Elegantly handling constraint violations in EJB/JPA environment?

java database jpa jakarta-ee ejb-3.0
hallidave picture hallidave · Mar 25, 2010 · Viewed 21.5k times · Source

I'm working with EJB and JPA on a Glassfish v3 app server. I have an Entity class where I'm forcing one of the fields to be unique with a @Column annotation.

@Entity
public class MyEntity implements Serializable {

    private String uniqueName;

    public MyEntity() {
    }

    @Column(unique = true, nullable = false)
    public String getUniqueName() {
        return uniqueName;
    }

    public void setUniqueName(String uniqueName) {
        this.uniqueName = uniqueName;
    }
}

When I try to persist an object with this field set to a non-unique value I get an exception (as expected) when the transaction managed by the EJB container commits.

I have two problems I'd like to solve:

1) The exception I get is the unhelpful "javax.ejb.EJBException: Transaction aborted". If I recursively call getCause() enough times, I eventually reach the more useful "java.sql.SQLIntegrityConstraintViolationException", but this exception is part of the EclipseLink implementation and I'm not really comfortable relying on it's existence.

Is there a better way to get detailed error information with JPA?

2) The EJB container insists on logging this error even though I catch it and handle it.

Is there a better way to handle this error which will stop Glassfish from cluttering up my logs with useless exception information?

Thanks.

Answer

Pascal Thivent picture Pascal Thivent · Mar 26, 2010

The exception I get is the unhelpful "javax.ejb.EJBException: Transaction aborted". (...)

I did a test on my side (with GFv3 and EclipseLink) and I confirm this behavior. The full stacktrace is :

