[Springframework-developer] Lifecycle methods

[James C. <jim...@do...>]

I think I am missing some basic lifecycle method, but I have read the docs
and maybe it does not exist?

I have a cyclic relationship between two beans:

<bean id="CategoryDAO" class="my.CategoryDAOHibernate">
	<property name="sessionFactory">
		<ref local="sessionFactory"/>
	</property>
	<property name="categoryHierarchy">
		<ref local="CategoryHierarchy"/>
	</property>
</bean>

<bean id="CategoryHierarchy" class="my.CategoryHierarchy">
	<property name="categoryDAO">
		<ref local="CategoryDAO"/>
	</property>
</bean>

CategoryDAO extends HibernateDaoSupport, so it's afterPropertiesSet() method
uses the session factory to initialize the DAO which creates a hibernate
template.

The CategoryHierarchy is not a database-aware object and it uses the
CategoryDAO object for any data-access it may need.
 
The problem is in the afterPropertiesSet() method on the CategoryHierarchy
object. This is where I decided to make a call to the CateogryDAO and get
some data that the CategoryHierarchy object needs. Unfortunately, I get a
NullPointerException because the CategoryDAO object has yet to have its
afterPropertiesSet method invoked. This method sets up the HibernateTemplate
object. It is null, thus my NPE.

Here is the order I am seeing:

1. CategoryDAO <init>
2. CategortHierarchy <init>
3. CategoryHierarchy.setCategoryDAO(o)
4. CategoryHierarchy.afterPropertiesSet()
   - NPE because it makes a call using CategoryDAO object
5. CategoryDAO.setSessionFactory(o)
6. CategoryDAO.setCategoryHierarchy(o)
7. CategoryDAO.afterPropertiesSet()
   - CategoryDAO can only answer calls after this step

Is there a lifecycle event that fires *after* the factory has configured all
of the static beans including all aop bindings?

I have tried the 'init-method' attribute on the bean. It seems to fire
before afterPropertiesSet. I have tried the BeanFactoryAware interface, but
it still fires pretty early. Is there an event that is triggered after the
factory wires up everything?