit-test-config-properties

name	unit-test-config-properties
description	Provides patterns for unit testing `@ConfigurationProperties` classes with `@ConfigurationPropertiesTest`. Validates property binding, tests validation constraints, verifies default values, checks type conversions, and mocks property sources for Spring Boot configuration properties. Use when testing application configuration binding, validating YAML or application.properties files, verifying environment-specific settings, or testing nested property structures.
metadata	{"author":"giuseppe-trisciuoglio"}

Unit Testing Configuration Properties and Profiles

Overview

This skill provides patterns for unit testing @ConfigurationProperties bindings, environment-specific configurations, and property validation using JUnit 5. Covers testing property name mapping, type conversions, validation constraints, nested structures, and profile-specific configurations without full Spring context startup.

Key validation checkpoints:

• Property prefix matches between @ConfigurationProperties and test properties
• Validation triggers on @Validated classes with invalid values
• Type conversions work for Duration, DataSize, collections, and maps

When to Use

• Testing @ConfigurationProperties property binding
• Testing property name mapping and type conversions
• Validating configuration with @NotBlank, @Min, @Max, @Email constraints
• Testing environment-specific configurations (dev, prod)
• Testing nested property structures and collections
• Verifying default values when properties are not specified
• Fast configuration tests without Spring context startup

Instructions

1. Set up test dependencies: Add spring-boot-starter-test and AssertJ dependencies
2. Use ApplicationContextRunner: Test property bindings without starting full Spring context
3. Define property prefixes: Ensure @ConfigurationProperties(prefix = "...") matches test property paths
4. Test all property paths: Verify each property including nested structures and collections
5. Test validation constraints: Use context.hasFailed() to verify @Validated properties reject invalid values
6. Test type conversions: Verify Duration (30s), DataSize (50MB), collections, and maps convert correctly
7. Test default values: Verify properties have correct defaults when not specified in test properties
8. Test profile-specific configs: Use @Profile with ApplicationContextRunner for environment-specific configurations
9. Test edge cases: Include empty strings, null values, and type mismatches

Troubleshooting flow:

• If properties don't bind → Check prefix matches (kebab-case to camelCase conversion)
• If validation doesn't trigger → Verify @Validated annotation is present
• If context fails to start → Check dependencies and @ConfigurationProperties class structure

Examples

Setup: Test Dependencies

<dependency>
  <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
  <artifactId>spring-boot-configuration-processor</artifactId>
  <scope>provided</scope>
</dependency>
<dependency>
  <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
  <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-test</artifactId>
  <scope>test</scope>
</dependency>
<dependency>
  <groupId>org.assertj</groupId>
  <artifactId>assertj-core</artifactId>
  <scope>test</scope>
</dependency>

Basic Pattern: Property Binding

@ConfigurationProperties(prefix = "app.security")
@Data
public class SecurityProperties {
  private String jwtSecret;
  private long jwtExpirationMs;
  private int maxLoginAttempts;
  private boolean enableTwoFactor;
}

class SecurityPropertiesTest {

  @Test
  void shouldBindPropertiesFromEnvironment() {
    new ApplicationContextRunner()
      .withPropertyValues(
        "app.security.jwtSecret=my-secret-key",
        "app.security.jwtExpirationMs=3600000",
        "app.security.maxLoginAttempts=5",
        "app.security.enableTwoFactor=true"
      )
      .withBean(SecurityProperties.class)
      .run(context -> {
        SecurityProperties props = context.getBean(SecurityProperties.class);
        assertThat(props.getJwtSecret()).isEqualTo("my-secret-key");
        assertThat(props.getJwtExpirationMs()).isEqualTo(3600000L);
        assertThat(props.getMaxLoginAttempts()).isEqualTo(5);
        assertThat(props.isEnableTwoFactor()).isTrue();
      });
  }

  @Test
  void shouldUseDefaultValuesWhenPropertiesNotProvided() {
    new ApplicationContextRunner()
      .withPropertyValues("app.security.jwtSecret=key")
      .withBean(SecurityProperties.class)
      .run(context -> {
        SecurityProperties props = context.getBean(SecurityProperties.class);
        assertThat(props.getJwtSecret()).isEqualTo();
        assertThat(props.getMaxLoginAttempts()).isZero();
      });
  }
}