javax.ejb.EJBException: Transaction aborted
    at com.sun.ejb.containers.BaseContainer.completeNewTx(BaseContainer.java:4997)
    at com.sun.ejb.containers.BaseContainer.postInvokeTx(BaseContainer.java:4756)
    at com.sun.ejb.containers.BaseContainer.postInvoke(BaseContainer.java:1955)
    at com.sun.ejb.containers.BaseContainer.postInvoke(BaseContainer.java:1906)
    at com.sun.ejb.containers.EJBLocalObjectInvocationHandler.invoke(EJBLocalObjectInvocationHandler.java:198)
    at com.sun.ejb.containers.EJBLocalObjectInvocationHandlerDelegate.invoke(EJBLocalObjectInvocationHandlerDelegate.java:84)
    at $Proxy218.myBusinessMethod(Unknown Source)
    at com.stackoverflow.q2522643.__EJB31_Generated__MyEJB__Intf____Bean__.myBusinessMethod(Unknown Source)
    at com.stackoverflow.q2522643.MyServlet.doGet(MyServlet.java:28)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:734)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:847)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapper.service(StandardWrapper.java:1523)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:279)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:188)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:641)
    at com.sun.enterprise.web.WebPipeline.invoke(WebPipeline.java:97)
    at com.sun.enterprise.web.PESessionLockingStandardPipeline.invoke(PESessionLockingStandardPipeline.java:85)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:185)
    at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.doService(CoyoteAdapter.java:332)
    at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:233)
    at com.sun.enterprise.v3.services.impl.ContainerMapper.service(ContainerMapper.java:165)
    at com.sun.grizzly.http.ProcessorTask.invokeAdapter(ProcessorTask.java:791)
    at com.sun.grizzly.http.ProcessorTask.doProcess(ProcessorTask.java:693)
    at com.sun.grizzly.http.ProcessorTask.process(ProcessorTask.java:954)
    at com.sun.grizzly.http.DefaultProtocolFilter.execute(DefaultProtocolFilter.java:170)
    at com.sun.grizzly.DefaultProtocolChain.executeProtocolFilter(DefaultProtocolChain.java:135)
    at com.sun.grizzly.DefaultProtocolChain.execute(DefaultProtocolChain.java:102)
    at com.sun.grizzly.DefaultProtocolChain.execute(DefaultProtocolChain.java:88)
    at com.sun.grizzly.http.HttpProtocolChain.execute(HttpProtocolChain.java:76)
    at com.sun.grizzly.ProtocolChainContextTask.doCall(ProtocolChainContextTask.java:53)
    at com.sun.grizzly.SelectionKeyContextTask.call(SelectionKeyContextTask.java:57)
    at com.sun.grizzly.ContextTask.run(ContextTask.java:69)
    at com.sun.grizzly.util.AbstractThreadPool$Worker.doWork(AbstractThreadPool.java:330)
    at com.sun.grizzly.util.AbstractThreadPool$Worker.run(AbstractThreadPool.java:309)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:619)
Caused by: javax.transaction.RollbackException: Transaction marked for rollback.
    at com.sun.enterprise.transaction.JavaEETransactionImpl.commit(JavaEETransactionImpl.java:450)
    at com.sun.enterprise.transaction.JavaEETransactionManagerSimplified.commit(JavaEETransactionManagerSimplified.java:837)
    at com.sun.ejb.containers.BaseContainer.completeNewTx(BaseContainer.java:4991)
    ... 34 more
Caused by: Exception [EclipseLink-4002] (Eclipse Persistence Services - 2.0.0.v20091127-r5931): org.eclipse.persistence.exceptions.DatabaseException
Internal Exception: java.sql.SQLIntegrityConstraintViolationException: The statement was aborted because it would have caused a duplicate key value in a unique or primary key constraint or unique index identified by 'SQL100326111558470' defined on 'MYENTITY'.
Error Code: -1
Call: INSERT INTO MYENTITY (ID, NAME) VALUES (?, ?)
    bind => [2, Duke!]
Query: InsertObjectQuery(com.stackoverflow.q2522643.MyEntity@dba6a9)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.exceptions.DatabaseException.sqlException(DatabaseException.java:324)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.internal.databaseaccess.DatabaseAccessor.executeDirectNoSelect(DatabaseAccessor.java:800)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.internal.databaseaccess.DatabaseAccessor.executeNoSelect(DatabaseAccessor.java:866)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.internal.databaseaccess.DatabaseAccessor.basicExecuteCall(DatabaseAccessor.java:586)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.internal.databaseaccess.DatabaseAccessor.executeCall(DatabaseAccessor.java:529)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.internal.sessions.AbstractSession.executeCall(AbstractSession.java:914)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.internal.queries.DatasourceCallQueryMechanism.executeCall(DatasourceCallQueryMechanism.java:205)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.internal.queries.DatasourceCallQueryMechanism.executeCall(DatasourceCallQueryMechanism.java:191)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.internal.queries.DatasourceCallQueryMechanism.insertObject(DatasourceCallQueryMechanism.java:334)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.internal.queries.StatementQueryMechanism.insertObject(StatementQueryMechanism.java:162)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.internal.queries.StatementQueryMechanism.insertObject(StatementQueryMechanism.java:177)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.internal.queries.DatabaseQueryMechanism.insertObjectForWrite(DatabaseQueryMechanism.java:461)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