Validation Testing

@ConfigurationProperties(prefix = "app.server")
@Data
@Validated
public class ServerProperties {
  @NotBlank
  private String host;

  @Min(1)
  @Max(65535)
  private int port = 8080;

  @Positive
  private int threadPoolSize;
}

class ConfigurationValidationTest {

  @Test
  void shouldFailValidationWhenHostIsBlank() {
    new ApplicationContextRunner()
      .withPropertyValues(
        "app.server.host=",
        "app.server.port=8080",
        "app.server.threadPoolSize=10"
      )
      .withBean(ServerProperties.class)
      .run(context -> {
        assertThat(context).hasFailed()
          .getFailure()
          .hasMessageContaining("host");
      });
  }

  @Test
  void shouldPassValidationWithValidConfiguration() {
    new ApplicationContextRunner()
      .withPropertyValues(
        "app.server.host=localhost",
        "app.server.port=8080",
        "app.server.threadPoolSize=10"
      )
      .withBean(ServerProperties.class)
      .run(context -> {
        assertThat(context).hasNotFailed();
        assertThat(context.getBean(ServerProperties.class).getHost()).isEqualTo("localhost");
      });
  }
}

Type Conversion Testing

@ConfigurationProperties(prefix = "app.features")
@Data
public class FeatureProperties {
  private Duration cacheExpiry = Duration.ofMinutes(10);
  private DataSize maxUploadSize = DataSize.ofMegabytes(100);
  private List<String> enabledFeatures;
  private Map<String, String> featureFlags;
}

class TypeConversionTest {

  @Test
  void shouldConvertDurationFromString() {
    new ApplicationContextRunner()
      .withPropertyValues("app.features.cacheExpiry=30s")
      .withBean(FeatureProperties.class)
      .run(context -> {
        assertThat(context.getBean(FeatureProperties.class).getCacheExpiry())
          .isEqualTo(Duration.ofSeconds(30));
      });
  }

  @Test
  void shouldConvertCommaDelimitedList() {
    new ApplicationContextRunner()
      .withPropertyValues("app.features.enabledFeatures=feature1,feature2")
      .withBean(FeatureProperties.class)
      .run(context -> {
        assertThat(context.getBean(FeatureProperties.class).getEnabledFeatures())
          .containsExactly("feature1", "feature2");
      });
  }
}

For nested properties, profile-specific configurations, collection binding, and advanced validation patterns, see references/advanced-examples.md.

Best Practices

• Test all property bindings including nested structures and collections
• Test validation constraints for all @NotBlank, @Min, @Max, @Email, @Positive annotations
• Test both default and custom values to verify fallback behavior
• Use ApplicationContextRunner for fast context-free testing
• Test profile-specific configurations separately with @Profile
• Verify type conversions for Duration, DataSize, collections, and maps
• Test edge cases: empty strings, null values, type mismatches, out-of-range values

Constraints and Warnings

• Kebab-case to camelCase: Property app.my-property maps to myProperty in Java
• Loose binding: Spring Boot uses loose binding by default; use strict binding if needed
• @Validated required: Add @Validated annotation to enable constraint validation
• @ConstructorBinding: All parameters must be bindable when using constructor binding
• List indexing: Use [0], [1] notation; ensure sequential indexing for lists
• Duration format: Accepts ISO-8601 (PT30S) or simple syntax (30s, 1m, 2h)
• Context isolation: Each ApplicationContextRunner creates a new context with no shared state
• Profile activation: Use spring.profiles.active=profileName in withPropertyValues() for profile tests

Troubleshooting

Issue	Cause	Solution
Properties not binding	Prefix mismatch	Verify @ConfigurationProperties(prefix="...") matches property paths
Validation not triggered	Missing @Validated	Add @Validated annotation to configuration class
Context fails to start	Missing dependencies	Ensure spring-boot-starter-test is in test scope
Nested properties null	Inner class missing	Use @Data on nested classes or provide getters/setters
Collection binding fails	Wrong indexing	Use [0], [1] notation, not (0), (1)

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