.queries.InsertObjectQuery.executeCommit(InsertObjectQuery.java:80)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.queries.InsertObjectQuery.executeCommitWithChangeSet(InsertObjectQuery.java:90)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.internal.queries.DatabaseQueryMechanism.executeWriteWithChangeSet(DatabaseQueryMechanism.java:286)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.queries.WriteObjectQuery.executeDatabaseQuery(WriteObjectQuery.java:58)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.queries.DatabaseQuery.execute(DatabaseQuery.java:675)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.queries.DatabaseQuery.executeInUnitOfWork(DatabaseQuery.java:589)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.queries.ObjectLevelModifyQuery.executeInUnitOfWorkObjectLevelModifyQuery(ObjectLevelModifyQuery.java:109)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.queries.ObjectLevelModifyQuery.executeInUnitOfWork(ObjectLevelModifyQuery.java:86)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.internal.sessions.UnitOfWorkImpl.internalExecuteQuery(UnitOfWorkImpl.java:2863)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.internal.sessions.AbstractSession.executeQuery(AbstractSession.java:1225)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.internal.sessions.AbstractSession.executeQuery(AbstractSession.java:1207)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.internal.sessions.AbstractSession.executeQuery(AbstractSession.java:1167)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.internal.sessions.CommitManager.commitNewObjectsForClassWithChangeSet(CommitManager.java:197)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.internal.sessions.CommitManager.commitAllObjectsWithChangeSet(CommitManager.java:103)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.internal.sessions.AbstractSession.writeAllObjectsWithChangeSet(AbstractSession.java:3260)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.internal.sessions.UnitOfWorkImpl.commitToDatabase(UnitOfWorkImpl.java:1405)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.internal.sessions.RepeatableWriteUnitOfWork.commitToDatabase(RepeatableWriteUnitOfWork.java:547)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.internal.sessions.UnitOfWorkImpl.commitToDatabaseWithChangeSet(UnitOfWorkImpl.java:1510)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.internal.sessions.UnitOfWorkImpl.issueSQLbeforeCompletion(UnitOfWorkImpl.java:3134)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.internal.sessions.RepeatableWriteUnitOfWork.issueSQLbeforeCompletion(RepeatableWriteUnitOfWork.java:268)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.transaction.AbstractSynchronizationListener.beforeCompletion(AbstractSynchronizationListener.java:157)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.transaction.JTASynchronizationListener.beforeCompletion(JTASynchronizationListener.java:68)
    at com.sun.enterprise.transaction.JavaEETransactionImpl.commit(JavaEETransactionImpl.java:412)
    ... 36 more
Caused by: java.sql.SQLIntegrityConstraintViolationException: The statement was aborted because it would have caused a duplicate key value in a unique or primary key constraint or unique index identified by 'SQL100326111558470' defined on 'MYENTITY'.
    at org.apache.derby.client.am.SQLExceptionFactory40.getSQLException(Unknown Source)
    at org.apache.derby.client.am.SqlException.getSQLException(Unknown Source)
    at org.apache.derby.client.am.PreparedStatement.executeUpdate(Unknown Source)
    at com.sun.gjc.spi.base.PreparedStatementWrapper.executeUpdate(PreparedStatementWrapper.java:108)
    at org.eclipse.persistence.internal.databaseaccess.DatabaseAccessor.executeDirectNoSelect(DatabaseAccessor.java:791)
    ... 69 more
Caused by: org.apache.derby.client.am.SqlException: The statement was aborted because it would have caused a duplicate key value in a unique or primary key constraint or unique index identified by 'SQL100326111558470' defined on 'MYENTITY'.
    at org.apache.derby.client.am.Statement.completeExecute(Unknown Source)
    at org.apache.derby.client.net.NetStatementReply.parseEXCSQLSTTreply(Unknown Source)
    at org.apache.derby.client.net.NetStatementReply.readExecute(Unknown Source)
    at org.apache.derby.client.net.StatementReply.readExecute(Unknown Source)
    at org.apache.derby.client.net.NetPreparedStatement.readExecute_(Unknown Source)
    at org.apache.derby.client.am.PreparedStatement.readExecute(Unknown Source)
    at org.apache.derby.client.am.PreparedStatement.flowExecute(Unknown Source)
    at org.apache.derby.client.am.PreparedStatement.executeUpdateX(Unknown Source)
    ... 72 more

As we can see, EclipseLink actually throws a o.e.p.e.DatabaseException which is then caught by the container. But this is WRONG. EclipseLink should throw a PersistenceException (from JPA) or one if its subclass but certainly not a provider specific exception. This is a bug and you should report it as such: https://glassfish.dev.java.net/servlets/ProjectIssues (in the entity-persistence subcomponent).

And you're absolutely right, you should NOT catch provider specific exceptions for the sake of portability. You should catch a JPA PersistenceException or a subclass (and then maybe look at the wrapped SQLException). You may have to (temporarily) in this particular case because of the EclipseLink bug, but this is a workaround.

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